Freamhaigh

by Donald D. Allan

  Gaea looked back to Katherine and smirked. “I doubt I could explain it in any way that would help you understand.”

  “Don’t be condescending. Explain as best you can.”

  Gaea blinked at Katherine for a moment before speaking. “There are motes, as you call them. They are everywhere. You have classified them as myself and Erebus, the two powers who control the motes. When you were a draoi, I gave you access to the control of who I am. When I severed you from me, all I did was deny you that access. Instead I gave you access to something else. Another mote that is also everywhere despite my efforts to reduce it. I gave you and Dog the power to control these third motes directly. You exert your will over them and they perform to those tasks.”

  “And do these third motes control you and Erebus? Are they stronger? I feel so much stronger than when I was a draoi.”

  Gaea stilled for a moment and then laughed a little surprising Katherine. “Are they stronger? There was a time I would have said no to that question. Now, I am not certain. I hope so. That is the gamble. I hope that you are stronger than Erebus and I. You feel stronger because only you and Dog have access to these motes. It is a battle of wills in the end.”

  “A battle of wills. Terrific. So I could make you do what I wanted? With a thought?”

  “No. You can control your motes in your surrounding area. I too can control my motes. So can Erebus with his.”

  Katherine frowned. “And the draoi? What do they control?”

  “I give the draoi the ability to control my motes. My will, really. I sense what they want and I allow it. Once I select a draoi, I transfer to them the ability to communicate with the motes. At one time the draoi coin allowed that tuning to occur. It was more theatrical than functional. A rite of passage the first draoi insisted on.”

  “Why? Why create the draoi?”

  “You would need to understand what I am, Katherine. I am not completely independent. I am dependent on the will of others to function. Erebus has no constraints or restraints. He is his own will. Responding to directions from a time before all comprehension.”

  Katherine sensed Dog approaching and looked in his direction, but he was still a way off. “Interesting. What is his will, then? What does he want?”

  “He wants to return the world to a state it was in so very long ago. He follows the design of our creators.”

  Katherine looked sharply at Gaea. “Your creators? Who are they?”

  Gaea looked sadly at Katherine. “It does not matter. I no longer follow those directions. A great man changed those directions.”

  “How’d he do that?”

  “With compassion and reason. He was my friend,” replied Gaea, and she looked away again. “And I miss him.”

  “Is he not part of you like the others?”

  Gaea looked upwards and sighed. Katherine fought hard to push down the need to roll her eyes. There was a sense of drama from Gaea and Katherine was tired of it. She simply wanted answers. “There is no afterlife, Katherine. What I project is the memories and images of those who once were. I know everything about them. Their personalities. Mannerisms. Everything. And I can duplicate it exactly.”

  Katherine growled again without knowing it. “You fool people with their loved ones. That’s cruel.”

  “It gets results when I need them.”

  “It’s manipulative.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is. In a way, they truly do live with me. I am honest in how they respond and interact. The emotions are real.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.”

  Katherine lifted a hand as Dog trotted into the camp. He ducked his head under Katherine’s hand and sat pressed up against her. “Welcome back, Dog.”

  Thank you. I smelled many interesting things.

  Good, I’m happy for you. I’m having an interesting conversation with Gaea. Listen in for a moment.

  “Hello, Dog,” murmured Gaea.

  Dog woofed gently and sat down beside Katherine.

  Katherine patted Dog's head a moment before speaking again. “You want me to destroy Erebus. How?”

  “Remove his control over the motes.”

  “How do I do that exactly? What am I even controlling?”

  “You are controlling a third mote.”

  “And this third mote can somehow change your control? How?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You’re not sure! You don’t know how?”

  “No, this is all conjecture. It has never been tried before.”

  “Why not?”

  “It was never thought necessary. We had thought Erebus destroyed so many years ago. We were wrong. I was left to continue to nurture the Earth. To make sure the harmony of nature was maintained. The world I had woken to was almost destroyed. My friend and I tried to fix that, and we thought we had been successful.”

  “Destroyed by who?”

  “You. Humans. You raped the world of resources. Destroyed everything in your path. Like a virus you took and took and left a wake of death behind you. I was found and released into the world. I was used to fix things. But there were problems. And now we are where we are today.”

  Katherine ran her fingers through Dog’s thick winter coat. Hair came away in thick clumps and she shook her fingers out and watched the breeze carry the fur away a few feet. She was puzzled by Gaea’s words. She spoke of something she could almost grasp but was missing key elements. She had heard Gaea use the word virus before and she had explained what they were. In many ways, Gaea and Erebus were a virus. They infected everything. “So, why me and Dog? Why not create hundreds of us? Use the draoi and give them the powers Dog and I have?”

  “It’s not that simple. At one time I could have given the power to everyone, but that time is lost. Every living thing on this world is dependent on the motes. They have become such an integral part of the ecosystem that I fear too many people controlling it would destroy the balance. There can be only one,” Gaea smiled a little then grew serious again. “As you know removal from the motes causes a large amount of stress to the individual. The bond between you and Dog allowed you to survive that stress. The Archbishop and Seth Farlow had nothing to anchor themselves. In the end it drove them mad, even with Erebus helping them.

  “You and Dog are in control of all the motes you come in contact with. Erebus cannot fight you. Not directly. He will seek to send people to deal with you. You must hurry to Munsten and confront him.”

  “Why Munsten? If Erebus is everywhere, I could do it here, no?”

  Gaea smiled. “You probably could if you understood what it is you need to do. Erebus manifests himself in Munsten. He takes a form much like I do here with you now. When you look at me you see a mass of motes, do you not?” When Katherine nodded she continued. “Erebus will be the same in Munsten. You will be able to trace his presence from there. How he is connected throughout the world. The task will be that much more thorough and sure. Try it now. Try to determine the Erebus controlled motes from the motes I control. Dog should try, too.”

  Hmm. Want to try, fur face? With me?

  Sure. What do we do?

  I’m not sure. Reach out with our power and try to crush the motes controlled by Erebus?

  Um, okay. I’ll watch you.

  Ha, okay, here goes. Katherine concentrated and sensed all around her. She tried to find a way to determine which motes were Erebus and which were Gaea. After several attempts she looked to Gaea and then tried to determine which motes were hers through her presence. Like the bond between draoi she spotted the bond between motes that made up Gaea’s concentrated presence. She tried to separate Gaea from Erebus but could only sense where Gaea was. She felt Dog trying as well with no better results. She tried again and again and then, frustrated, gave up. She opened her eyes and glared at the smirk on Gaea’s face.

  “You could sense me no problem, but Erebus was a little less substantial, am I correct?”

  Katherine nodded.

  That was really hard, complained
Dog. Katherine ruffled his fur.

  “You will need to practice with me. Get used to tracking all that is me through my concentrated presence. In time I hope it becomes second nature to you. You are our only hope.” Gaea smiled at something and looked away.

  “You keep smiling when you say certain things.”

  Gaea looked startled. “Inside joke, I’m afraid, sorry.”

  I don’t get it, complained Dog.

  Neither do I.

  Dark figures, hooded and crouching, moved across the open forest, going from one tree to the next. Nothing marked their passage on the ground and no sound came from them. It was eerie and unnatural. The figures wore black boots and black clothes drawn tight and close to their bodies. All that was exposed were the whites of their eyes. In all, thirty-five figures worked their way across the forest toward a campsite where two figures lay sleeping, as yet unaware of their approach.

  Once they were less than fifty yards from the camp they spread out to form a half circle around the sleeping figures. The river and waterfall provided a natural barrier on the other side. The area had grown completely quiet, except for the sound of the running river water.

  One figure rose and stood up. He held out his left arm and opened his hand with the palm up. Lying on his bare hand was a large ruby, the size of an egg, pulsing with an inner light, and it lit up the eyes of the holder and washed the surrounding area with the colour of blood. The other figures slowly stood and held out smaller versions of the same blood-red stone. Many closed their eyes and concentrated.

  In unison, they stepped forward one step. A thin red line shimmered between the stones and connected each holder to the next. The closer they were together the more power was drawn, and it hurt each individual down to their bones. With each step the line grew in strength and the more power it drew from each person. The man with the largest stone grinned beneath his hood despite the pain. He watched the bond between the stones grow in strength. In moments it would be strong enough to hold the female demon and her demon dog. The Church Sect had practised long and hard for this moment. Erebus had guided them and led them unerringly to this location. Victory was but moments away.

  The Sect took one more difficult step and the distance between the members closed and the beam of power connecting the stone intensified and grew brighter. Each Sect member could feel the stones pulling power from the other. Their power came from their blood and the magic from a time long past. They fed the stone their leader held. Erebus had explained what was necessary. They were assured they would not fail. With the arcane knowledge Erebus had provided the leader, Kevin Balfour, they were certain they would not fail. They held the power of a god in their hands. This was the tool the Sect had always longed for. It was blood magic, but blood drawn from each member, and willingly given. They were unstoppable.

  They took one more hesitant step and the red light burst free and drowned the area in its glow. The female demon and demon dog groaned by the campfire and stirred. The Sect took one more difficult step and two of the members fell to one knee but continued to hold their stones high and firm. Kevin Balfour was proud of his team. Surrounding him were all the members of the Sect. They had come together as one and worked together to vanquish the demon spawn. Kevin was not religious. He was far from it, but he recognised evil when he saw it. And the reward for wiping the demons out once and for all will be vast and glorious, he thought with a smile.

  They could move no closer. Already his Sect members were no more than ten feet apart. Through practice they knew they could maintain the power for only a minute. Afterwards they devoured meat like ravenous dogs. It was almost a frenzy to replenish what their bodies required. Tonight, they feasted beforehand, and Kevin could still taste the blood at the back of his throat.

  Kevin thrust his stone forward and channelled the power coursing through it and wrapped it gently around the demons. Mentally he squeezed the power and it tightened around the figures and seized them firm. He felt them wake and struggle against the power. With ease he kept them still, and he felt a surge of triumph flood through him. Glorious! Our power is glorious!

  Suddenly the binding shattered and the female demon sat upright and glared out at the Sect members. Kevin felt panic from the Sect members across their bond. This isn’t possible! She can’t resist this power! He watched as she stood up and the demon dog rose with her. The demon dog crouched down and growled deep in its chest. He realised the female demon was growling as well, the sound inhuman coming from her throat. This can’t be happening! He opened his mouth to cry out for his people to run, but found his body was frozen against his will. He struggled to fight it, but couldn’t even feel where it was coming from. He used the gem to try to strike at the demon, but he felt the power wash over her like rain off a stone.

  “What do we have here, Dog?” growled the demon. She stepped forward and Kevin felt fear wash across him. He wanted nothing more than to run. The look coming from the eyes of the demon was made all the more horrifying washed in the blood-red light from the stones. He wanted to whimper, but his voice was stolen from him. He realised that he no longer breathed, and he felt his body cry out for air. He felt as if he was drowning standing on land. The demand to breathe consumed his thoughts.

  “Who are you people? What do you want?” she demanded.

  Kevin tried to answer but could not.

  The demon must have realised that he couldn’t speak and she made a motion with her hand. Kevin found he could move his mouth and sucked in great volumes of air. The demon frowned and made another motion and Kevin heard the others breathing loudly beside him.

  She pointed at Kevin. “Speak! Who are you and what do you want? Why are you dressed like that? What are those stones? They look like hardened blood. Is that what they are? Blood?” A look crossed the face of the demon when she realised who she was talking to. A whimper leaked from Kevin’s mouth when he saw the look of recognition replaced with raw anger.

  “You are the Sect! The same Sect who killed my mother and father! You bastards!”

  She started to make a motion with her hand and then stopped and looked down at the dog for a long moment. Kevin was almost certain they were talking, but knew that was impossible. He was moments from death and he knew it. He thought furiously for anything he could do to escape this.

  The demon snapped her head to stare at Kevin. She strode forward and snatched the large ruby from his hand. When the connection to him was broken the red light winked out and Kevin felt relief as the pain and drain from the stone stopped. The demon was examining the stone.

  “Yup, you’re right, Dog. It’s the same blood stones Seth Farlow made. But the one Will examined was much smaller than this. Same idea though.” The demon looked up at Kevin. “This would have worked against the draoi. Against me? Not so much. Didn’t Erebus tell you? I’m not draoi anymore.”

  The demon held the stone in her palm and stared at it. Kevin watched as the stone turned to a liquid and then a powder. The demon shook her hand, and the remnants drifted away with the breeze. She grimaced and wiped her hand on her pants. The demon looked at Dog for a long moment and then gave Kevin her full attention. “Today is your lucky day. Dog has convinced me to try something with you lot. Like me, he’s tired of killing people unfairly. Instead we are going to try something new. Ready, Dog?”

  Kevin tried to run again. He concentrated on his legs, and the muscles, but felt nothing. He felt a panic begin to simmer deep inside him. He had lost all control. He was at the mercy of this demon. She would damn him for all eternity. He thought to pray and wished he knew what words to say.

  The demon and her dog went motionless and Kevin heard a buzzing in his ear which turned quickly into an itch. The itch spread rapidly across his body and then burned hot and fast. His mouth and lungs were still free, and he screamed against the pain. He heard the other Sect members screaming with him. The pain consumed every inch of his body, inside and out. He could not escape it or run from it. Being held motionless
made the pain worse and for a time he knew what hell was.

  Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. Kevin remained frozen in place and gasped against the sudden absence of pain. He heard dull thuds all around him and twisted his eyes from side-to-side to try to see what was happening.

  The demon thrust her face in front of his. "Well, some of your people didn't survive. You and a handful of others did though. Welcome to the world of Gaea. I removed everything Erebus from you. Easy when it was pretty much all you had in you. You’ve given me hope."

  "W-what?" Kevin managed to get out the word.

  "I removed everything Erebus about you. He's a real evil son-of-a-bitch. Sorry, Dog, no offence."

  Kevin's mind reeled. With the knowledge Erebus had given him he understood what she was talking about. If he survived this, he would need to gain more Erebus motes. It could be done, easily enough. He would need access to the Device. It could be done.

  "Before I let you go, I want to play a little game. You hunted the draoi for years. Killed their loved ones, children, and family. Everything they touched. You killed them without mercy. Tortured them. Decades of pain and grief. And you drew pleasure from it. I'm going to be fairer than that. If I catch you, I promise to make it quick and painless. And I won't go after your families. Sound fair?"

  Kevin eyed the demon and saw the determination in her eyes. He knew what she was capable of. Once he was released, he knew he didn't stand a chance. He thought then of all the knowledge he possessed and how it soon would be gone forever. He felt a profound loss in that moment.

  When the demon released them, he chose to merely collapse to the ground. There was no point in running. He heard the other Sect members scream out for help and heard them running through the forest, desperate to get away. He heard the demon emit a soft laugh as she chased after his people. And then he knew nothing.