by D A Godwin
“Ours seems to be neither, and there’s sure to be something standing in the way.”
Treven looked amused. “External dangers are always the easiest to detect, but we often remain blind to those we make for ourselves.”
“You sound like Gelid,” Tormjere said.
“I believe that is the highest compliment I have ever been given.” Treven adjusted the haversack containing Amalthee’s Book. “When you are finished with your business with the elves, come to Kirchmont. You may discover that where you ask your questions can be as important as whom you ask them of.”
It was a tempting offer. Tormjere remembered the abbey as an interesting place with good food and an abundance of books. “I think I will do that.”
Treven smiled. “When you are ready. Take care, my friend.”
“I will. Be careful.”
Tormjere swallowed a lump in his throat as he stood watching Treven’s now smaller company depart. Had he the choice, he would have seen Treven safely to Kirchmont as he had done before, but the road to Ildalarial was even more of an unknown.
And likely fraught with our own dangers.
There’s never a time when it isn’t.
One of the soldiers rode forward and offered him a fresh mount. Tormjere gave the horse an unhappy look, which the animal reciprocated.
“We could ask for one of the clerics’ mules, should you prefer,” Birion noted.
“Mules, horses, what’s the difference?” Tormjere replied. “I’d rather walk.”
“Do as you will,” Birion replied, “so long as you keep up.”
Tormjere pulled himself up, muttering under his breath.
* * *
Shalindra ducked inadvertently as a trio of wyverns raced across the tops of the trees with a whoosh of air that sent leaves and branches raining down on everyone around her.
“I think they’re mating,” Honarch said. “The smaller one in the lead is a female. The two in pursuit are males.”
“As long as they keep to each other,” Birion said. “I’d not care to be the subject of their affections.”
Where they stood offered a clear view of the sky, and so they watched as the larger males wheeled and banked sharply, each trying to injure the other even as they pursued the female.
“The wyverns weren’t interested in us,” Tormjere said as he rejoined them without warning, causing Enna to jump. “But I discovered someone who will be: thirty to forty men under no banner, and two wizards.”
“Here?” Birion asked incredulously. “In the middle of nowhere?”
“We are between Ildalarial and Silvalaria,” Enna snapped. “There are many ‘somewheres’ to be found here, if you know where to look.”
Birion bowed his head in apology, though Shalindra was certain he had meant no offense. Enna seemed increasingly on edge, though for no reason she could name. Since parting ways with Treven they had travelled more south than west. Their route had taken them through uncivilized, though not unoccupied, forests and brought them to the southernmost reaches of the Aldantan Mountains. It had not been without its share of mishaps and trials, but it had also been no more trying than any journey through these woods.
Tormjere pointed west, across peaks and ridges which time had worn down to foothills. “They have scouts watching the road between the two nations, which should be in the next valley in that direction.” He looked at Enna, who nodded a confirmation. “The hills to our east are uncomfortably steep for travel, so their camp occupies a natural funnel that anyone travelling up or down the road will pass through.”
“That many men is consistent with a light raiding party,” Birion said, “but the addition of the wizards is not. You are certain they camped under no colors?”
“Not so much as a single tabard. I doubt the Kingdom has shifted to the wizard’s cause, so it would be safe to guess they were Ceringion.”
Shalindra fingered her symbol, mindful of the visions she had seen of demons killing the elves. “The other wizard you found was between us and Silvalaria, though you said the group was smaller. Perhaps it is the elves that occupy their attention and not us?”
Enna’s worry was apparent. “Or they seek to keep my people isolated from one another.”
“We have no one to ask,” Birion observed with a sideways glance at Tormjere, “so we can only guess at this point. Regardless, we would do best to avoid them and tell the elves of their position.”
“What if we were to capture one of them?” Shalindra asked.
Enna and Birion stared at her in surprise. Tormjere’s eagerness at the suggestion flooded into her, but she pushed his desires aside. This needed to be done, but not as revenge for their continued animosity.
“My lady, are you certain?” Birion asked.
Enna’s question came before the first could be answered. “Can we not go around, as Birion suggested?”
Tormjere dismissed that idea. “We would have to backtrack at least half a day. The horses can’t handle the slopes near here.”
“Under ordinary circumstances, I would choose that path,” Shalindra said. “However, the situation we find ourselves in is anything but ordinary. At some point, we must cease allowing them to dictate our actions. Whether their target is us or the elves, they have the makings of a war party and must be dealt with. We need to know why they are here, and that means we must capture some of them alive.”
“Our numbers do not match theirs,” Birion pointed out, stroking his moustache. “There is significant risk.”
“I can take care of the wizards,” Tormjere stated. “Once they’re out of the way, we should be able to handle the rest easily.”
Birion looked unconvinced. “And if they summon demons as well?”
“Then it’s no more than two that I can likely defeat by myself. We’ve got two clerics and a wizard of our own, plus the new spears if needed.”
“Also, not every wizard is capable of summoning,” Honarch reminded them. “It’s actually fairly rare among practitioners.”
Enna gave him a disbelieving look. “All the ones we run into can, and do.”
Honarch conceded her point.
“It is your decision, as always, Your Highness,” Birion said. “If you wish it done, it will be so.”
Shalindra looked at each of their faces in turn. “I do,” she said, certain that this was the right decision. “I will leave the timing and planning in your capable hands.”
“Then we will camp here and hope night finds us before anything else does.”
* * *
Tormjere crept through the darkness towards the end of the Ceringion camp, where two small tents lay concealed in the bushes. Nothing moved except the handful of guards around the perimeter.
Are you certain we should not be closer to you?
Not yet. Wait until I’ve dealt with the sentries on this side.
Shalindra, Enna, and Honarch trailed not far behind him, ready to aid in the capture of a wizard, while Birion led his men towards the opposite end of the camp. A handful of archers had been positioned near the middle, where they could harass the Ceringions and cover any retreat, if needed.
He slipped up behind the half-asleep guard, inching his way closer. When the guard shifted position and looked away, Tormjere pounced, clamping a hand over the man’s mouth and wrenching his head around with the other. No sooner had he eased the lifeless body to the ground than a raucous screeching split the night. Shouts sounded immediately from the camp as the Ceringions bolted awake.
Tormjere drew his sword with a curse and charged towards them.
What was that?
Some kind of alarm.
It is too soon. Birion cannot be in position yet.
We can’t wait.
The Ceringions were bleary-eyed but competent, already gaining their weapons and organizing into a defensive posture. A twisting mass of magical fire signaled Honarch’s entry into the conflict, arcing like a comet through the night to explode in their midst. Men and trees were
set alight, lending a hellish glow to the battlefield.
The air tingled as crackling energies shot from the camp in response, coming to a spectacular stop somewhere in the woods as they slammed into Enna’s silvery-blue shield. Close on its heels flew a trio of glowing orbs, which spun about themselves as they sliced through the air. They cut through the trees like a scythe to wheat, causing them to topple haphazardly.
The sharp ring of steel joined the shouting as Birion’s men charged into the camp. The Ceringions were collapsing inwards in an attempt to defend themselves and regain control.
We have to get to the wizards.
Tormjere cut down a pair of men before him and drove forward with single-minded purpose. One of the robed wizards saw his approach and shouted orders, which sent a group of men rushing to block his path. Tormjere dealt with them quickly, but the delay was enough.
The wizard’s hand was clenched around the pendant hanging from his neck, and a swirling black mist had already taken shape before him. There was little Tormjere could do but watch as a segmented demon skittered out like a centipede on long, spikey legs. The flattened oval of its head searched back and forth for a target as its large mandibles gnashing eagerly.
Can you turn this one against its master?
There’s no reasoning with the insects. They’re just mean.
Arrows from Birion’s archers came whistling towards the creature. The second wizard waved a hand dismissively, and the missiles halted their flight. With a flick of his wrist, he reversed their course and sent them streaking back towards the archers. Screams in the night said that at least some had found their mark.
Tormjere feinted to keep the demon’s attention on him, then dove to the side and grabbed the body of a fallen Ceringion. He hurled the body towards the wizard, hoping to distract him enough to break his hold on the demon.
The wizard’s hand shot forward, and the body stopped in midair, dangling like a macabre marionette before falling once more to the ground. Tormjere raced towards the wizard, but the demon flung itself between them. Tormjere dodged away as its mandibles clacked against Shalindra’s shield.
The wizard gestured again as he incanted, and the ground beneath Tormjere’s feet liquified to a soft mud, sucking him down. The demon slid sideways to Tormjere’s undefended back, then reared back in sudden pain as Shalindra announced her presence by bringing Shining Moon crunching into its carapace.
I will occupy it. Get the wizard.
Immersed nearly to the waist, Tormjere summoned a trio of flames in his hand and sent them corkscrewing towards the mage. Surprised by the magical attack the man twisted away, barely deflecting the flaming darts. Tormjere jerked himself free of the ground before it solidified around him. With a leap, he was at the wizard before he could recover, and his blade cut him open from shoulder to thigh.
The demon paused its attack against Shalindra, mandibles grinding together as it swiveled its faceted eyes towards the dying wizard. Tormjere fixed it with his own stare as he absorbed the fleeting embers of strength from the dying wizard. It was an act of dominance familiar to every demon, one that even such a lesser creature understood.
The remaining wizard’s eyes darted from Tormjere to the demon and back, seemingly unsure of which was the more dangerous threat. The creature snapped at them both as it retreated, no longer interested in continuing the fight. That seemed to make up the wizard’s mind, as he threw his hands in the air and yelled above the melee.
“We surrender!”
He had to shout it several times before the handful of Ceringions surrounding him disengaged, then reluctantly threw down their weapons.
The demon clearly had other designs and turned to flee.
“Stop it!” Shalindra shouted.
Tormjere sprinted to cut off its retreat. It made a half-hearted attack, then pivoted with unnatural speed and rushed away again. Soldiers of both sides scattered as it trampled through the camp, only to have its path blocked once more by Honarch and Enna. Tormjere and Shalindra closed in, and it hissed and snapped at them as they encircled it.
Magical energy struck it, and Shining Moon accelerated into its side even as Tormjere’s sword severed a leg. The doomed creature thrashed about, unable to defend itself from every direction at once. With a violent lurch it sprang towards Enna, desperate for escape. Silver and silvery-blue shields wrapped her in armor, but the demon’s leap carried it beyond her instead of atop, and it scurried from them as quickly as it could. The four rushed to catch it, but it no longer sought escape. Its mandibles seized the necklace still looped around the dead wizard’s neck. The caged darkness spun within, and a swirling void of dark mists began to manifest.
Tormjere vaulted onto the creature’s back and cleaved his sword through its head. The demon’s limbs spasmed before it collapsed and lay still.
The portal it had created began to diminish then surged outward as a blast of heat and wind erupted from its twisting depths, bending trees and forcing everyone away as it expanded at an alarming rate.
A massive being of shadow and nightmare emerged from the roiling cloud of ash and mist. Its skin was of crumbled stone and as dark as a moonless night. Black mists seeped from every crevasse and wrinkle like incense from a brazier. Segmented horns twisted from a skull lit by eyes that glowed an angry orange. It was power incarnate, and the very air about it burned foul with the malignance of its intent.
Dark wings unfolded as it drew itself up to its full height and stared down at them, displaying in its clenched fist a serrated, double-curved blade made from the bones of some massive creature.
Men of every allegiance stood rooted in place, staring at it slack jawed and seemingly incapable of willing themselves to flee from the horror before them. With a casual flick, the tip of the demon’s sword skewered the wizard like a piece of meat at the table. It drew a deep breath, shriveling the wizard’s body as he died with a tortured scream that spurred the frozen soldiers to action. Their terrified flight ended as the massive sword sliced through them like a scythe.
“Eluria preserve us,” Shalindra whispered.
The demon’s wicked glare fell upon her, and its voice carried such scorn that it mocked not only her plea but everything she had ever held dear. “Take care when bringing the gods into your conflict, shield maiden.”
How does it know me?
They all know who we are.
“Birion!” Tormjere shouted. “Get them out of here!”
“Veluntrhu,” the demon hissed, beckoning Tormjere forward. “Come. Meet your fate willingly, and I shall offer you the oblivion you so desperately seek.” Baring its teeth in anticipation, it advanced towards them without awaiting a reply.
Enna swung her symbol down with a shout. A blast of divine force streaked towards the demon, but the mists around it solidified and deflected the blow. The creature’s bone sword shot towards her only to be turned aside at the last instant by Shalindra’s silvery shield.
Tormjere dove in, drawing a hiss of misty blood as his sword cut across the demon’s leg. The creature jabbed at him with the sharpened point of its sword’s pommel, nearly impaling him as it had the wizard. Tormjere’s desperate leap to the side took him straight into the creature’s tail just as it snapped towards him. Of course it would have a tail. He took the blow full in the face and was sent tumbling across the ground.
The demon flapped its mighty wings, buffeting them with dirt and sticks as it rose from the ground. It dove at them with a roar, driving its sword at Shalindra. Her defense held and the blade was deflected, but she cried out in pain at the effort. Tormjere rushed to attack the moment its feet touched the ground.
Honarch was incanting, and golden circlets of arcane symbols sprang into place around the demon’s wrists, forcing its arms apart. Before Tormjere could capitalize on the opening, the demon strained forward, snapping its bonds.
“Do not seek to contain me, wizard!” it shouted, and its hand shot towards Honarch, sending blackened tendrils of sharpl
y pointed mist streaking towards him. They disintegrated to vapor once more as they impacted Enna’s silvery-blue shield, but the effort left her staggering, and she dropped to one knee with a whimper.
The creature lifted itself from the ground once more. Black mists flecked with fire and ash swirled like a cyclone around it, expanding outward and blinding them to its position.
Though his vision was blocked, Tormjere could still feel its presence.
From above and left.
Shalindra’s shield snapped into place just in time. Tormjere saw and felt the demon’s passing, and he lashed out with little effect.
Honarch gestured, and the swords of the fallen Ceringions came spinning up from the ground. They flew straight into the maelstrom, a twisting ball of sharpened metal. A roar of pain sounded from within, and as the demon reappeared they saw the membranes of its wings shredded.
A piece of the swirling black mist solidified in the demon’s hand, which it hurled like a javelin towards Honarch. Again, the wizard was saved by Enna’s shield, though she reeled under the impact.
“Bind it!” Enna shouted to Shalindra.
Shalindra had never attempted such a feat on something so large but knew what Enna spoke of. She manifested her shield, willing it to grow in brightness and intensity until it formed a cone enveloping the demon. Bands of silvery-blue energy wove themselves through her barrier as Enna lent her strength to the effort.
The demon forced itself against it but was driven to its knees by the torrent of energy pinning its arms to its side. The stony ridges of its brow creased as its body bent with tremendous effort. With a sudden jerk, the demon reversed its grip on its sword, and the spiked hilt shot towards her. Shalindra saw it coming, but there was no way for her to respond.
Tormjere slammed into her, knocking her to the side as he occupied her place. The sharpened hilt of the demon’s blade pierced his stomach and came out his back.
Tormjere!
The pain hit him with such shock that his body was simply incapable of processing it, and in that briefest moment of lucidity, he brought his sword slashing down on the creature’s wrist with everything he had, lodging the steel in the stony skin.