“But you’re unaligned.” Much of this whizzed right over Dustan’s head.
“Yes and no. Look again,” said Lailah.
Dustan focused and sensed her aura. It shifted rapidly, never settling in one hue. “I don’t understand. What are you?”
“A changeling,” said Kyra.
“Like Saerna?” asked Dustan.
“Oh, Lailah is much more than that witch.” The bite in her words softened. “Sorry.”
“I hate to keep saying this, but I don’t understa—”
The sound of wings, snorts, and clanging metal entered the cave with shouts from outside echoing off the stone walls. Kyra drew her daggers. Dustan followed suit, unsheathing Blood Dancer. Lailah stood and marched toward the cave’s mouth. The demon Slayers had found them.
25
The Warrior’s Dance
The four Slayers hovered above the clearing astride their umbra steeds. Hooves shod in metal, covering up to the knees, pawed at the air, smoke plumes issuing from snorting nostrils. The massive stallions’ membrane wings bore four silver spikes running from the tips of each wing and along the underside. Finely crafted chamfron covered their heads and necks, lighter-weight cruppers protected the flanks and rump. Their riders brandished spear, axe, flail, and sword. The warrior wielding the sword floated down to the ground, climbed off his steed, and removed his helm.
“Valefar,” said Dustan, the name sticking in his throat.
“Good to see you again, my friend. I do wish our meeting could be under different circumstances.” The demon did not appear pleased to be here, and Dustan detected no malice in his eyes.
“You don’t hate me?”
“No. Hate is an emotion I reserve for the angels. Neither Aamon nor the others understand you, but a teacher sees the heart of his pupil. I knew you would follow yours wherever it might lead. You are wrong―misguided perhaps―but I do not think you intended betrayal.” Valefar waved a hand. “Warriors need not worry with such matters. My Lord commands and I obey. Whatever your reasons, I hope they proved a cause worthy to die for.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any way to handle this amicably?” Dustan offered a lopsided grin, hoping to relax the warrior.
“I fear not.” Valefar summoned scarlet energy to his blade and took a fighting stance.
“Let’s do this then.”
Dustan charged the demon with a downward swing. Valefar easily parried the blow and sliced him across the back. Threads of stabbing pain wrapped around his body. He pulled up yards past the warrior and spun, sweeping Blood Dancer in his wake. Dustan expected Valefar to follow and capitalize on the success of his cut, but the demon stood his ground. The sword sliced empty air.
The other Slayers moved in on Kyra. Lailah had disappeared. The spear-wielding demon flew toward the center of the clearing. Kyra leapt onto one of the columns and vaulted into the air. She aimed low, her dagger slashing his umbra steed’s neck. The beast roared and fell to the ground. Kyra hit an instant later, rolled, and brought the blades across its back legs. The steed’s rear collapsed, sending its rider tumbling. The warrior sprang to his feet, the spear clutched in his hands.
An ear-splitting howl tore through the vale. Dustan and Valefar ducked as a gigantic wolfdragon slithered past. The serpent reared into the air and punctured one steed with its massive fangs, removing the entire right flank. Its tail lashed out at another, hurtling it into an adjacent monument. Both umbra steed and statue crashed to the clearing floor in a cloud of debris and dying wails. The dragon turned and bore down on Valefar’s beast. The frightened creature spat a stream of fire at the wolfdragon and took flight, attempting to escape the monster. The serpent, over a hundred feet long and wider than any tree Dustan had ever seen, uncoiled into the sky. Its jaws clamped down on the fleeing steed’s hindquarters and slung the beast side to side like a dog with a squirrel in its teeth. The umbra steed stamped at the open air, went limp, and plummeted to the ground.
Valefar recovered from his surprise first and darted to Dustan’s left, bringing his sword around in a vicious arc. Dustan managed to meet the strike, the impact quaking through his body. The contact of the energized steel hissed and clanged. He twisted away from a second blow and swept Blood Dancer toward the demon’s head. Valefar leaned back, allowing the blade to pass inches from his nose, and charged forward in a blur. Dustan backpedaled and slid behind the statue of a sour-faced lord. Valefar whacked the right side of the stone. When Dustan leaned the opposite way, the demon pivoted and struck the left. Chunks of granite exploded outward, showering the combatants.
Dustan caught Kyra’s movement out of the corner of his eye. She was a whirlwind, daggers spinning this way and that. All four steeds were down now, only the riders remained. Kyra faced off with the one brandishing a spear. At a disadvantage with her short daggers, she launched an orb at the demon’s feet. He leapt to the side and Kyra was there to greet him. He batted the first dagger away, but the second drove deep into his chest. Not a killing blow. The Slayer staggered back and wrenched the blade free, tossing it into the grass. He offered her a sinister grin and twirled his weapon before advancing.
Valefar chased Dustan into the open, spun, and kicked high. Dustan squatted under the kick and lashed out with his own leg, catching the warrior below the knee. Crack. The bone snapped, sending the demon hobbling in retreat. Dustan pressed his attack, throwing a flurry of slashes and thrusts. Even on one leg, Valefar remained amazingly quick. He swatted each blow aside in a torrent of movements.
A howl followed by a scream and a sickening crunch announced the death of another Slayer. The dragon spit the upper half of the woman into the cliff face. Both halves erupted in bright red illumination an instant later.
Valefar, steady on a healing leg, stepped into Dustan’s attack, caught a thrust between his arm and ribs, and brought his head down. The warrior’s helmet collided with the bridge of Dustan’s nose, and blood and energy gushed down his chin. His mind swam as a storm bloomed in his head, thunder resounded in his ears, and lightning struck against the inside of his skull. He fell to one knee, swaying. Valefar waved his sword and marched forward.
The wolfdragon’s tail soared past, forcing Valefar flat on his stomach, but he was not the intended target. The tail swiped at a Slayer crouched behind a distant column, tearing both pillar and demon from the ground. He sailed up and into the dragon’s waiting jaws, his life ended with a single chomp. The dragon’s snout, framed in a furry white beard, seemed to smile with the accomplishment.
The momentary respite allowed Dustan to find Kyra. The spear-wielding demon had her on her heels. She leaked energy from a dozen nicks and punctures. The warrior was not unscathed. A wide slash had torn through his breastplate, his own maroon essence spilling out. Both combatants appeared weakened. Kyra mustered one last orb and sent it into the charging Slayer’s chest. It struck the gap in his armor and flipped him backwards. Enraged, he leapt to his feet and extended the spear, aiming for Kyra’s middle, intent on impaling her. She let him come, and at the last second, stepped to the side and rammed her remaining dagger into his ear.
The eruption of Valefar’s final warrior as he entered the Void washed over Dustan’s back in a wave of heat and screams. He had no time to look back. Valefar had gathered himself and moved close. Dustan shook his head, trying to rid the lingering effects of the demon’s last blow. The wolfdragon appeared at his side, nudged close, and snarled at the demon. Dustan trembled slightly at the beast so close, even though he knew it to be the changeling, and waved it away. Lailah stared for moment with huge black eyes and slithered to Kyra before reassembling in her child form. They moved toward Dustan and the demon general.
Dustan shook his head. “No, I have to do this alone.”
Reluctantly, they did as he asked.
“Down to the two of us,” said Dustan to his teacher.
Valefar offered a rigid smile. “As it should be.”
They faced off in the center of the clearing su
rrounded by ancient monuments. Long-forgotten heroes memorialized in marble and granite stood watching in silence. A faint breeze drifted in from the forest and whispered off the cliffs. Dustan craned his head back and stared toward the milky sky, a resigned sigh fluttering from his lips. When he tilted his head forward, Valefar nodded. The two touched swords with a mixture of sorrow and anticipation shone in mirrored expressions. The demon backed off and stood with the hilt of his sword at his waist, the blade pointed backwards toward the ground. Dustan posed in a hanging stance, the sword high and aimed forward from his right temple. Valefar broke first, dashing forward and raking his blade upward. Dustan swept Blood Dancer down diagonally and scraped the thrust while spinning away.
For what felt like eons to Dustan, they matched each other blow for blow. Neither could gain the upper hand. Still, he knew he could not keep it up much longer. Parts of his body he did not know existed throbbed in excruciating agony. Blood and energy streamed from more wounds than he cared to count. Valefar masked his condition well, if he was suffering at all. The warrior moved with ease, showing none of the strain Dustan felt.
He needed to find a way to end this. Valefar gave him no time to think. The demon continued an unending series of slashes, thrusts, kicks, and punches. Dustan never knew where the next strike would originate until the warrior launched it. His own attempts bounced off Valefar’s sword, rarely touching his armor.
Dustan pressed forward with a chaotic flurry, hoping to unbalance his foe. The tactic failed, but brought him in close. He feinted to the side and paused a split second. Valefar took the bait and lifted his sword to block the high slash he predicted. Instead, Dustan went low, driving Blood Dancer’s point through the demon’s planted foot.
Anchored to the ground, Valefar attempted to strike at his head. The pain and surprise of the attack slowed the demon enough, and Dustan clutched his wrist before the blade could gain momentum. The two stood nose to nose, pushing and pulling. He concentrated his remaining energy into Valefar’s arm. The appendage exploded in a spray of scarlet, the demon collapsing to the ground.
Dustan stood over him, chest heaving, hands shaking. Hattiesburg drifted into his mind—the trees along the ridge, the lazy Mississippi flowing by, the plantation and days of training, the family enjoying stories and each other’s company. He lowered the sword.
“It doesn’t have to end this way.” His voiced carried a plea not lost on the demon warrior.
Valefar smiled through his pain. “No. It does. I cannot return defeated. I would die in shame. Please, my friend, grant your old teacher an honorable death.”
Dustan nodded, a tear in his eye. Blood Dancer blazed as he gripped the hilt.
Valefar reached out and grabbed his ankle. “You remembered the feint. I should have known you would.”
He plunged the blade into Valefar’s heart. Dustan turned and did not watch his destruction.
“Godspeed…my friend.”
26
Reunion
The three sat around a fire in Lailah’s cave. Embers fought the air, struggling upward before flickering out. None spoke for a long time, their eyes haunted—Lailah and Dustan’s by the past, Kyra’s by the future. He had now killed three of his friends… his family. Kyra’s power may have destroyed Saerna, but he was the cause. Doubts tore through him. He wished there had been another way. They left him no choice. Somewhere deep inside he accepted it, but their faces would not leave him.
“What now?” he finally asked.
“We have the blade, the hilt is next.” Kyra reclined on her elbows, eyes locked on the wavering flames. “They know we are here. The Slayers will be patrolling in full force. If we manage to elude them, no doubt word has spread to the Host. The Hunters will meet us across the border. Slipping past may well prove impossible.”
“There must be a way. Didn’t Hadraniel tell you anything that will help us?”
“He told me where to look and all he knew of the domains. His knowledge of the Host’s domain is vast. If we can make it across the border, what he imparted will guide us.”
Dustan nodded, grateful for any small bit of good news. He glanced at Lailah, who sat cross-legged, knitting something in her lap. “Would you like to come with us?”
She peered up at him, and in her best little girl voice, as if responding to whether she wanted another serving of pudding, said, “Yes please.”
The following morning, they set out across the valley. Occasionally, they needed to hide from great ravens overhead, and Slayers flying regular circuits around the mountains and the vale. In large numbers, they swooped low as well as maintaining high-altitude surveillance. The three stuck to the forest keeping cover close at hand.
A few days into the journey, they camped beneath a jagged bluff. Dustan measured time in the tedium of counting steps across the realm. By his estimation, they had traveled roughly forty miles from Lailah’s cave. Not that it mattered. He had no idea of how close or far they remained from their destination. Time was difficult to judge, the day / night cycle seeming to vary, durations fluxuating day to day. The sun hid behind a milky white dome by day. At night, the sky darkened to a blue-black, the shade of nasty bruise. Everything about the realm threw off his inner compasses. The seasons didn’t change, weather patterns dependent on the area. The south remained stifling hot, and even brief periods of rainfall that fell in chalky drops burned the skin.
They spent the next week hiking up another mountain. The igneous rock merged into onyx glass. Sitting in the wrong spot could slice a leg off. Navigating the inclines became more treacherous with the slick footing. Streams of hissing magma seeped through cracks in the stone, casting off noxious fumes that made Dustan dizzy but did not produce the lethal effects of the human realm.
Reaching the summit, they gazed out upon the heart of the Horde’s domain. Massive keeps and castles flecked the landscape, their crowned towers piercing the sky. Lava pools and slime-laden bogs pocked the face of the valley floor. Not all was vile and ugly, however. Patches of green vegetation and blue-green waters spread out across the territory and teased at pleasant spaces. From the high vantage point, Kyra pointed out the distant border—a subtle shift in the terrain.
Dustan gasped. “It has to be a thousand miles away.”
“More,” said Kyra.
“That distance will take years to cover.”
“There is no other way. Fortunately, we live a long time here. Even you.” She attempted a smile that wilted in an instant.
“I have a suggestion,” said Lailah in a coy tone. “I could fly us there.”
Dustan slapped his forehead. “You could have mentioned it sooner.”
“You let us walk all this way?” Kyra glared at the changeling. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“You never asked.” Lailah peered up at them, fluttering her eyelashes. She shrugged and placed her hands against her chest. In the next moment, she transformed in to a pitch-black umbra steed and stamped the ground before them. They climbed onto her back, Dustan clutching her mane, Kyra clutching Dustan.
“You sure this is a good idea?” He closed his eyes tight.
Kyra had no chance to answer as her breath caught with Lailah’s sudden leap off the peak. Huge membrane wings whooshed against the air. They soared over the valley, staying high, hoping to remain above the Slayer patrols. Dustan noticed three dots zigzag below them and rise. The demons came only close enough to recognize the umbra steed and descended back into their zone.
Regardless of their flying bat-horse, they could not make a several thousand-mile journey in a single day. They managed half the distance and landed in one of the Horde’s oases. The small area, a mile across, supplied plenty of cover in a cliff-side cave and forest. As much as he detested the idea of another cave, Kyra convinced him it would be safer than camping in the forest. They holed up in a cramped cavity that barely offered room to sit up straight. Sleeping in turns, one on watch, they passed the night without incident. Though the term n
ight might be meaningless here, Dustan still considered it the time when they slept.
As they prepared to set out again, a rustling in the wood caught their attention. A small ape-like creature crept out of the underbrush. Its curious eyes sat atop a long snout streaked in bright red and orange, and coarse fur covered its stubby body. Long canines grinned at them when Dustan made a move in its direction.
“We won’t hurt you. Come here.” He knelt and extended his hand, trying to coax the creature to him.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said Kyra. “Umbra apes can be nasty. Generally, they keep to themselves, but when riled up, they are fierce little bastards.”
“Umbra? Like the horses?” Dustan jumped as the creature flapped its fleshy wings and flew into the forest. “Shit.”
Lailah giggled.
“Does everything here have bat wings?”
“No. Other than those two, I can only think of one other…umbra mammoths.”
Dustan’s eyes went wide, his mouth agape. Kyra doubled over laughing.
“That wasn’t funny.” His face reddened, but he had to admit, it felt good to laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time they had.
Lailah morphed into the steed. Dustan and Kyra gathered their weapons and headed to her side. Two dozen shapes exploded from the woods.
“Fucking hell,” shouted Dustan as one ape latched onto his back and another to his leg. He spun in circles, swiping at the furious attackers.
Lailah attempted to gain the air, but a swarm of the angered creatures held her down. Dustan swung the two loose and drew Blood Dancer. The sapphire flare caused the apes to retreat into the brush, whooping and shrieking. Kyra summoned twin orbs and launched them at the chattering umbra apes. Several furry masses flew into the air, blasted apart. Lailah reared and thrashed, shaking the creatures off. She breathed a stream of fire, turning three of them into scampering balls of flame.
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