Rival Demons

by Sarra Cannon

  "Wait," Jackson whispered. He stopped and turned toward the fourth hut. "Look."

  I turned, not knowing what to expect. When my eyes landed on the small child standing in the doorway, I gasped and took my hand off the dagger. The boy was dirty-faced and wild-eyed. He wore no shoes or shirt, only a dirty pair of pants that looked like they hadn't been changed in months. Something about his eyes broke my heart.

  I released Jackson's hand and stepped toward the boy. Scared, he ran back into his house. I moved to position myself right in front of the door so he could see me, but I was careful not to get too close.

  "I won't hurt you," I said. I got down on my knees and peered into the darkness of his little hut.

  I could see that the boy was just inside the door, staring at me and sucking his thumb. He couldn't have been more than four years old in human years. I had no idea how that translated to shadow demon years, but he was just a child either way.

  I shrugged out of my backpack and found a pack of food and a bottle of water. I held them out toward the boy. "Are you hungry?" I asked. "It's okay. We're friends."

  The boy looked from me to Jackson and back again. He shuffled forward, stepping into the sunlight.

  "Are you all alone here?" Jackson said.

  The boy stared up at Jackson, then nodded slowly.

  I looked around again, wondering why such a small child would be alone in a place like this. What had happened here?

  I set the food down on the ground and backed away. Slowly, the boy walked forward and snatched it up, then hurried back toward the safety of his house.

  "How does something like this happen?" I asked Jackson.

  His expression grew dark. "This is what the Order of Shadows does to my world."

  We Should Go South

  We spent nearly an hour trying to coax the boy from his hiding place, but nothing we could do would make him trust a human. In the end, we left him a stack of food and water and moved on toward the vendor's city near the border.

  We finally arrived just before nightfall.. Jackson shook his head.

  "This is the place," he said. "But it looks nothing like I remember from my childhood."

  The village was much bigger than any other place we'd come across that day, but it was every bit as rundown. All of the buildings were in disrepair and the people who walked the streets wore tattered clothes. It reminded me of a ghost town from the old west.

  "How does a place get like this when there is so much magic in this world?" I asked. "I mean, can't they just create new clothes and fix their houses with their magic?"

  "It's not that easy," Jackson said. "Magic may come from within, but it isn't free. Not really. Performing magic is always a trade-off. You know that from getting sick when you were first learning to cast. Here in the shadow world, the more these demons use their magic, the more attractive they become to the hunters. Once a town builds up and becomes successful and powerful, the Order comes knocking, wanting to take advantage of the most powerful demons in the area. The only places safe from this are the Underground and the king's city. Places where there are guards and safety nets."

  I looked around, feeling nothing but sadness for these shadow demons.

  "Is it safe for me to come in here with you?" I asked. "I don't want my presence to make anyone nervous or upset."

  "I'm not about to leave you somewhere alone," he said. "Just stay by my side. It'll be fine."

  We left the road and entered through the center of town. Thankfully it was almost nightfall and most of the town's residents had already gone home or retired for the evening. I could only hope the vendor we needed was still open. Otherwise we'd be have to find someplace nearby to camp for the night.

  The few demons milling about stared at me with cautious, curious looks, but no one spoke or threatened us. Jackson led us past a muddy fountain and a few closed carts, down a side alley and finally, to the door of a light grey building.

  "This is it," he said. "Fingers crossed this guy is still here."

  He knocked on the door and waited.

  I bit my lip, so nervous. So far, this was our only lead. We needed for this guy to tell us something useful.

  Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door and when it flew open, a beautiful woman with amber hair and chocolatey brown eyes opened the door.

  "Yes?" she asked. Her smile faded when she looked at me, and I noticed a slight tremble in her hands. She backed away and called out to her father.

  Jackson and I exchanged hopeful looks.

  An older man came to the door, but Jackson's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

  "May I help you?" the man said. "We don't want any trouble here."

  "Please excuse me," Jackson said. "I know it's getting late, but my friend and I are looking for a shop-owner who used to have a store here in this house. He collected rocks."

  The man studied Jackson's face, trying to decide whether to trust him. "What do you want with this shop-owner?"

  "My father used to bring me and my twin brother here when I was younger," Jackson said. "I remembered the gemstone and rock collection and had a few questions about it. Please, if you know where I can find this man, it's very important that I speak with him. We simply come for information."

  The young woman stepped closer to the door, then whispered something in her father's ear. The old man nodded and opened the door wider, inviting us in.

  Jackson thanked him and stepped inside. The four of us sat down at a large harvest table in the corner of the room.

  "The man you speak of was my father," the man said. "He moved on many years ago when my mate and I decided to have a child. I remember you and your brother. Children of the king's adviser. My father had great respect for your dad. I still have his collection of rocks and will help you however I can."

  Jackson bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you," he said. "May I see the gemstones your father collected?"

  The man nodded toward his daughter and she stepped away from the table, returning a few moments later with a large box. She laid it on the table between us.

  "This is a complete collection of the best quality of every colored gemstone that exists in the shadow world," the man said. He opened the top of the box and presented its contents one at a time, laying them out on the table.

  Blue, red, green, white, orange, purple and yellow. Seven distinct stones.

  But the witch's journal had only mentioned six. I wondered why the Order never used the orange stones.

  "Are some of these more rare than others?" I asked. I picked up the blue stone. It was exactly the same color as the stone in my mother's necklace. Almost sapphire, but not quite as dark. Almost topaz, but not as light. Somewhere in between.

  "Oh yes," the man said. "Like the one you're holding in your hand. You can find them here in the Northern Kingdom if you're lucky, but most of the blue stones come from the south. Of course, trade between the borders is forbidden, so you don't see many of the blue stones here on this side."

  I sucked in a shaky breath. The blue stones were in the south.

  "How much do you know about the magical properties of these stones?" Jackson asked.

  The man picked up the purple stone and stared at it as if the stone had the answer he was looking for. "Gemstones absorb magic easily, holding onto specific types of energy. That's why we use them so often for sources of light or communication."

  "What if I wanted to take one of these stones to the place where it would be at its most powerful?" Jackson asked. "Is there a place where they would have extra power?"

  I held my breath, hoping this man had an answer.

  The man thought for a moment, scratching the side of his temple. "My father used to speak of a mine," he said. "A quarry in a way. A collection of same-colored stones where each one's power amplified the rest. That might be the kind of place you're talking about."

  Jackson's eyes met mine for a split second, and I could see the excitement burning there.

  "Do y
ou know where we could find a place like that?" I asked. "A quarry?"

  The man shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not certain," he said. "Supposedly there's one for each gemstone somewhere in the world."

  "What about the blue stones in particular?" Jackson asked.

  "If such a place exists, it would be in the Southern Kingdom," the man said. He rose from his seat, holding up his finger as if he'd just remembered something. He came back with an old ledger. He opened it and ran his finger down the page until he found the entry he'd been searching for. "Ah," he said. "Here. Back in the days before the borders closed, my father used to have a friend on the other side who knew a lot about these stones. They used to trade back and forth, comparing color and clarity. I have no idea if this friend is still alive or if you'd be able to find him, but it's better than nothing. Still, I don't recommend trying to cross through the borderlands."

  "Why not?" I asked.

  "The borderlands are extremely dangerous," the man said. "No magic can be cast there and there are tales of giant monsters that guard the path to the south. Besides, if the Southern King discovers a northerner on his land, he will show no mercy."

  Outside it had begun to rain. I could hear it pounding against the roof of the small house. I had so many questions about how this rivalry between the demons of the north and south had gotten started, but it was late and we'd already asked so much of this man and his daughter.

  "Thank you for all your help," I said. "We sincerely appreciate it."

  The daughter turned to me, her eyes full of questions. "Tell me, what is a young human girl like you doing here in our world? It's very rare for us to see a human here."

  "I'm here looking for answers," I said.

  "About what?" she asked.

  I paused. I didn't want to get into a discussion about the Order. Andros had said we should be careful to put our trust in anyone. "Answers about who I am," I said instead. "About how to become something different."

  The girl seemed to accept my answer. She nodded and placed the stones back into the box. When she stood, we all stood with her. I gathered my things and strapped my backpack onto my back.

  "No," the old man said. "Please stay with us for the night. We don't have more to offer than a couple of blankets and a hard floor, but it's better than being out in the elements on a night light this."

  "Thank you," Jackson said. "We would appreciate a place to sleep, and we'll be out of your way first thing in the morning."

  "No bother," the man said.

  After he and his daughter had moved into the back rooms to sleep, Jackson and I fixed our beds on the floor of the main room. In hushed whispers, we discussed what the man had said about the stones.

  "What do you think we should do?" Jackson asked, his eyes meeting mine in the darkness.

  "We should go south," I said.

  He nodded, kissed my cheek, then turned over to sleep. I cuddled up next to him, but kept my eyes wide open. We were already in danger. Was going to the Southern Kingdom really the best idea? And yet I hadn't hesitated when he asked me what we should do. It was really the only logical choice. We'd come this far and risked this much to stop now.

  Hours later, sleep finally found me, bringing dreams of borderland monsters and rival demons.

  The Glass Forest

  We woke up just before dawn, left a note to say thank you, and stole out of town before most of the residents were awake. It took us a couple of hours before we reached the edge of the borderlands. A thick forest spread out in front of us. The trees here were strange, almost as if they were made of a dark crystal. Their branches were free of leaves and twisted around in knots and points.

  Jackson stopped to pull his sword from his pack.

  "What kind of monsters do you think we might face?" I asked.

  "I'm not sure," Jackson said. "Ever since I was young, I've heard stories of demons who got too close to the border's edge and were never heard from again."

  His face drained of color. He was truly spooked by this. I suddenly felt a lot less confident about my decision to come this way.

  My heart pounded, but I knew we had to press on. The forest looked dark, but it was nothing like the Obsidian Forest we'd had to pass through on our way to the Underground. I hated to think about what monsters we might fight lurking in the shadows, but we had no choice but to face it.

  "You ready?" Jackson asked.

  I nodded. "Just keep your eyes open. You'll be able to see a lot better than I will in there."

  We stepped into the shadows under the canopy of trees, taking our steps slow and deliberate. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to fight if something pounced on us from the darkness.

  Every strange noise or whisper of movement sent my heart into cardiac arrest. I could swear I heard someone walking behind us, but when I turned, there were only shadows.

  Above us, strange birds with long black feathers cawed and screeched. I expected one of them to descend on us and try to peck our eyes out at any moment.

  Something slithered on the ground in front of my feet. I let out a terrified scream that echoed off the glass-like trees, but when Jackson came running, he reassured me that the snake wasn't poisonous in any way.

  "This place has me totally creeped out," I said.

  "Let's just keep moving," he said. "Stay close."

  We walked, taking each step with care. Our senses were on high alert, our legs ready to run if we came upon trouble. And when we emerged from the glass forest hours later, I nearly fell to the ground with relief. Somehow, we'd safely made it to the other side.

  The Scariest Thing Out Here

  The forest lay at our backs and a grassy swamplands stretched out before us. In the far distance, the sun reflected off a wall of silver metal that marked the official entrance to the Southern Kingdom.

  "Be careful where you step," Jackson said. "Try to stay on the solid patches."

  I let him lead the way through the maze of swamp. I tried my best to keep to the grass, but the pathways were extremely narrow and squishy. I felt like a tight-rope walker.

  A noise off to the right surprised me, causing me to lose my balance. I tried to reach out for Jackson's arm, but he was too far ahead. I lost my footing and fell into the dark green water of the swamp. Immediately, I felt some kind of strong undercurrent pulling me under. I sank like a stone, flailing around to find something, anything I could hold onto.

  Jackson's hand found mine and he lifted me with ease, depositing me on a narrow strip of grassy land.

  "Are you alright?"

  I breathed in and out, trying to slow my racing heartbeat. "I'm fine," I said. "But something under there was pulling me down."

  So far, we hadn't seen any real monsters, but now more than ever, I was wound as tight as a spring.

  I walked more slowly through the swamp, holding onto Jackson's hand and never taking my eyes off my feet.

  A splash behind us nearly sent me off-balance again, but Jackson reached out to steady me just in time.

  "What was that?" he asked.

  "I don't know," I said. "But I've had this feeling all day that we were being followed."

  "What? Why didn't you say something?" he asked.

  I shrugged. "I don't know, I thought I was being over-dramatic."

  In the water just a few feet away, something pushed itself frantically toward the surface, yelling out in fear. Jackson left me where I stood and ran to see what had fallen into the swamp water.

  "Oh my god," he said.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  He didn't answer. Instead, he crouched down and reached deep into the water, pulling something out with all of his strength. I carefully made my way toward him, fear gripping my chest.

  I gasped as the figure in the water came into view. The little boy from the abandoned village!

  Jackson set him onto the grass and the boy scrambled close and held tight to his legs, as if his life depended on it. And in a place like this, it just might have.
>
  When the child caught his breath and had stopped shaking, I leaned down and caught his eye. "Have you been following us all this way?"

  The boy lowered his head, then nodded slowly.

  I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you were a hunter or something," I said.

  The boy shook his head violently, and I laughed. "I know you're not now," I said. "But you shouldn't sneak up on people like that. You scared me to death."

  Jackson laughed, some of the tension of the day's journey relaxing his shoulders. "I cant' believe this," he said. "My whole life people have warned me of the extreme dangers of the borderlands. And look, the scariest thing out here is a child."

  I smiled. He had a point.

  I lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the sun. I turned around and looked out over the swamp. Other than the water itself, there didn't seem to be any other dangers here. No monsters or poisonous gases. No soldiers waiting to take us to the dungeons. How had everyone in the north been so wrong about this place?

  It made me wonder what other lies had been told about the Southern Kingdom.

  I Hope I Never Do

  "The part about the wall was true at least," he said after the three of us had safely crossed over the swamp. "Of course, to hear most people tell it, the wall is guarded by a thousand demons."

  "What is this made out of anyway?" I asked, staring up at the bright silver metal.

  "Remember the rare type of silver the Order used to create the ritual daggers?" Jackson said.

  "The kind that's strong enough to kill shadow demons?" I asked.

  "That's the one."

  "That's what this is made of?" I asked.

  "Yes," he said. "It's mined here in the Southern Kingdom and is one of the strongest, most indestructible types of metal there is."

  "How do we get around it?"

  "Normally, we would just fly over the top," he said. "But I really don't want to use my magic, not even for a second."