by Steven Drake
“She is under no spell nor coercion. She acts of her own will.” Darien drew the sword slightly, allowing a sliver of the black blade to show. “Now, I will repeat a second time that I have no wish for bloodshed, but I will not allow you to arrest my companions. I do not wish to use this weapon, but I will if I must. I apologize for the position that I must place you in, but if I must cut a path of escape through the bodies of your warriors, I will not hesitate to do so. Remember to whom it is you speak, and consider my offer carefully. There is really no need for anyone to die today.”
Geoffray hesitated, frozen, the silence hung like a shadow over the small group. Geoffray’s teeth clenched, and his brow furrowed. Geoffray tightened his face, then relaxed. He was not happy, but it seemed he would at last see reason.
“Very well, these two may go, but you will answer for your crimes as well, Rana. I warned you never to come back. You have made another foolish and selfish choice, and you will pay doubly. That is my final offer, Executioner. Take it, or show yourself for the evil creature you are.”
Interesting, what does he want with Rana, Darien thought. Were they involved? Did they part on bad terms? That will make this more difficult, but since the only alternative is a bloody slaughter that will cost any chance at cooperation, I must take the chance. “That will not be necessary.” Darien pulled his hand away from the Demon Sword, and looked over at Ceres and Jerris. “Ceres, take him back to Kadanar, now.” Ceres nodded.
“Darien, no!” Jerris exclaimed.
“Not this time Jerris. There are some battles you cannot win. Now go, before he changes his mind.”
Jerris hung his head, dejected, but Ceres grabbed his arm forcefully and yanked him forward. They headed back toward the east along the road, and the knights allowed them to pass. Darien waited until they had passed out of sight before he tossed his sword aside, unstrapped the shoulder strap that held the Demon Sword, and tossed it down as well, sheath and all. Rana threw down her weapons as well. Geoffray and several other knights climbed down off their horses and tied the prisoners’ hands. Geoffray carefully picked up the Demon Sword, and gently tucked it into the pack strapped to the back of his horse. Then they began to march to the west, towards the city of Trinium.
Chapter 7: Jerris Choice
Jerris found himself in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable position. For the first time in over a year, he was separated from Darien, the man who had protected him since the death of his mother, and the person in the world he most cared about. Jerris walked forward in a numb haze, The shock of the confrontation on the road had yet to wear off, and they were now on their way back to the castle town of Lagura. Ceres continued to lead him onward, keeping a firm hold of his arm. For the moment, he followed obediently and tried to recover from the shock, and though he tried to steady his nerves, his mind continued working, thinking of ways to either convince Ceres to attempt to rescue Darien, or, failing that, to evade her and make the attempt on his own. No words passed between them.
It was just before evening when they again reached the city of Lagura. Clouds had moved in, darkening the sky and threatening more rain. This time, they reached the city gates before they closed, so they were able to stay at a more comfortable inn within the city. Once they had settled into the room, Ceres disappeared and returned with some bread and water, but Jerris was in no mood to eat. He gave his overbearing bodyguard a stern look and attempted to look as commanding as possible.
“We have to go after him,” Jerris said as firmly as he could. “He would do no less for us.”
“We’ll do no such thing. Weren’t you paying attention? He planned this. He bargained his life so that you could get away, and now you want to go right after him. They’ll just arrest us too. He told me to take you back to Kadanar, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. My duty is to keep you safe, and the only place you will be truly safe is Kadanar. Galen never should have let you come.”
“Let me? I’m not some servant you can just order around. I’m supposed to be the crown prince.” Jerris puffed out his chest as much as he possibly could, but with his slight frame, that still was not particularly intimidating. “Who are you to tell me what to do? If I say we’re going after Darien, then we are, and you’d better start thinking of a plan.”
“You’re not in command here, little prince,” Ceres rebuffed. “Prince or not, you are a child, and you have no authority over anyone. Galen is an idealistic old fool who believes in the faerie prophecy more than he believes his own counselors. That’s why he allowed the two of you free reign to do what you want, but he isn’t here, and now Darien isn’t here either, so I’m in charge, and we’re going back.”
“Why do you hate him so much?” Jerris shot back angrily. “You’ve hated him ever since we got to Kadanar. He might be executed and you don’t even care.”
“You really want to know?” Ceres’ sharp piercing voice cut back. “Because he’s a devious, manipulative, vengeful creature. Whatever he might have been, the Order of the Shade destroyed completely, and left only a hollow shell in its place. What you see in him is like a reflection on the surface of water. You see your own kindness and hope reflected back, and so long as the water remains undisturbed, that is all you will ever see, but make no mistake, what lies beneath is a monster of fear and death. You have not seen that part of him yet, but it is there.”
“He’s never been anything but helpful to me. Even when he was harsh or rude, he always protected me. He cares about me.”
“He pities you. He sees in you something of himself, and he strikes out at your enemies with the same terrible fury that he would strike out at his own.” Ceres sighed. “Why do you suppose he still answers to the name of Executioner, years after he could have left it behind? It’s because that’s what he is, and he knows it. The Demon King made him so. In that, I admit that he seems useful. You imagine that he is your weapon now, your ‘executioner’, but all he really cares about is vengeance, upon everyone and everything that ever hurt him. As soon as he saw a way to avenge himself upon the Demon King, he fixated on it like a hawk upon its prey. If you had commanded him to stay in Kadanar, abandon that quest, would he have obeyed?”
The young half-elf stopped, knowing the answer. Of course, he knew the Executioner well enough by now to realize that he wouldn’t obey any such command. He probably wouldn’t even obey a command telling him what uniform to wear. The older half-elf was almost instinctively contrarian, recalcitrant by nature, resistant to any form of influence.
Is Ceres right? Is Darien really an irredeemable monster, beyond hope of redemption? Is all his apparent sympathy some twisted form of self-pity? No, I refuse to believe that. Without Darien, I would never have made it to Kadanar. He’s offered to lay down his life for me. He protected me when it would have been easier to leave me. He’s always been honest about what he was, what lay in his past, and he never forced me to come with him, or pushed me away. He let me make my own choice. Even if he is as bad as Ceres says, I still have to help him. I owe him that much.
Ceres will never understand what brought us together. She hasn’t ever had to live in the human world, to endure the stares, the way they look at us like we’re cursed, like we have some disease they don’t want to catch. She doesn’t understand what it is to feel alone even in a crowd, to feel unwanted, unwelcome, all the time. She can never understand the most important thing Darien and I have in common. How can I convince her? How can I make her see how important he is to me?
Then the idea came to him as a sudden storm. There was a way to convince her, even if she didn’t want to be convinced. It would certainly be difficult. He’d never tried this on an actual person before, but she was faster, more skilled, more experienced, and had a greater knowledge of the land. He wouldn’t be able to get away from her, but there was one advantage he had. He would wait until morning, when they opened the city gates, so he could get away quickly.
Jerris slept very little that night, unable to still his restless mind.
Much more than simple anxiety kept him awake, he experienced a kind of excitement that was entirely new to him. Was this the emotion warriors felt before a real battle, the tingling nerves, the jittery tension of muscles, the swift beating of the heart, the almost giddy anticipation of doing something dangerous?
By the time morning came, he felt more tired than he had when he had laid down, but he was also focused, having run over his plan more times than he could count. Ceres seemed to have no clue what was coming. She went down to the common room of the inn, and returned with food, but Jerris had no interest in breakfast. He waited, until she sat down to eat. He needed her to make eye contact, so he waited, and stared intently, for several minutes, until she finally noticed and looked up.
When she finally met his gaze, Jerris sharpened his focus as Darien had taught him, and he locked his eyes with Ceres, holding her with the power of his mind. A look of sudden fearful recognition flashed in her eyes, and she shuddered as if trying to move, but it was too late. The room at the inn, the table, the entire world faded into a gray haze as Jerris focused all his concentration upon Ceres mind.
Just as Darien had once held him in the spell of shadow sight, he now held Ceres. She fought back, fiercely as she could, but she lacked Jerris’ natural strength of will, and his deep well of magical energy. Time seemed to stand still as the battle of wills continued, a battle Ceres Arloran was slowly but surely losing.
Pushing into Ceres’ mind felt like slogging through a thick mud, and after several minutes, the resistance increased, a barrier like a stone wall. Darien had spoken of this barrier, the wall of will that separates the inner mind from the outer, and taught him what it felt like. Once this last barrier fell, Ceres would be susceptible to his suggestions.
Ceres’ face began to contort in silent anguish. Darien had warned of this as well. Breaking the will of another person produced a pain comparable to breaking their limbs. Jerris experienced a sudden surge of guilt that nearly broke the spell, but he steeled himself. Darien would do this for me. He wouldn’t hesitate. He repeated those words continuously to himself, but still could not muster enough resolve, so he dug deeper, and tapped into the raw frustration he felt toward his obstinate bodyguard. I’m tired of being treated like child. I’m not a child and I can make my own choices. A new surge of determination pushed against Ceres weakened will, and finally, broke through.
Jerris’ mind, and the full force of his magical energy crashed through the opening as a river breaks through a dam, first a crack, then a wide breach, then a complete collapse. As he felt the wall fall, a sense of accomplishment surged through him, and he felt powerful as he never had before. Waves of euphoria washed over him as the sense of accomplishment filled him. He had done it.
Ceres appeared no longer be in pain; she simply sat staring rather blankly back at him. Still Jerris held the spell, speaking slowly. “Ceres, I am going to help Darien. You will now return to Kadanar alone. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” she answered in a dull monotone.
“You will tell Galen what has happened, and you will tell him that I am going after Darien.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Now, when I release you from this spell, you will be as you were before, but you will do exactly as I have told you. You will go quickly to Kadanar. You must not delay.” The young half-elf took a deep breath and released the pressure he had brought to bear on Ceres’ mind. His magical energy flowed back into himself, and the world returned to normal. The faded haze receded and the room gradually focused, until everything seemed normal. Then Jerris released Ceres entirely. She blinked, shook her head, then looked around for several seconds, clearly disoriented, and not understanding what had happened. “Ceres, are you all right?” Jerris feigned ignorance at her troubled condition.
“Yes, yes I’m fine. I just had the strangest feeling.” She stood suddenly. “We, no, not we. I must to return to Kadanar while you go after Darien. I must go quickly. I can’t afford any delay.”
“Alright Ceres, I’m glad you see it my way.” Jerris tried to remember that he had just done a serious thing, but it was difficult for him to hold in a laugh nonetheless. Ceres then packed up her things, and without any further hesitation, set out.
The boy sat in the room for several minutes, astonished at his success. He felt a bit sorry for Ceres, but after all, she shouldn’t be in any real danger from the spell, and he so thoroughly resented her treating him like a child. After a few minutes of feeling quite proud of himself, he came to the sudden realization that he now had to form a plan to get to Trinium and rescue Darien on his own, and he had to move quickly. The spell he’d placed on Ceres might wear off in as little as a few hours, if he remembered Darien’s lesson correctly.
He tried to stay calm, despite his jittery nerves. He knew more or less how to get to Trinium, and he reasoned that since he wasn’t a wanted criminal, or anyone important so far as these humans knew, he’d be safe enough. All he had to do was follow the road until he got to the city. By the time Ceres got back to Kadanar, or the spell wore off, he would be far ahead and he wouldn’t make it easy for her to find him.
Jerris hastily gathered up everything Ceres hadn’t taken, his share of the food and water, a few lengths of rope, and a few coins. It was only then he realized Ceres had taken most of the money they had brought. He cursed aloud, realizing his mistake, but it was too late to worry about that. Once he was satisfied with his preparations, he made his way out of the city.
Chapter 8: An Unexpected Encounter
Jerris made his way west, passing through the small villages and scattered farmhouses of the Golden Plains. By the end of the first day, he’d gone well past the place where Darien had been arrested. He decided to conserve his little money, and camped under a massive, ancient oak tree just a few yards off the road. The next day passed much as the first, then the next as well, and Jerris encountered no difficulties. The road was wide and flat, and the farmland on either side stretched unknown miles into the distance. Jerris had never seen fields so large, nor imagined that there was so much food anywhere in the world. Kantu had certainly had farms, but in the north, there always seemed to be too little, just enough to stave off starvation, but in this place, on either side of the road, were fields enough to feed a dozen cities the size of Kantu.
On the fifth day after he left the small city of Lagura, he encountered a much larger, more impressive city, surrounded by a much more imposing wall of gray brick. The tops of the buildings, several stories high, rose above the high wall. Some were practically mansions, while others appeared to contain many individual residences in a single large building. By listening to the people as they passed, he managed to deduce the name of the city, Galbedin.
Jerris wandered through the city, taking in the sights. He had never seen a large human city. Lagura had been just a little larger than Kantu, where he had grown up. Galbedin, on the other hand, was massive. People pressed past one another in the crowded streets. There had to be thousands upon thousands here. So this is where all that food goes, Jerris thought. The only thing comparable that Jerris had ever seen was the dwarf city of Vorog, but in many ways, this seemed even more remarkable.
Now that he found himself alone, Jerris began to appreciate Darien’s extensive knowledge of the world. Geography, landmarks, distance, terrain, all those things that allowed his teacher to know where he was and where he was going, Jerris lacked. He pressed forward with no more than the vaguest notion where he was headed, and he now wished he had asked about those practical matters. Up to this point, his older companion had taken care of what had seemed minor details, allowing him to remain blissfully ignorant.
Now, he realized he was in trouble. The roads of the city bustled with people, crisscrossing and winding this way and that as if they’d been laid out by a slithering serpent. He became quickly and hopelessly lost, several times doubling back on himself without realizing it. All the streets looked the same, and the crowds made it diff
icult to see, at times difficult even to move at all.
He asked several people for directions, but this proved less than helpful. Unsurprisingly, no one volunteered to lend aid to an outsider, and a half-elf at that. Some pretended they didn’t hear him, while others cursed at him, but most simply nodded and waved him away, too busy to aid a stranger. When he finally found a street merchant willing to give him directions, they led him along several narrow streets until finally depositing him right back where he had begun. The street merchant found this quite amusing, and offered to give better directions for a price, but Jerris, too infuriated to accept, simply muttered a curse and pressed onward. He thought of using his magic, but unlike Ceres, these people were not obligated to protect him. He did not know any of the laws of this land, but it seemed likely that the sort of domination magic he had used on Ceres would probably be a crime. He didn’t want to think what would happen if he, a half-elf, failed or got caught trying to put a spell on someone’s mind. He kept moving, attempting to find his way to the western gate as best he could.
After several hours of wandering the streets, he was reasonably sure he was making progress, but something else bothered him. For perhaps an hour, he had fought the strange feeling that he was being watched. He looked over his shoulder several times, but each time, saw nothing. For a while, he convinced himself that he was imagining things, but the feeling lingered, and grew stronger. Darien had taught him almost nothing about mysticism, the art of sensing the presence of other mages and enchanted objects, but he did remember his teacher saying that even novice mages should be able to tell when another mage is following them, since the energy of their mind would be focused upon the target they were following.