Flames of Awakening: Faemoch Cycle Book 1

by Reynolds, Michael

  His monotonous asking of the same questions fueled the barbarian's resistance. In fact, Bergar had made a game of his answers. Sometimes, he answered with words. Sometimes with numbers. Even other times he answered by saying his words backward. However, Bergar quickly grew bored with his games. His demon tormentor shared that feeling by the looks of it. His pummeling had gotten noticeably weaker in the moments of the early dawn.

  "He's mftpdlnk," Bergar said. He did not try very hard to speak the gibberish word, in fact, his swollen lips and jaws somewhat demanded the slurring.

  The beast roared in frustration and turned away from Bergar.

  "Agran!" a call came from beyond the demon. "Have you found him yet?"

  The demon shrank as it stepped forward, "No, sire. I have not. The man-thing refuses to tell me."

  "Hmm. Refuse, you say?" said the voice. The bearer of that voice stepped through the parting crowd. Stepped, however, was not really what the creature did. It slithered. As it came into view Bergar noticed that its bottom half was that of a giant serpent. Its long muscled arms dragged huge, black hands on the ground. A crown of horns encircled its ape-like head. To emphasize its power and position, it raised up, standing on its serpentine tail, head and shoulders above the other demons, spread its large bat wings, and said, "Then quit playing and bind him. Our master has told us to bring that one and the elf thing to him. But now, I will try to find another way out of this slavery."

  The demon leader despised its worldly master and hated him for shackling it with this petty task. Perhaps, it thought, it could find a way around doing what its master demanded. First, it would need to contact him. To learn more. It slithered a short distance away and waved its hands through the air. They trailed fire in the air, the flames forming a circle. The circle rippled, and in its center appeared the shadow of a man.

  "You have found them, I assume?" the man asked.

  "Yes, but we were only able to recover his companion. There was a forest faerie with them, and it managed to get the half-elf away. My scouts are looking for him now. He shall be dead within a day."

  "How can you be so sure? Perhaps, I have called the wrong creature to do this simple task. I just assumed that you would want some measure of revenge on this one."

  The demon's face lit up for a moment, hoping that the summoner would dismiss him, but then he slumped back, recognizing the riddle set before him. "Revenge? What would I want revenge for?"

  "This one is the self-same that destroyed your master's armies a millennium ago. That is why I chose to call you forth. To take revenge on him while he is still weak and young. Times are changing. Something in the world has brought this elfling back. But I task you with destroying him before he can learn what or why. Kill his human friend, and fly to the Nordrasian city of Werlgart. It is a fortress, but your small army should find it relatively simple to penetrate their defenses. Raze it to the ground, put the people down. And then, the one you seek will come to you. Bring him to me at the stone circle."

  The beast looked over its shoulder at the human captive and snorted. "As you wish... Master."

  With a new plan in its mind, the demon swung its arm through the circle, dissipating the fires. It flew a few yards up into the air and said, "Friends, prepare yourselves. We go north to war. Tonight we fly on the fortress of Werlgart."

  Did you hear that? Tolian asked.

  Yes, Bergar answered. If I couldn't hear it, then technically neither could you. Right?

  Oh, do be quiet and listen, would you? That monstrously ugly creature is obviously the demon horde's leader. But, it is subservient to the man in the image. If we can find out who that man was, then we can find out what is driving these demons. Then we defeat them, raise a tankard, and compose songs to our glory.

  Bergar thought for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain to Tolian that he already knew almost all of Jaxius' past life. In the end, he decided to keep the information to himself until it was needed.

  Tolian continued, Right. A few things we already know. The demons search for Jaxius. The demon leader's master's armies were once destroyed by Jaxius, whatever that means.... Tolian's rambling slowed to a stop as he realized that he had heard Bergar's thoughts completely. I see. Well, it seems that you have learned much and shared little.

  I don't think you really understand. Where I was, time moved slowly. You know me as Bergar the boy. When I left that place I was old. I had gray hair and a white beard. I do not intend to trick you. Or even withhold information. You just never really think about things that you just know. Besides, I didn't know that this even mattered until I saw the man in the demon's image. I would have told you. I just need to find the right time to have this discussion. The more important discussion is, of course, how we are going to escape. Because what we know makes no difference if these demons eat this body.

  Tolian could not argue with the rationale. Also, the idea of being eaten did not particularly please him. And so, the two men set to noting every fact that they could in the short time allowed them the demon tasked with their destruction approached and it was time to spring their escape.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Most of the demons had already taken to the air, winging their way to Werlgart. The torturing demon loved to torment with a zealotry typically only found in inhuman maniacs. It crept to Bergar and moved its hideous face close to his. A powerful snort from its upturned snout filled Bergar's nose with a foul, sulfur and rot smell.

  "Hurry up. You heard the General," the demon holding Bergar's right arm said.

  "Yeah. Just get it over with. There will be plenty people at the human city," the left-side demon agreed.

  "Silence. Neither of you can ever know the simple beauty of this man thing. It is willful. See how it still struggles? Hours of beating and still it resists. Can you not taste the deliciousness of its anger and willpower?"

  The two bored demons looked at each other, resigned to have to wait for their lieutenant to finish playing with his food before he ate it.

  "That's right, isn't it? You are a strong willed one? Well, that smells sweet to me," the tormentor said nearly sniffing blood-matted hair into its wide nostrils. "How shall I kill you? I could break your knees and leave you to starve. But, my friends here are so very hungry, and I don't know if I can come back to claim you. That won't do. No."

  The thing paced back and forth for a moment, obviously trying to decide on an appropriate death for the unnaturally strong willed man. It stopped mid-step and turned in the barbarian's direction, a wicked grin crossing its face.

  "We will make a sport of this," it said. It looked at each of its companions, still grinning and continued, "We take flight with the rest of the battalion, and we take this one with us playing catch the human."

  Raucous laughter issued from the demons, shaking Bergar in their grasp.

  This isn't good, Bergar said.

  No. But I believe we may be able to use their idea against them. Let me take over control of my body. I know a bit better how to use my magnificent self. I can fight them, Tolian argued.

  Realize that your hands are trembling. There is no way that one of your tiny daggers would hit its mark.

  As if to break up the silent internal argument of the pathetic wretch, the demons snapped him up into the air and flew straight for the cloud of demons.

  See, now you have lost us the advantage. We stood a much better chance on the ground. I could have slipped free, Tolian complained.

  Then take back your body and slip free now, Bergar said, the building anger hot in his voice.

  Funny. For a raging barbarian, you understand nothing of true combat. I was brought up traveling from fighting arena to fighting arena. My mentor sang the heroic deeds of many a gladiator. I have seen brutes like you, relying purely on size and strength, taken out by studious little girls who chose when and where to place each blow, methodically destroying their foe's defenses.

  The demons released Tolian's body and let it plummet ne
arly to the ground before snatching it back again, rising into the air. They nearly jerked the bard's arms out of socket. They dropped him again. The three participating demons passed him around like a child's plaything.

  The rage in Bergar grew, overpowering Tolian's own anger and fear.

  Bergar waited until the demon that he had previously marked caught him. Again, it began ascending with him in tow. At about thirty feet from the ground, Bergar tensed the muscles in Tolian's lithe body.

  What are you doing? Tolian demanded of his body's other passenger.

  No answer. In fact, Tolian soon felt alone. The familiar presence of Bergar's thoughts was gone, replaced by a forbidding wall. Tolian asked again and again. Then he realized what that wall was composed of and did the only thing he could do. Watch the barbarian work out his rage through Tolian's own, already battered, body.

  Bergar swung his feet up high, using the momentum to throw his feet above his head and startle the beast into a backward tumble. They rolled over backward in the air and began to fall. Bergar kicked and kicked the thing in the face on their way to the ground. It loosened its grip on the man trying to break free. Bergar's hands broke loose and he clamped anger-strengthened fingers onto the hideous thing. Years of playing musical instruments and wielding daggers had strengthened Tolian's fingers to deadly perfection.

  Oh, gods, we are going to die, horribly and painfully, Tolian thought.

  Just before hitting the ground, Bergar kicked the monster full in the face again. The heavy blow thrust the demon's head back, slamming it right into the ground. Its body hit the ground with a thud, and Bergar landed Tolian's body almost as solidly on the beast's chest. Its head was split wide open, oozing dark, hissing blood, and its broken, twisted body didn't move.

  Tolian knew they were dead, just dying slowly. He awaited whatever afterlife would claim him. He was surprised when the first thing that Bergar did after hitting the ground was to punch the dead thing in the face. A second punch. And finally, the barbarian wrapped Tolian's delicate hands around the monstrosity's throat.

  Bergar, Tolian said, almost shouted. It is dead. Bergar. It does not live. Bergar. Stop!

  The wall wavered and shrank. Much of Bergar's rage had burned away on alighting.

  Huh? What? Oh. Sorry, Bergar thought and released the demon.

  How are we not dead? A descent such as that should have killed any man, Tolian asked.

  It is said among my people that if you give in enough to the rage, that if you let it completely take you, then you can live through any injury. Not even the gods can take your life from you, Bergar shrugged mentally.

  I suppose your people are right, Tolian agreed, noting this fact for the victory songs that he would sing.

  The other two will come looking for their friend.

  I am not so sure. The beasts wanted to catch up with their horrendous army. Besides, those others weren't told to dispose of us. This one was, Tolian reasoned. We have to get to Werlgart. Do you know the way from here?

  You are kidding, right? All I have done for the past five years is guard a caravan of my people to the great Fortress City. From here, it will take no more than two days to get there. The demons brought us far, even through our fighting.

  Too long, Tolian thought. Is that two days by caravan?

  Ye... I see, we don't have to stick to the trails. Alone, we can get there much faster. But still, I don't think it will be fast enough. Bergar thought.

  We do have to try something, Bergar. Your people must be warned, and helped, if at all possible, Tolian replied.

  Agreed on this, the body companions set out on weary feet across the frozen tundra of Nordras toward the fortress of Werlgart.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  "Wake up, sleepy head," Chlora said. She perched at the head of the shrub-turned-bed where Jaxius lay.

  Jaxius slowly opened his eyes, wondering how long he had been out. He tried to rub the sleep and dreams from his eyes and mind, but the realization that he was not dreaming assaulted him when he remembered everything, not as a dream, but a memory of life.

  "You were asleep for a very long time, Upuchwe."

  Jaxius glowered at her. "You know I hate that name."

  "Upuchwe!" Chlora said and sprung from her perched position.

  She landed squarely on his stomach and squeezed him tight. His numerous cuts and bruises reminded him of the pain that he had left behind. Jaxius winced but tried his best to smile through the hug.

  "I knew you would come back. You were asleep for a very long time, but I knew that I did the right thing by feeding you trollberries. I knew you just needed to sleep. So, I let you sleep. While you were asleep, I watched you and I fixed you. I kinda saved your life again, but that's what I am supposed to do because you were who you were, and I am who I am. But, of course, I am who I am, and you are who you are. But you didn't know who you were, you only knew who you are. Now, you know who you are, and you know who you were. I am so very glad that you are who you were and who you are because the demons that attacked us have moved on to the human city that I knew you would want to protect. Besides that, I remember who you were. Do you remember the time that we fought together against the gre..."

  "Chlora," Jaxius interrupted the girl's rambling. "Hold. You said that they moved on? To the human city?"

  She sat up and looked at him with her head cocked to one side as if trying to figure out what he meant.

  "Yes, the one far to the north. The trees told me. I mean I didn't really get to speak to new trees, but the grass told the roots. And the roots told more roots, and those roots told more roots. Until finally the roots told me. Now I am telling you. My roots are the most precious parts of my forest. That's where we are right now, my forest, remember? We could go back to your throne room. Are you going to rebuild the Faemoch? Things have not gone very well there since you left. There is a darkness. We don't really talk about it. It really makes my plant friends scared."

  "No, we don't have time for that now." The awakened elf reminded the fae girl. "We must make haste to the fortress. The demons will slaughter all of them. How many days head start do they have?"

  "One. But I think I can find a way for us to travel much faster. You reminded me that I can do it. I forgot, but then during the fight against the demons..."

  "Good Chlora, but we need to stop first and pick someone up."

  "The singer friend of yours? Oh, the demons carried him away. They flew off in the distance with him as well. I think they were going to eat him. They sure do like to play with their food, don't they? Speaking of food, are you still hungry? I have some real food now. My plants gathered it for me."

  She tossed him a bright red, round fruit. He held it for a long moment, staring. After the dream feast that he had just eaten, he could pick out every flaw in this fruit. Having fully examined it, he bit into it. The flavor did not surprise him. He knew that the dream feast surpassed anything that he could have eaten in the whole world. Nevertheless, he was disappointed.

  "Not him," he said between bites. "The leader of the tribes on the front."

  "Good, because my plants will not go anywhere near your other friend. He has something wrong with him, and it's not natural. My plants don't really like carrying you with all of your human made clothing, but when I explained to them who you are and that you command all of the forces of the Faemoch – and that is a lot – they decided to let you come along. I think they may do just whatever you say they need to do. That's the way it should be. The way it should have been for all time. You should have stayed on to lead all of your people. Why did you leave to defend the elves? They were your creation, but you didn't have to fight with them. They could have survived on their own. You didn't have to throw away your life. You didn't have to do everything that she..."

  "Chlora," Jaxius tried again to bring her attention back to the present. In truth, he felt more than a little hurt by what he knew the little faerie was about to say. "Take me now to the humans who live ju
st north of your forest."

  "Anything for my king," Chlora said and went to work speaking with the roots that formed the cocoon.

  The ground beneath Jaxius' feet lurched, and he was grateful that he was seated on the bush-bed. He started to ask more about her method of travel but held his tongue as a memory surfaced. With this in his mind, he looked around the room and felt most comfortable. Moments later, the pod jerked again, this time in the opposite direction. By the heavy feeling that filled his stomach, he knew them to be rising rapidly. Jaxius smiled, knowing the reaction that he would get from the barbarians.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  The ground shook so violently that it bounced Grundar from his seat at the massive table in the central tent of the sprawling camp. After a few seconds, the earthquake stopped, and Grundar stood.

  "Grundar," one of the guards called from outside. "Ye need to see this."

  Grundar took three long strides and was out of the tent. He slid to a stop just outside and stared at the giant shell that had surfaced in the middle of his camp. It stood seven feet tall and twice as wide. He looked frantically for a weapon nearby. His panic heightened as the vines that made up the pod slithered and loosened.

  Finding no nearby weapon, Grundar clenched his teeth and resolved to take on whatever came forth bare handed. He decided that this winter had already proven the busiest and most taxing winter he had ever faced.

  The top of the hull opened wide to the sky, and the front flowed away. The last of the greenery receded into the ground to reveal Jaxius. He stood with one hand casually on Chlora's shoulder, the other gripping his mighty viortassi.

  "Get your gear. We need you," Jaxius called.

  "Ye blasted elf. Ye could 'ave tol' me ye were comin' this way. Where's me boy? An' yer bard?"

  "All in due time. I have word from Bergar. And Tolian is on his way to our destination. No need to worry." Jaxius said, fervently wishing he believed his own lie. He did have news from Bergar, just not much. And, although he believed that Tolian was more than capable of taking care of himself in a fair fight, Jaxius knew he had not been given that. "If you hurry we might even beat him to Werlgart."