A Tune of Demons Box Set: The Complete Fantasy Series

by J E Mueller

  My confidence dropped. We were off to a great start. He saw my look and tried to shrug it off with a smile. We were pretty screwed.

  “We may get lucky. Isn’t that what my blood is about?” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “And mine is the opposite. It’ll go one way or the other or they’ll just negate one another,” I replied, not adding how much trouble I thought we were in. Hopes and dreams. I said a silent prayer for help since it was as close to good luck as I could get. After all, it had played out well last time.

  Lee started to get antsy. “They’re surrounding us,” he declared, coming to a halt.

  “It’s odd being blind to them. You’d think I could easily sense them since we’re of kindred blood. Or is it because I have a soul and am not blessed that I can’t see them?”

  “That’s probably it,” Lee agreed.

  One by one they popped up in a triangle formation around us. They were dark creatures, hunched over and ready to fight. Their bodies reminded me of coals slowly dying out. As they snickered at us I noticed they had long claws on both their hands and feet. One had three horns, another had five, the final one had none.

  “Is one of them the leader?” I asked, keeping my eye them.

  Lee was at my back. “No idea yet, they seem fairly equally matched to one another.”

  “How much stronger than us are they?”

  He paused. “If I kill them quickly enough it won’t matter.”

  That was not a good answer.

  They attacked. Lee and I dodged in opposite directions. Without a second thought I threw up my shield and pressed back against Five Horn who quickly broke my shield. The sudden discharge of magic was like a stab straight to the heart, and I felt breathless for a moment.

  I cursed silently. I needed to figure out my shields breaking point on my own so that I could release the magic without the nasty side effects.

  Barely dodging claws in my face, I rolled away and got back up on my feet before being kicked from behind and falling flat on my face. Being outnumbered was very bad. Reactivating my shield, I felt claws on the back of it but this gave me time to get up and drop my shield before finally blocking another claw with my sword.

  Lee looked like he was faring much better, but he was only fighting one of them. Still, if he could kill even one our odds of survival would be better.

  Right now the odds were heavily against us. I managed a few blocks but couldn’t keep turning to block both demons and was knocked over again.

  I dodged and rolled, and got my shield up, but it was destroyed before I could regain my full footing and they knocked me back over. I was short of breath and the stabbing sensation between my ribs was almost too much. I dodged a kick from one of them as claws from the other ripped at my arm.I screamed out in pain as I was kicked back into the dirt. Just as soon as I hit the ground the demon stepped on my chest, slowly pushing the wind out of me. It was too hard to scream. Too hard to breathe.

  Lee knocked No Horns off of me, but I couldn’t get up fast enough and was kicked by both of the others. I felt a stabbing sensation in my chest and looked up to see five horns had turned his claws for hands into a single sword which was now impaling me like a spear. I had a moment of horror before I tasted the blood in my mouth. We were going to lose and I was going to die.

  Again.

  Lee got knocked down but was quickly back up on his feet and No Horns said something to him. The words sounded jumbled and foreign to me, but clear as day to Lee as he cursed at them and disagreed with whatever it had said.

  I watched as he got knocked back, but didn’t lose his footing. The blood was making me cough now and he tried not to look at me as he attacked them instead.

  Suddenly, I sensed why he didn’t stop his fight. I finally recognized some magic. Emmyth came at the demon Lee was facing from the opposite side and killed it. Together they were able to take down Five Horns, and No Horns fled.

  Now frantic, Lee rushed over to me.

  My vision was going dark and I could feel his hands on me.

  Emmyth ungracefully shoved him aside. “You’ve really got to stop dying kid,” he said to me softly.

  I could feel the magic pouring out from his hands. The warmth was welcome, and it made me realize how cold I was.

  The blood stopped making me cough, and I closed my eyes.

  “Hang on for a while longer. You’re not that close to death's door that you can’t survive this,” he said sternly.

  “Come on, Key, we did it,” Lee encouraged now on the other side of me. “Told you it wasn’t hopeless if we killed one…” I could hear the worry still in his voice, but his voice was clear as day now. Emmyth’s healing was working.

  “She’s coming back,” Emmyth told Lee. “This will take some time to heal before we can move her safely.”

  “How long? Do you think that last demon will come back?” Lee asked, concerned.

  “Oh he will, but not right away. He will need reinforcement since I’m here, and I’m sure he’d rather get you alone again,” Emmyth replied. “No use lying to you kids.”

  “You’re only a year older than us.” I coughed. It burned my throat too much to speak, but I could open my eyes to see what was going on.

  “Settle down. Don’t push it yet,” Emmyth said soothingly. “And it’s two years if I remember correctly.”

  “Funny.” Lee laughed without humor. “When can we move again?”

  “Probably an hour.” He looked at Lee. “Want to learn some productive healing? That’ll help.”

  Lee jumped at the opportunity. “What do I have to do?” He was more than ready for the task at hand.

  “This will be easy since you already have a connection to her and she has a connection to you. Place your hands near the wound. With your magic, you should be able to feel the injury. Pull the magic from your heart to find it, to see the injury within your mind's eye. Look at how deep it cuts and notice how I’m working the fibers back together, stitching them back into place.”

  Lee looked surprised. “I don’t think those things should just be stitched together.” He breathed in mild horror.

  “Organs just need light magic to start healing themselves. Too much magic and they’ll come to depend on it, and won’t work without it. Just a little is all you need,” Emmyth encouraged him.

  Nodding, Lee seemed to copy what Emmyth was doing. I closed my eyes again. “Everything feels wrong and weird… and warm. So oddly warm.”

  “That’s your magic meeting mine,” Emmyth explained. “To a non-magic person it feels cool and soothing. For a magic person it depends on what their strongest magic is based on. Fire is warmth.”

  “Mkay,” I mumbled at him and coughed a bit, tasting a mixture of blood and dirt.

  “This is going to hurt for a bit. We’ve got to push the demon venom out. You’ll cough it up, and it’ll be gross, like dirt. But once it’s gone you should be able to sit back up,” Emmyth warned me before turning to Lee. “Do you see what I’m talking about?”

  “Yes, it’s an obvious foreign object.” He agreed.

  “Perfect, now the best way out is up, so slowly push it up as you heal what’s below. Don’t stop healing what’s below in order to push it out faster. It won’t be pleasant, but if any of it is left behind that’ll cause problems later. It could even kill her.”

  “How unpleasant?” Lee asked, preparing himself.

  “If you’ve heard the gargles of someone drowning, it’s much like that. She won’t be drowning. Key is in no danger. Ignore it, and she’ll be fine the moment it’s done,” Emmyth instructed sternly.

  “Just do it already,” I complained, not wanting to hear any more about how much this was going to suck. I could already tell exactly what he meant.

  Part of me wished I had delayed. The pain and coughing were almost as bad as being stabbed. It was like adding salt to a fresh cut. My throat was sore, my head was dizzy, and I was breathless from a lack of oxygen and from coughing so much.
Then it stopped all at once.

  My throat was fine, I could breathe normally, and I just had a twinge of pain where I had been stabbed.

  Emmyth moved back. “Not bad. It will need some follow up, but we can move now and that is the main point.”

  I sat up and watched both boys look off into the east with a surprising amount of hatred in their eyes.

  “He’s back,” Lee just about growled.

  “That was faster than I thought it would be, but he only brought one friend. Both are under my level.” Emmyth rose. “Take her to Faraden. I’ll meet up with you both later. I’ll settle this score.”

  “Best wishes,” Lee agreed and helped me up. “Stay safe.”

  “With the gods as my witness, these demons will not best me,” Emmyth declared and dashed off at a mad sprint.

  “I won’t argue with him,” Lee said, steadying me. “Let's go quickly… or as quickly as you can go.”

  “I’m uncomfortable, but I think I can make it at a steady pace,” I replied, waving off his worry as we headed off. Hopefully Emmyth would be fine against two demons on his own.

  35

  The rest of the journey went by quickly, and thankfully was uneventful. When Lee would turn quickly at what I could assume was a sign of a demon, he would shortly nod and we’d continue on. I had no way of knowing what was going on, but didn’t want to ask. All the walking was causing my new injury to flare up painfully and I just wanted to be safely in town.

  One near death battle was enough for one night. It was a small miracle that Emmyth had come along when he did. I felt part of it was because I had told him our plans from the beginning.

  When we arrived I didn’t know where to go.

  “I don’t want to involve Celia with this nonsense,” I admitted.

  “There are plenty of inns here.” Lee shrugged.

  “That’s the problem. The best inn around here is Willow’s Gate and that’s where Kegan is,” I pointed out. “I don’t want harm coming to her.”

  “Sadly, those fixed points are out of our hands,” Lee said, looking tired, “But it doesn't matter when we show up, or if we’re there or not. She will get injured. We don’t know why or how badly, but there is something attached to it that has to do with the next chain of events. Eventually, we’ll have to figure it out.”

  “This way.” I sighed heavily, leading the way. He was right. It was best to get somewhere worth going and worry about the rest tomorrow. Hopefully, the rest would wait at least another night. My body couldn’t take another fight.

  My luck held on. Dinner was just finishing up when we walked in. I had put on a cloak to cover my blood soaked outfit but Kegan knew something was wrong when she saw me.

  “Over here, child!” She beckoned me to an open space at the bar.

  Lee followed me.

  “Long time no see,” I said, trying to be pleasant.

  “And you had a crazy ride from what I hear,” Kegan said, “No words when you left this time. That’s not like you. And now you look worse for wear. What is going on?” She eyed Lee suspiciously.

  “It’s a long story,” I replied. “And I promise to fill you in on everything. Can I beg for a drink first?”

  “Ha! You beg? I’ll be back, and your friend here had better sit down as well.” She nodded to the seat that had just opened up next to me.

  “She doesn't like me,” Lee said, watching her vanish into the back.

  “She hasn’t seen me since I accepted a job in town and I’m sure I currently look like hell after almost being stabbed to death. Of course she doesn’t like you. She doesn’t know what's going on and is a very protective friend… Or mother. I’ll accept her as a replacement mother.” I hadn’t thought of it much before, but Kegan was like family to me.

  Kegan returned quickly with two bowls of soup, a plate of chicken, and two mugs. “I’m listening,” She said as she put the food and drinks down in front of us. “And no skipping the good details.”

  Unabashed, I explained everything. I started with what had actually brought me back into town prior to meeting Celia and worked my way forward from there. She had suspected I had magic from the beginning, and I just confirmed it. Not once did Kegan interrupt. Instead, she let me talk between bites of food. When I finally stopped after telling her about the last demon fight she took our mugs back to be refilled.

  “I’m surprised you gave her so many details.” Lee smiled, amused.

  “It’s long overdue.” I shrugged, taking another bite of chicken. “And I owe her as much.” With all that she had done to help me in the past, I really should have explained a few things earlier.

  Kegan returned and set down the mugs. “I don’t know what to say, child.” She shook her head at me. “Had I known sooner, I’d have kept twice the eyes on you. Now you’re in trouble so deep I can’t help ya.”

  I pointed at the food. “You’ve more than helped, Kegan. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve already done for me.”

  ‘Psh, was nothing.” She shook it off. “Now what can I really do for you?”

  “I have no idea. Honestly, all of this is being made up as we go. Our plan is flimsy at best, but we’ve got to save Juni,” I declared.

  “Well, you’ll have a roof over your head here at least,” she sighed. “There’s nothing I can do about this messy magic business, but I can promise you some good food and an excellent show. In fact, tomorrow night the traveling bard Leo Batfish will be here. It’s said he’s reuniting with his group and I’ve got him booked. It’ll be packed, but you’ll have a good time.”

  “How can you have room for us, then? I don’t want to take away from your real customers.” I shook my head.

  “I always keep an extra room just in case. You’re not my only traveling friend, you know. Never know who will need it. Too many of ya finding your own path. Now it’s your turn, so take it. No arguments,” she said with finality.

  “Thank you,” Lee said for me. “I’m surprised you’re so accepting of this so easily.”

  She waved it off, “I’ve known Key for too long to care about the rest. I chose to accept her and her mysteries long ago. Accepting her for her truths shouldn’t be harder.”

  “That is a wonderful way to think,” Lee agreed, thankful things had played out so well here.

  “Thank you,” Kegan replied. “I guess you can stay too then.”

  “Thank you,” Lee beamed. “And what is in your stew? It’s amazing.”

  She glanced over at me. “He seems fine.” Kegan winked at me before turning back to Lee. “I’ll show you. It’ll be my thank you for helping my young friend here.”

  She motioned for him to follow her.

  Left alone for a moment, I had a chance to breathe. It was nice since Lee had fussed over me the whole trip here, and after telling such a long story I was done with the day, through and through.

  After pushing my food aside, someone sat down next to me. Looking up, I was surprised to see Emmyth.

  “Glad you could join us,” I said in greeting.

  “Glad you made it here alive,” he replied. “How was the trip?”

  “Tiring, but not the hardest thing I’ve ever accomplished,” I replied, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

  “Good. I disposed of all but that same one that ran off. He went to his realm and I couldn’t follow him there. That should give you both at least a few days.”

  “Thank you. I am more grateful than words can express. Now, we need a real plan to find and help Juni.” I yawned. “But I don’t think I’ll contribute any thoughts on that today.”

  “Well, you did almost die. Again. You need rest,” Emmyth said unworried.

  Lee and Kegan returned.

  “Ah, another one of my favorite regulars! You know each other?” Kegan asked, surprised.

  Emmyth laughed. “Had I known you knew Kegan, I’d have asked you to save me a plate.”

  “Yes, we do know each other.” I laughed and turned to Emmyth. “Not go
ing to lie, I’ve told Kegan just about everything in my life at this point.”

  “Her husband was a bard. One of our types of bards.” Emmyth shrugged. “She knows enough about me.” Well, that was unexpected.

  “Except why you would refuse to stay longer than a day or two here and there to visit your favorite person!” Kegan teased.

  Emmyth chuckled. “I can only have so much of a good thing, and as such I’m running behind for a meeting. I’m glad my friends are in your caring hands.” He got up to leave.

  “Have a bowl of soup before you go, at least,” Kegan said good naturedly.

  “As soon as I’m free I’ll come back for one. I promise.” Emmyth waved as he left.

  “Well now, that makes sense.” Kegan nodded to herself, putting all the bits and pieces of the story together.

  “I didn’t know your husband had been a bard,” I said, surprised. No wonder she was so accepting of my magic issues. Her husband had worked with magic and saving the world. She had probably spotted my lie a mile away.

  “It was before the Inn business. He retired, but there’s no real leaving that business.” She shook her head. “If they don’t try calling you back every other week, those monsters love trying to find weaknesses. His leaving before his time was due to just that. It was unexpected, yet still predicted. Now, let’s get you two to bed,” she said, closing her story.

  Kegan wiped her hands on her apron before leading us to the first room on the lower level and handing us a key. “Just don’t forget to return it before you leave.” Kegan pointed at me.

  “I won’t. Thank you.” I replied and gave her a big hug.

  She awkwardly patted my head and went on her way.

  Taking two steps into the room I dropped my bag on the floor and flopped onto the bed.

  “You should at least change out of those bloody clothes first,” Lee said as he dug through my bag. “They’ll be itchy if they aren’t already.” He tossed some fresh clothes my way.

  Grumbling, I agreed and began to change, leaving Lee to awkwardly face the opposite direction. I now had two scars on my stomach. It had been too long of a day, and I was much too tired to care.