by Aisha Saeed
The demon glared at Augustus. “On second thought, Brutus, why don’t you go ahead and get the boy first. After some consideration, I’ve decided to take him with me and keep him for myself,” the demon continued. “His potion making and chariot construction skills will be useful to me.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said blankly.
“Father.” Augustus’s lower lip quivered. He backed away. “I’m your son. Your only child. Don’t you see me?”
“He sees only the being he serves,” the demon responded. “And for that he shall be richly rewarded.”
But there were no rewards. Brutus was ready to send his own son off with the demon, to give him away as a slave. How did all these people believe the demon’s lies, ignoring what they were witnessing with their own eyes?
Diana straightened suddenly. That’s it! She had to help the townspeople see exactly who they were dealing with. They needed to hear the truth from the demon himself. Then maybe the truth would set them free. She glanced at the lasso tied to her belt. Augustus’s hesitation might be right—the lasso might not work on someone made of vapor—but their options were running out. If she could get it around the demon and make him confess that he’d hypnotized the people of Sáz, the spell could be undone entirely, setting the entire island free. A boulder didn’t do anything, but perhaps the lasso could!
She yanked the lasso from her belt, but before she could make a move, a rustling noise sounded behind her.
Augustus’s eyes widened and he screamed, “Watch out!”
Quickly, Diana turned toward the sound. Men— the same ones who’d been patrolling the second plane—were appearing from the pathway on their left, walking past the motionless guards and marching in lockstep toward the girls. Their bodies moved stiffly but purposefully, blocking any path of escape in that direction.
“We have to fight them!” Augustus clenched his palms into fists. Before he could do anything, his father snatched him from the ground by the scruff of his collar, locking him in a choke hold.
“Father—please!” Augustus spluttered. He coughed and kicked his feet furiously. His face grew pink and flustered. But Brutus seemed more like a stone wall than a person—he didn’t react to his son’s cries, and his arms stayed firmly wrapped around Augustus’s body.
Until tonight Diana had never realized how terrifying a blank expression could be. These people followed orders without any thought or reaction to what was being demanded of them. They had no emotions. They could kill her or Sakina, or even Augustus, without blinking. In their hypnotized state, there was nothing the townsfolk wouldn’t do for the demon. It was chilling to be surrounded by people who no longer had a concept of what was right and what was wrong—people whose humanity had been simply erased.
“Let’s head to the left!” Diana said, scanning their surroundings in the darkness. They hadn’t mixed the potion yet. Sakina had the canteen, but Augustus had two critical ingredients with him, and there was no way they’d get them now, with him trapped so firmly in his father’s grip. They had to run, to hide until they could figure out what to do next.
But before she could move, villagers began stepping out of the silent rows lining the town square. They marched forward, more and more of them, until they formed a wall between the girls, the village, and the forest on either side. They all held an assortment of knives: jagged butcher blades, carving knives, and metal saws. Some clutched swords with steel edges, long and pointed. Others clutched metal rods or pitchforks.
“We’re…we’re surrounded,” Sakina whispered.
Fear pounded through Diana’s veins. Sakina was right. The towering cliff they’d climbed was at their backs. There was nowhere to escape. The villagers would bear down upon them until they were captured.
“Why aren’t they moving? They’re just staring at us,” Sakina said slowly. She gestured to the motionless people.
“They’re waiting for the demon,” Diana said. “They need him to give the order.”
“And then?” Sakina’s voice trembled. “What do we do?”
Beads of sweat trailed down Diana’s forehead. She didn’t want to do this. But the truth was unavoidable. There was only one thing they could do. She pulled out her sword and tightly gripped its hilt.
“You presume to think you can fight your way out?” The demon chuckled. He watched them from beside the glowing bonfire at the town’s center. The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile. “I must confess: I am not typically a fan of theatrics, but this is quite entertaining. A pity all good things must eventually come to an end.”
With one hand, he snapped his fingers.
“Get them,” he growled.
The crowd of people surrounding the girls straightened. Their jaws tensed. And then, slowly, they began approaching, the circle of people shrinking inward toward Diana and Sakina with each step until they stood only a few feet away. Their weapons were held aloft, angled to point to the ground or sticking straight up in the air. Their grips were clumsy, hesitant.
Diana smiled a little. Finally, a glimmer of hope! The demon could hypnotize the villagers to obey him, but he couldn’t teach them how to fight. They had no idea how to even hold their weapons. Diana and Sakina had a chance!
Diana turned her head and whispered to Sakina, “These people are not fighters, remember?”
“Maybe. But a weapon is still a weapon,” Sakina responded shakily. “And we’re outnumbered.”
“It’s not all about numbers. We’re not defenseless. Keep your weapon drawn and ready. When I say the word, we strike.”
“Strike? I just got this sword a week before our trip! I’m not even sure if I know how to chop an apple with it!” Sakina whisper-shouted frantically.
“There’s a first time for everything. We can do this,” Diana assured her. “We’re going to defend ourselves, but we’re going to take care not to kill anyone. Draw your weapon. Stay close. Press your back to mine. We can’t get separated, not for a second.”
Diana tried her best to mask her own fears. Though she’d practiced in secret from time to time and had watched the Amazon warriors sparring and fighting since she was little, this was her first time actually defending herself with a weapon. And this situation was trickier than most: Though the people who lumbered toward them meant her and Sakina harm, their minds had been hijacked by the demon. They couldn’t control their actions. Not only did Diana need to defend herself, but she also needed to make sure she didn’t hurt anyone too seriously. These were innocent people—none of them deserved to die, even if they came hard at Diana and Sakina.
The townsfolk inched closer. Their black-laced boots rose and fell steadily in unison until they formed a tight circle around the girls. One man stepped forward. He had a straw hat and skinny arms and carried a sword with a gleaming blade. The weapon trembled in his grasp. Diana had no doubt that she could fight him off, but making sure she didn’t gravely injure him in the process would be a challenge. Approaching her, the man reached out a hand to grab her arm.
It’s time.
Channeling her Amazon warrior roots, Diana gripped her weapon tightly, locked her knees, and swung her sword against his. The blades clanked violently against each other, the noise a shock in the still night. The man spun from the impact. His sword fell to the ground.
For a moment, no one moved. Then the villagers’ heads swiveled in unison toward the fallen man.
“Get them!” shouted the demon. “Now. Do not stop until they are disbanded and captured.”
More townsfolk jumped from the circle and approached the girls from either side. Many of them were taller than the previous man, and every one had arms bulging with muscles.
“Jump and kick!” Diana shouted to Sakina. “Aim with the strongest parts of your body against their weakest!”
Diana planted her feet on the dirt beneath her and
then, with a grunt, she propelled herself off the ground and spun. She attacked the man in front of her with a roundhouse kick to his upper chest. He tumbled backward. Another man ran toward her—Diana deployed the same move, knocking him down with one kick.
“Just follow my lead until they’re all down!” Diana yelled at Sakina.
“Okay,” said Sakina breathlessly. “I will….NO!”
A man with a thick mustache ran full speed toward Sakina. Before she could jump out of the way, he swiped a leg at her brown leather boots, catching her behind the knees. Sakina tripped and fell, slamming to the ground. The man grabbed both of her feet and began dragging her away. Sakina’s body bumped and thudded against tree roots and across overgrown vines. She tried twisting her body to strike behind her but lashed her sword at him in vain.
Diana hurried after her friend but was stopped when strong arms sprang around her from behind. One arm clamped around Diana’s neck and she was lifted into the air by her throat. Diana coughed and wheezed, her breathing growing strained. The hold pressed tighter against her windpipe. Stars began to dance in and out of Diana’s vision. She scrambled against the grip, her nails scratching into flesh. I’m going to pass out, she thought frantically.
Diana thought of Antiope and the lessons she’d learned. She closed her eyes and strained against the arm. She needed to dig deeper within herself than she ever had before. She couldn’t lose hope. A burst of dizziness made the world spin, and darkness entered her vision. With all her might, Diana slammed her legs backward with full force against the townsperson’s shins.
Their hands sprang away as the person fell backward, landing with a thud on the ground.
Diana’s eyes watered from the tight hold and her neck throbbed with pain, but there was no time to waste—Sakina was ten feet away and growing farther still as the man dragged her past the other townsfolk and into the forest. Diana realized with a start that they were almost at the edge of the cliff—and that he was going to throw her off it.
Pumping her fists, Diana raced between the trees, deftly dodging other townspeople as she ran. The man’s body was hunched over as he dragged Sakina. Once Diana was close enough, she reared her leg as far back as she could and then flung her foot up hard, like a whip, kicking his shoulder. The man staggered. One hand flew to the shoulder where she’d struck him, but the other remained firm around Sakina’s ankle.
“My turn!” Sakina shouted. She flipped onto her back and flicked her sword up. Swinging with all her strength, her face contorted, she sliced at the man’s hand and arm until he yelped and released his grip on her leg.
Sakina sprang up and hurried to Diana. They rushed away from the looming cliff. Clutching his wrist, the man broke into a run, following them. Diana turned and pulled out her lasso. She snapped it, and the rope smacked the man in the head. He staggered and fell to the ground.
“There’s a gap!” Diana pointed to an unguarded opening to their left. “Are you okay to run?”
“Yes! Let’s do it!” Sakina said.
Picking up their pace, they hurried through the trees. At last they spotted a dirt path trailing through ancient trees, leading out of the woods. Diana and Sakina followed the path, but as they approached, the leaves began to rustle. Two men swung down from branches, aiming at Diana and Sakina. The girls ducked and dodged, missing the blows by a few inches.
More people lay in wait, hidden among the moonlit foliage and in the trees lining the path. Leather-booted feet dangled from the branches where townsfolk sat among the tree branches.
A woman leapt down from a flowering evergreen to Diana’s left. She huffed and ran full speed at the girls, as though planning to mow them over with her body. Diana crouched, and once the woman was close enough, Diana raised her leg and kicked her in the shoulder. The woman’s head slammed against a tree, she fell, and then she grew still. Diana flinched, hoping the woman would be okay.
“They won’t stop.” Sakina choked back tears, her eyes frantically scanning the horizon. “They keep coming. It’s never going to end, is it?”
Diana glanced at the town square in the distance behind them. Rows of people stretched out far beyond the girl’s line of sight. Their frames formed long shadows from the bonfire crackling nearby. Six more men hurried out of the rows as Diana watched. They wore peasant shirts and dirty linen pants.
“We need to outrun them and regroup to plan the next strategy,” Diana said. “It’s our only—”
She stopped with a start and bit her lip. The demon appeared to be two steps ahead of them. A group of villagers approached the path from ahead, blocking it. Pitchforks burned in their hands. The other group of six men grew closer and closer to the girls.
“They’re everywhere. And we can’t take on multiple people with weapons all at once, Diana.” Sakina shook her head. “It’s impossible.”
Diana had seen the women back home practice scenarios like this—surrounded by even more enemies than this and winning nonetheless—countless times. But it was one thing to watch others do something and another to do it herself, especially during a matter of life and death. Diana took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. She had no idea if she could do it. But she knew they had to try.
Gripping her sword, she tensed as the men grew closer. Sakina stood so closely next to her that their shoulders brushed. Fallen twigs snapped beneath the villagers’ feet. They were in striking range now. Diana clenched her jaw and raised her sword in the air. And then she spun. With the speed of a fluttering hummingbird, Diana twirled and sliced her sword hard against the men’s weapons. More and more approached. Diana didn’t stop. She struck with her elbow against their heads. She kicked them in the shins.
At last their weapons fell to the ground. The men, now unarmed, wheezed and panted, bending at the waist, gulping for air. But then they straightened again. Bruises lined their bodies. Their shirts were ripped, their pants torn. Nevertheless, they formed clumsy fists with their hands and ambled toward the girls.
“How can they keep going?” Sakina said. “Their bodies can’t possibly take any more.”
“The demon told them not to stop until they got us,” Diana replied. “They’ll keep going until they physically can’t.”
Even now, as they prepared to attack the girls yet again, Diana couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. They weren’t acting of their own free will. They were just the demon’s tools.
Diana tucked her sword back in her belt. She was not about to attack unarmed people with a sword, even if they were trying to capture her. She clenched her fists. And then as the villagers neared, Diana leapt in the air and swiveled her arm. She struck the edge of her elbow against the first man’s head. He crumpled to the ground.
“Sakina!” Diana shouted as another person rushed toward her friend. “Give them a power-angle kick! Crack your leg like a whip against their body—aim for their shins!”
“You got it!” Sakina grunted. She leapt and kicked against their legs with her boots. The person stumbled backward, their hands releasing from Diana.
“That—was—awesome,” Diana breathed out. She leapt and pushed another person in the chest, sending them tumbling to the ground.
“Learning from the best,” Sakina replied.
They ducked and kicked and fought.
Diana bent her knee for a front leg kick, and toppled another man coming at her. He flew back, thudding against a tree before falling unconscious.
Somewhere in the distant depths of Diana’s mind, she knew this was an impossible feat—fighting off dozens of armed men nearly twice her size—and yet here she was. And though her heart raced, her mind felt clear and sure. She was fighting like the warrior she had always believed she was meant to be.
“To your left!” Sakina shouted.
The last of the villagers approached Diana. Twisting her body to gain speed, Diana spun into the
air and kicked out her foot, landing it against the man’s torso with such force that he fell to the ground, knocked out.
And then it was over.
“You did it.” Sakina gasped for air. “You really did it.”
“We did it.” Diana winced at the fresh new bruise on Sakina’s cheek. Her leggings had torn at the knees. “You okay?”
“Better than they are,” Sakina replied.
The villagers lay curled on the ground. Some were still passed out; others moaned, their eyes shut, cradling their legs or arms.
The demon floated toward them in the woods. He crossed his arms. The smug expression on his face from earlier was replaced with one of profound irritation. Brutus walked beside the demon, Augustus still firmly in his clutches.
“Your skills are impressive. However, you fail to grasp a fundamental point,” the demon said. “There are only two of you. And hundreds of people are on my side. Sooner or later, I will win.”
“Try harder, then,” Diana said through gritted teeth. His arrogance made her blood boil.
“Very well,” the demon said. His lips pressed into a thin straight line. He turned toward the remaining crowd of stock-still people waiting in a motionless line, visible through the tree line. He snapped his fingers. “Marco, finish this once and for all.”
“No,” whimpered Augustus. He strained against his father’s grip.
Diana drew a sharp intake of breath as Marco emerged from the crowd and walked toward them. Marco was tall, practically the same height as the demon himself, broad-shouldered, and lean. He held no weapons. He didn’t need them; his body was the weapon.
“I don’t even know how to get around him,” Sakina whispered. “There are two of us, but…” Her voice trailed off.
Sakina was right. This man was too big to swing a sword at and hope to win.