The Summoning

by Dale Britton

  But then, they also had one more thing. Their trump card. Ollie reached for the pouch that hung on his belt and felt the ancient talisman inside. If they could get close enough, and if they could time it right, and if they didn't die in the process, they could win this battle. It was a lot of ifs. And if they messed up, if anything at all went wrong, then all of them would be killed. Our parents will never know what happened to us.

  "It should be safe to converse if we keep our voices low," Lylor said, startling Ollie out of his morbid thoughts. "The demons are moving toward the front entrance, and away from us. I believe that the light should be safe as well." Ollie saw that Jordan and Ian had returned from leading the freed slaves to the back passageway, and the torch Ian carried brought a welcome warmth to the dank surroundings.

  "What are we doing?" George waved his giant sword in the air. "We're wasting time. Yrabelle needs us."

  "I know, George." Ollie tried to sound as reasonable as possible. "But we have to be careful. If we just rush out and start fighting the demons, we'll all get killed. Alakabal will destroy us the minute he knows we're coming."

  "Can't someone just use the ring and take the talisman to the portal?" Johnny asked. "The demons wouldn't even see him coming."

  "The problem is the timing," Ollie said. "We need to use the talisman at the exact moment Alakabal finishes his incantation. The talisman won't do anything until the portal is active. That means whoever is using the ring would have to move constantly until then to stay invisible, and you know how dangerous that is. And not only that–the talisman takes several minutes to charge once the portal opens. The person with the ring would be all alone and surrounded by demons the whole time. It would be suicide."

  Johnny rubbed his chin. "So, what you're saying is that we need to get close enough to see what's happening without them suspecting us."

  "And we need to protect whoever is using the talisman," Sarah said.

  "I thought we might be able to pick off the demons from behind," Ollie said, "but there are too many. We don't have time for that."

  "Well," Johnny said, "we do have the element of surprise. Just the fact that we're still alive proves Alakabal doesn't know we're here. They're not going to expect an attack to come from inside the mine."

  "We don't have time for this," George said. During their conversation he had been pacing back and forth restlessly. Now he looked like he was ready to explode. "Just give me the ring and the talisman. I'll take care of it."

  "George, you'd just get yourself killed," Ollie said. "That wouldn't help Yrabelle."

  George stomped his foot so hard that the others could actually feel the vibrations through the stone floor. "But we have to do something. If something happens to her..."

  "What about something happening to us," Ian said. "We're talking about a freaking demon lord here."

  "Um, guys," Jordan said quietly, then more loudly when no one responded to her, "Hey, guys?"

  "What is it, Jordan," Lylor asked as everyone turned in her direction.

  Jordan took a deep breath and let it out. "I think I have an idea."

  Chapter One Hundred and Six

  The black tower glittered in the twilight and rose to an impossible height above the valley, the crest nearly invisible in the gray sky. A great multitude gathered here. There were hundreds of beings, not only elves and humans, but also dwarves, gnomes, cat people, and even a few fairies. The demons watched the people closely, but the slaves showed no sign of rebellion. Most just stood silently, trying not to look at the terrible figure that towered before them. Some cowered or even fell to the ground in their terror. The only sounds were the occasional cry of despair from the prisoners and the resulting retaliation from the guards.

  The portal stood on top of a wide wooden platform that had been built in front of the tower in the center of the valley. It looked like an empty frame about twenty feet wide and twelve feet tall made of a dull coppery metal and inscribed with strange patterns and symbols. A ramp led up to the top of the platform and faced the base of the portal, where a low black altar stood. This was the path the demon army would follow when they entered the world. The signs of the portal's construction were still visible in the clearing–scraps of lumber, piles of stones, empty carts left by the miners.

  Standing on the platform beside the empty frame of the portal was Alakabal, the demon lord of the nether realms. He was an imposing figure, at least twelve feet tall. He looked like the perfect stereotype of a demon, and yet this did not lessen the horror at all. He had two massive curled horns on his head. His red eyes glittered in the twilight. His skin was a dusky gray. He carried no weapons. With his powers, he needed none. He wore a black cloak over dragon scale armor. A malicious energy flowed from him, charging the air with electricity. He was pure strength. He was death.

  The fear, Ollie thought. We forgot about the fear. A demon lord had the power to radiate an aura that could incapacitate its opponents with sheer terror, literally bringing them to their knees. Not even the lesser demons were immune to this power, and many of them cowered in the presence of their master. In the game, the fear wave would be represented as a minus-four penalty when rolling dice for attacks and defense, which could be devastating in a battle. Here, facing the fear in reality, it was much worse. It made you want to scream in terror and run as far away as possible. It made you want to jump into a bottomless pit just to escape the gaze of the demon. It might make the group's plan impossible.

  Their party stood a little apart from the rest of the throng. So far most of them were holding up pretty well, but Ollie was worried. Ian, in particular, looked horrible. His face was completely drained of color, and his body trembled. It was going to take all of their efforts if they had any chance of coming out of this alive.

  George stood in front of their group wearing the black robe they had taken from the dead demon in the mine and shortened to fit him. He stared out into the crowd of people intently, searching for Yrabelle. Ollie had been looking for her too, but she didn't seem to be among the mob that filled the space in front of the platform. George didn't seem to be affected by the fear wave at all. He stood tall and actually managed to look menacing despite his short stature. His eyes didn't glow red like a demon's, but there was a dangerous gleam in them none-the-less. Ollie was worried about his friend. He was a completely different person from the one who had come into Valoria only a few weeks ago.

  Unfortunately, there was no time to think about that right now. The show was about to begin. Alakabal spoke, and surprisingly his words were in English. Why would he speak English? Ollie had to force his mind away from the urge to explore this interesting incongruence and concentrate on what was happening.

  "It is time." The demon's voice intensified the fear wave, each consonant adding a punctuation of terror. It took all of Ollie's willpower to remain upright. He concentrated and checked to make sure his constructions were still intact. They were, but it was shaky. He closed his eyes for a moment and strengthened the energy weaves. If his spell failed, they were probably dead.

  "Bring forth the first sacrifice," Alakabal said. His voice was surprisingly quiet, and yet it carried easily to Ollie's ears, or maybe directly into his mind. A pair of lesser demons dragged a struggling, hooded figure up the ramp to the base of portal. The victim fought to escape, but the captors held the twisting figure tightly. They lifted it and moved it to a place behind the black altar. The prisoner's head was forced into a groove at the far edge of the altar, much like the slot on a guillotine.

  The coincidences the group had encountered during their visit to this world had been pretty incredible. For example, the way their map had led the party to the exact places to get the exact items and information that they needed was more than unlikely or improbable. It was impossible. This is why Ollie knew exactly who the victim was, even before the demons removed the hood from her head.

  Of course, he was right. Yrabelle kneeled on the platform between the two demons who struggled to keep
her in place, her eyes fierce and beautiful in the twilight.

  Alakabal's mouth curved into a smile, displaying sharpened teeth. His eyes burned red with fire. His voice sent ice through Ollie's veins. "I call forth the legions of the nether realms. The conquest of this world begins now."

  Chapter One Hundred and Seven

  And now came the most critical moment of their plan. Their chances of victory hinged on a very fragile thing–George's self-restraint. Ollie could see how tense his friend was, and he half-expected George to take off toward the platform. This would be disastrous. They would have no chance to banish Alakabal if they didn't allow him to begin the ritual. George knew this of course, but the sight of the elf girl in danger might be enough to make him forget. Lylor was more composed, but even he looked ready to charge to his daughter's rescue.

  Alakabal began to chant, this time in a guttural language Ollie did not recognize. Each word the demon spoke was heavy with power and pulsated in Ollie's brain enough to make him stumble from the pressure. Concentrate! He checked his spell again, fighting against the terror, and found it still intact. The portal began to glow, first faintly, then slowly brightening, throbbing in beat to the demon's chant. It was almost time. Hang in there, George. In just moments, they would find out if they would live or die. Ollie's heart raced, and he could not calm it. The chant pounded against his head. The wave of fear was unrelenting. If this kept up for much longer, he would find himself wishing for death.

  Finally, the spell reached its climax. The view through the portal began to change. At one moment, Ollie could see the base of the dark tower on the other side, but then it began to dissolve, and a dark landscape appeared inside the frame. Ollie realized that he was looking into the demon's dimension, and the place was a dump. The land was devoid of vegetation and marked with fuming craters. An active volcano in the distance spouted smoke and rocks into the air, glowing lava flowing from its mouth. The only visible structures were ruins, piles of rock that gave no hint of their former structure. It was devastation, and it was what the demons wanted to do to Valoria. What they would do if Ollie and his friends lost.

  Burning red eyes began to fill the space beyond the opening of the portal, waiting for the moment when they would be able to burst through. Hundreds of demons stood there, and Ollie could feel their hunger as they stared at the amassed prisoners. Ollie was so mesmerized by the view through the portal that he almost missed it when Alakabal signaled the guards that held his victim. The portal required blood to open, and Yrabelle was to provide it.

  And the talisman required an open portal to work its spell.

  "Spill the blood of the innocent!" Alakabal commanded.

  At the word of the demon lord, the demon to Yrabelle's left raised a knife made of polished black stone. Yrabelle, screaming her defiance, made one last effort to break free. She twisted and writhed, managing to pull her head out of the groove in the altar. Her strength could not match that of her guards, however, and they quickly forced her back into place.

  "Now," Ollie hissed. "Go!" And George disappeared.

  Chaos ensued.

  First, the two lesser demons on the platform crumpled to the ground, their heads falling separately from their bodies. Yrabelle disappeared. An instant later, a black-robed figure appeared before the altar. It picked up the stone knife, rolled up its right sleeve, and made a slash against its arm with the knife. Blood splattered on the altar and then dissolved directly into the stone. The black figure disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, and the portal began to pulse with red light.

  Alakabal stared at the altar without comprehension, his eyes spouting flames. "What is the meaning of this?" he roared, the anger in his voice almost palpable. "Who dares to kill my servants?"

  "Get ready," Ollie whispered. "George did it. It's working!"

  The portal pulsed more and more quickly, and then suddenly exploded in a flash of fire. The world on the other side instantly became clear, and the smell of sulfur filled the air. A thousand demon voices shouted in triumph, echoing off the walls of the valley.

  And then all hell literally broke loose.

  Chapter One Hundred and Eight

  The world erupted into chaos. Demons of every size began to rush through the portal, three or four at a time. The demons didn't get very far, however. The instant they came through into the doorway, they crumpled to the ground, their heads separated from their bodies. In moments, there was a massive pile of dead demons clogging the entrance to the portal, slowing the progress of the creatures trying to come through. Several of the demons guarding the slaves met a similar fate, and soon the entire valley was in an uproar. Some of the prisoners tried to run, but their chains made this impossible.

  "Do it, Sarah!" Ollie said. "George won't be able to hold out for long."

  Sarah didn't need to be told. She already had the talisman out and began reciting the spell Ollie had taught her in the mines. It was not a complicated incantation, but it had to be repeated for several minutes to charge the talisman. In response to Sarah's words, the fire gem brightened, faintly at first, but getting stronger which each word of the spell. Not fast enough, Ollie thought. The rest of the group surrounded Sarah. Their only job was to protect her until the talisman's spell was complete.

  Alakabal stared at the portal, his eyes narrowed and spouting flame, looking for an explanation for the destruction of his soldiers. Surprisingly, he wasn't able to see George when he moved with the ring, and he didn't realize yet that the true danger was out in the valley, only about a hundred feet away. He was nearly omnipotent, but fortunately not omniscient.

  George appeared beside Ollie. "Have to stop," he gasped.

  "Give the ring to..." Ollie realized suddenly that Ian wasn't nearby. He searched the area, but Ian had disappeared. Where had he gone? "Give it to Jordan," Ollie said instead, hoping nothing bad had happened to their friend.

  George slipped off the ring and handed it to Jordan, who promptly disappeared in her turn. Immediately the carnage continued, but now, instead of demons losing their heads completely, they were getting them bashed in by Jordan's mace. George, meanwhile, had fallen to his knees on the ground, closing his eyes while trying to regain his strength.

  "Yrabelle?" Lylor asked him.

  "I carried her to the mine," George said. "She's alright for now." Lylor nodded.

  Johnny shot any demon who came close to their party. His arrows hit their target every time, often killing two or more demons at once. So far, very few of the monsters seemed to realize that their group was the source of the trouble. Shouts came from every direction, both from demons that were hit by Jordan's mace or by one of Johnny's arrows and also from the prisoners who were dissolving deeper and deeper into a state of panic.

  Alakabal turned his gaze to the valley, and Ollie tensed. It would still be several minutes before the talisman had built up enough power to do its job. When the demon lord saw them...

  And then it happened. Alakabal's gaze fell on Ollie, and his mind filled with panic. He saw the demon's eyes widen with astonishment... and fear.

  "You dare..." the demon said, and his eyes exploded into flames. Ollie had only a split second to activate his spell. For a moment he was certain it was all over, that the demon's magic would incinerate them all right there. But his shield held. He could feel the force of Alakabal's blast like a sledgehammer when it hit and he staggered from the impact, but he managed to stay on his feet. A quick glance told him his friends were alright, but a lesser demon who had wandered near had not been so lucky. It had been caught by the edge of the blast and was now nothing but a dried-out husk. Ollie swallowed nervously and fought back a rush of panic.

  Sarah's chant became more intense, and the talisman grew even brighter. Ollie could feel the magic of the fire gem burning strongly, but he could also feel Alakabal's magic, and it was like the sun on a hot day. They could not stand up to this much raw power. It was a miracle his shield had stopped it at all.

  "Worms," th
e demon lord said, almost as if speaking to himself. "Are these the creatures that have been maligning my servants? Impossible." His eyes flashed again, and Ollie's shield dissolved. He could feel the energy unraveling, and then it was just gone.

  "Hurry Sarah," Ollie whispered. "He did something to my shield."

  Sarah didn't answer, but her chant became even quicker and more frantic.

  But it was too late. The demon lord's eyes flashed again, and Sarah's chant stopped mid-word. Ollie tried to turn to her, but he couldn't move. He strained, but his entire body was paralyzed. He couldn't even move his eyes and was forced to stare unblinking at the platform, where Alakabal watched the party with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

  "You thought to banish me, worms? You have earned the right to become the first sacrifices to fuel my portal."

  Where were Ian and Jordan? Ian had disappeared at the start of the battle, and there was no sign of him now. Jordan had the ring, so at least she should be able to get away. But then he saw that Jordan had no intention of running. As demons began once again to pour through the portal, Jordan appeared next to Alakabal on the platform and began hitting him with her mace. He was so huge compared to her that she could only reach his upper leg with her weapon, but her arms moved so fast as she swung them that they were a blur. The crack of each blow echoed through the valley.