Beneath a Desert Moon

by Mary Hamilton

  And then a figure, as though hurled by catapult, bolted into Brysten, knocking the demon over. Ryshara stood, a dagger in each hand. She crouched and circled. “Come, demon. Come and die.”

  Virgil struggled to his feet and retrieved his sword.

  Brysten glanced at him and then back at Rys. “The young elf comes to play. How cute. You hardly seem worth my while. But, since you insist, I shall destroy you as well as the human.” She raised her fire-enveloped fist.

  Before she could strike, Ryshara lunged, both daggers flashing.

  The demon howled and whirled around. Rys rolled away, sprang to her feet, and went back into a crouch.

  The captain took his turn. He rushed with his sword arcing downward, catching Brysten at the collar and cutting into the flesh.

  More howling, more whirling. The fire from the demon’s eyes grew brighter, the movements jerkier.

  Ryshara moved back in, both blades slicing toward the midsection. She connected and then rolled away. By this time, it seemed the others had come to their senses and joined in… Elle with her fireballs, others with their long-range bows and melee fighters up close.

  Brysten went down on one knee for a moment and then rose again. Raising both hands, it hurled a fireball in the direction of the captain but missed by a wide margin. He dodged it and then charged, sword once again coming down, this time on its other collarbone.

  The demon went down on both knees and remained. It raised its hands once again, but, before it could do anything, Ryshara struck. She lunged in with both daggers attacking the neck. Instead of blood, though, rays of light shot out of the slice wounds. A swirl of light, a flash, and then Brysten was gone.

  Virgil, blood streaming down the side of his head, crumbled and fell.

  Chapter 89: Crystal Sands

  Ryshara yelled for help as she ran to Virgil, going down on both knees to cradle the stricken warrior’s head. Several of the humans also ran to his aid. Marzi lost sight of the captain as he was surrounded by his friends. They quickly moved him beyond the ring of elven bowmen.

  But the Azyrean remained speechless. The entire fight had taken less than a couple of minutes. And yet it had seemed to last forever. Now Virgil lay on the ground with humans and elves alike trying to help him. But it occurred to Marzi that the Brysten creature surely could not have embodied the whole of Dredwyn’s threat. The great demon would not have placed his fate in the hands of this recycled elf traitor. She was sure that he was too cunning for that.

  Even as the question crossed her mind, the answer presented itself. Suddenly, more humans began to emerge from the opening in the side of the hill. At first, just a handful. The elven bowmen and casters felled them immediately. More poured forth. Tens and then hundreds. They came through the opening with frightening speed. The human rebels moved to engage them but were quickly overwhelmed and fell back.

  More arrows and flaming fireballs from the elves rained from the sky. Still the humans came. The first waves came with uniforms of red and gold, armored chests and helms. Following them were what looked to be scouts or rangers, dressed more like elves in leather tunics of brown and forest green. They spread and began to form up. Shields went up to deflect the arrows. Lines were drawn to repel melee attackers.

  Even with her lack of experience, Marzi could easily see that the elf and rebel forces were vastly outnumbered. And still the humans came, a seemingly endless supply.

  The elves ceased their longbow and casting attacks. The rebels backed off to regroup. The attackers, taking advantage of the lull, formed into a tight-knit juggernaut, preparing to move toward the elven positions. It would be over quickly.

  Chapter 90: Ebon Hills

  “What are you doing?” Tovi stared at Ran and Ben, who had slid through the doorway as well. “Aristan said I had to do this alone. You heard him.”

  Ran shrugged and chuckled. “Yes, I heard him. No, you are not going to do this alone. I made a promise to Marzi, and that means more to me than what the god of the humans told us. Sorry.”

  Ben looked sheepish. But there was something on the boy’s face that told Tovi argument would be fruitless. The human lad muttered, “I’m not gonna stay out there by myself.”

  Tovi exhaled in frustration. But he was secretly happy. He knew that it might cause problems but, in the end, he didn’t want to be down there alone either.

  Suddenly the whole passageway began to glow with an eerie purple light. The walls shook. Tovi remembered what Aristan had told him. “Dredwyn knows we’re here. Let’s hurry.” He moved ahead, more quickly than he wanted to.

  A figure cloaked in sickly amethyst light appeared in front of them. “My friends, you have arrived. Welcome.”

  The three stopped in their tracks as the image blocked their way.

  “Do not be alarmed. I am not here to harm you. On the contrary, I am most happy to see you. The three of you have done well and should be rewarded.”

  Tovi turned to Ran, “Come on, let’s go.”

  Ben shouted, “No. Let’s hear what he has to say first. Maybe we don’t have to go all the way down.”

  “Yes, the lad is indeed correct. You have accomplished your mission. You will be heroes.”

  “See, I told you.” The human boy stared, transfixed by the glowing image.

  Tovi felt a wave of nausea wash over him. This image wasn’t real. It couldn’t do anything to them except toy with their feelings. “No, Ben. We have to go. Don’t listen to that thing.”

  He surged forward, only to be tackled by Ben, who screamed, “We’re done. We can go back now. The red god lied to us. We don’t have to do this.”

  Ran pulled Ben up by the scruff of his collar. “Go, Tovi, now!”

  Tovi tore out running with the screams of the boy fading behind him. “Noooooo!!!!!”

  The purple image appeared again, this time in front of the Azyrean. “Your friends will die if you abandon them. You must go back and help.”

  Tovi knew better than to get into a conversation with the demon. He continued forward, running through the image as though it weren’t there. In fact, there wasn’t anything of substance there.

  And then he came face-to-face with River. The glowing rock dog blocked the Azyrean’s way. He went down on his haunches and began whining.

  “It’s not you. I know that.”

  Klunk appeared. “Yes, Tovi, it is us. We are right here. And Growl is with us. Klik is in my pack. Wouldn’t you like to play with him?” The image offered Klunk’s familiar smile. “That would be awsie, wouldn’t it Tovi?”

  “You’re not real. None of this is real.” He pushed through the glowing light.

  He heard Ran shouting from behind him. “Tovi, you need to come back. I need your help back here. We can do this later.”

  The Azyrean turned but couldn’t see anything. The tunnel had twists and turns. Ran and Ben were out of sight.

  “Please, Tovi, I need you here. Come back.”

  Tovi closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Turning, he bolted deeper into the tunnels. Turning a corner, he came to a screeching halt. “Marzi? What are you doing here?”

  “You’re my brother, Tovi. I can’t let you get hurt. You know that. Please, stop. Wait for Ran and Ben. It will be all right. Aristan was lying to you. He lied to us all. I know that now.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. But his sister was glowing purple… and Marzi never glowed.

  He pushed on. The tunnel opened into a large room, illuminated with an amethyst light. Purple crystals hung on the walls around the space. In the center sat a stone altar, larger than Tovi himself. A creamy oval, multi-colored crystal hung suspended in mid-air over the massive stone. That was it!

  Tovi drew his dagger and stepped forward, only to be confronted by… himself. “You know we left our friends, as well as Marzi—don’t you care what happens to her? This is not right.”

  We? Shut up. You’re not real. Tovi stared at himself.

  The image of himself smiled. “I am the real you, the one who
performed all the bravery that you got credit for….”

  Shut up and get out of my way!

  The Azyrean tried to put the pieces together. What was it that Aristan had told him to do? And, after all, that god was just one thing. All of his friends and his sister were down here telling him not to do this thing. Maybe the human god was wrong.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He turned toward it, but nothing was there. Suddenly, he felt a positive energy. It—Myhrren or River, or whichever spirit happened to be strongest at the time—coursed through him. His mind gained clarity. He held the dagger in his hand and the crystal hung before him.

  “Yes, Tovi. You know what you must do. You were born to this. I am with you.”

  The Azyrean took a deep breath and stepped toward the altar. A force from behind barreled him over. “No, Tovi. You can’t do this. You’ll kill us all. We’re going to die.” Ben crawled on top of him and tried to wrestle the dagger free.

  “Get off. I have to do this.” And then Tovi understood. This was all about delaying him. If enough time passed, the soldiers would arrive. They were coming, maybe minutes… seconds away. He struggled to get free but the boy, with almost superhuman strength, held him down, tearing at the dagger.

  As hope faded, the boy’s weight disappeared. Tovi could see, in a flash, that Ben was pulled upward. And in the background, Ran’s face appeared.

  “Now, Tovi! Do it now!” The elf held the struggling, screaming boy close to his chest.

  Tovi leapt to his feet and grasped the dagger in both hands. He bolted forward, the tip of the blade aimed at the crystal. He expected the hard surface to stop the dagger with a jolt. But instead, the blade penetrated as though the glowing object were made of nothing more substantial than pudding.

  The room flashed, and darkness enveloped them.

  Chapter 91: Ebon Hills

  Tovi shook off the grogginess as a white light filled the room. The stone altar remained but the crystal was gone. The elf lay back against the wall, Ben clutched in his arms. The Azyrean crawled over. “Ran, are you okay?” He put his hand gently on his friend’s shoulder.

  “Ugh.” Ran rubbed his head. “Is it over?” He eased his hold on Ben and stood.

  “I don’t know. I guess so.” Tovi noticed that his dagger no longer glowed.

  “Yes, it is done.” A red pulsing light filled the room, followed by the image of Aristan, clearer than Tovi had ever seen him. The figure had dark hair that flowed over his shoulders and down his back and chest. His eyes sparkled, and the smile that painted his face felt reassuring. “The demon is no longer here.”

  “Did we kill him?”

  “No, you did not. He is banished back into the Reliquary of Eternity. Without the crystal to sustain him, he could not remain in this realm.”

  “But he won’t come back, right?” Tovi felt uneasy knowing that this thing was still alive somewhere.

  “As much as I would like to, I cannot promise you that. He is presently confined. And, barring some outside intervention, he should not be able to escape. But the future often has a way of deciding for itself. Our only course of action is to remain vigilant.”

  That didn’t reassure Tovi much. “But everything is okay now. I mean, the war is over.”

  Sadness crept onto Aristan’s face. “Dredwyn is banished. And with him, all of his influence. But sadly, that does not end the war. It only signals the end of his involvement. And it means that our role—the role of the gods—has ended. It now falls to the three races to make peace. And that will be harder than one might think. The evil that emanated from the demon took root in the hearts of humans. It could not have flourished had not the capacity for evil already been present. But it is not just humans. The elves and even the ogres played a role. Now they must solve the problems themselves. If they cannot, I fear that the killing will continue.”

  “Am I done?”

  Aristan chuckled. “The only thing that remains for you is to reunite with your sister. After that, we will make arrangements for you to return home.”

  Surprisingly, the announcement brought mixed feelings. Tovi wanted to go home. But what about Klunk and Kharla. What about Growl, River, and Klik? And Mamaw and Papaw? A tear came to his eye.

  “Go back through the tunnel the way you came. The door to the courtyard is now open. You will have to make your way back to the monastery and meet up with Jarek and the others. From there, they will create a portal for you to return to Crystal Sands.” Aristan paused, a sad look washing across the image of his face. “This is the last time I will speak with you. I am honored to have met you, Tovi Gloam of Pangrove. And I, along with my fellow gods, will forever be in your debt.” With that, the deity flashed out of existence.

  Ben stood and ran his hands through his hair. “What happened?”

  Ran picked the boy up and righted him onto his feet. “We banished a demon, my young lad. And now we’re going home.”

  The words stuck with Tovi—going home. Where was home? He pushed the thought from his mind. He’d have time to deal with it later.

  Chapter 92: Ebon Hills

  The three-day journey took only two. At first, they traveled at night, avoiding all contact with soldiers or citizens. By the time they arrived at the ruins, though, it had become clear that things had changed. There were no soldiers to be seen, anywhere. The people they encountered seemed preoccupied, their minds elsewhere. No one spoke of the king.

  They arrived at the old monastery at midday. West had apparently posted guards because Mathias strode out to meet them as they approached. He hugged each of them without speaking.

  Tovi noticed a quietness, a sense of peace. As they were led down into the lower caverns, their human friends—rebels and brothers—greeted them with pats on the shoulders, hugs, or just smiles and handshakes. But it was not jubilation, celebration, or even joy. It felt more like relief.

  West and CeCe sat in the corner of the large room talking quietly as Tovi and his company entered. The commander stood and bowed her head briefly. “Welcome back. As you can likely tell, we are all trying to digest what has happened. We have fought for so long to rid the land of this evil. Now that it is gone, we must figure out what to do next.”

  CeCe found her way to the group and studied them for a moment. When she knelt, she put her arms around Ben. “I am so glad that you returned safely.”

  The boy stood awkwardly for a second, and then put his arms around her neck. Together, the two embraced without speaking for a moment.

  Tovi said, “I guess I’m supposed to go back to Crystal Sands.” He knew that he would need a portal, but wasn’t sure exactly how that was going to happen.

  West nodded. “Yes. I figured as much. In fact, I need to go myself. I suspect that there is much to talk about. And, to make matters more complicated, I’m not sure about Dredwyn’s army. Will they lay down their weapons? What are we to do with them? They have been our enemy for decades. Are they now our friends and brothers? There is much to sort out.”

  “Did Jarek make it back? I guess he will need to go over, too, that is, if they’re going to send us all back from the same place.”

  “Your friend is up in the ruins. I’m surprised you didn’t see him on your approach.”

  Weariness caught up with him. “I’ll see him later. Maybe I could sleep now.”

  “Certainly. I’ll have a place made up for you. And I’ll have some dinner brought to you.”

  Tovi felt old and tired. “Thanks.”

  “One thing before you go.” West knelt in front of him. “Tovi, there are no words to express the gratitude I feel… that we all feel. I could say ‘thank you.’ I could tell you that, by your actions, you have brought freedom to the humans of Caravast. I could say that we shall always be in your debt. But none of that would be enough. Just know that we will always consider you our friend and you are welcome here any time.”

  Tovi wondered if he could ever truly go home. He nodded and wiped away a tear. “Th
ank you.” And he felt even older.

  ◆◆◆

  Jarek sat beside Burns, neither of them speaking. The only sounds around them were the chirping birds and humming insects. Occasionally, a breeze would waft through the trees causing a pleasant rustling. There was no longer any doubt. Yet his mind would not be still. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

  “Hi. Commander West said I’d find you here.” The Azyrean boy made his way across the clearing.

  Jarek stood and welcomed the boy, “I must say that I’m relieved to see you. I was afraid that, even if you succeeded, you might be harmed. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.”

  Tovi shrugged. “I don’t know. It feels like it was all of us. You figured out how to make the portals. Mathias and the others helped us to get where we needed to go. The brothers hid everyone. Ran saved my life back there. And Ben showed us where to go inside the palace gates. Everything that happened, really, it was everyone.”

  Jarek nodded and smiled. “Yes, of course. So now I expect that you are anxious to be going home.”

  “I guess, sort of.” The boy tilted his head and considered the elder Azyrean. “Don’t you feel, I don’t know, kind of sorry to be going?”

  Jarek broke out in laughter. “Well, I would feel sorry, but the fact is, I am not going. I will remain here.” He gestured around the area with his arms. “This place, Ebon Hills, is my home now.”

  Tovi stared, wide-eyed. “But don’t you want to go back to Pangrove?”

  Jarek felt warm inside. “I must trust you to give them my regards. And, by the way, when you get home, would you mind telling my old boss, Simon Dornan, that I quit? I have what I want right here. This is my life now, and it is a good one.” He glanced at Burns and smiled before turning and facing the south. “But I expect you’ll be needing to get over to Crystal Sands. In fact, if what the commander says is true, there will be a number of us going.”