A World Apart (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 1)

by Tolle, Steven A.

When he arrived, he stopped as the courtyard near the gate was in chaos. Jake saw several clerics battling a demon, their power crackling the air while groups of soldiers and cavalry were fighting with a large group of half-men, the few archers on the wall raining arrows down at the demon and half-men. The gates themselves were open.

  "Jake!" Jake looked to his right as Armartas rode up, a bloody sword in his hand. "You shouldn't be here. You are not ready for this yet."

  "Some half-men took Cherise, Armartas." Jake replied. "They were on horseback and headed here. I have to get her back!"

  "A small group rode through minutes ago and headed straight out the gate. The half-men here damaged the doors so we cannot shut them." Armartas said, attention still focused on the battle. "We feathered two of them on the other side, but at least three got away." He turned and reached over to grasp Jake's arm, a look of sorrow in his eyes. "There is nothing you can do about it now, Jake. I cannot spare the men until I am sure we have cleared the city. I am sorry."

  "Thank you for everything, Armartas." Jake said quietly, then booted Dontas ahead, racing through the gate, Armartas' cry to stop falling behind.

  As they came out of the gate and Dontas powered down the road, Jake saw the two half-men lying on the ground, each with multiple arrows piercing their bodies. He saw no trace of Cherise, so he rode on.

  The clouds that had been covering the area began to thin out and moonlight began to reach the ground. Jake could see fresh hoofprints in the damp dirt, so he followed them, losing them every now and again as the clouds blocked the moonlight.

  He had ridden for several miles when the moonlight shone again and he saw a dark line stretching across the grass that covered the area, heading towards the wooded hills. Jake stopped where the line met the road. He saw that the hoofprints ended there and the dark line was the path of trampled grass. Thinking there could be no other explanation, Jake turned Dontas and followed the trail.

  When he reached the woods, he found that the trees were tightly packed. He did not see how he could ride into those woods in the dark. He slid off Dontas' back and looked around. In the pale moonlight, he found the tracks of several horses and clear boot prints as well; the half-men must have led the horses into the woods. Tying Dontas' reins to a nearby tree, Jake took off on foot, hoping to overtake them since they would have to go slower when leading the horses.

  Jake tried to keep the tracks in sight, but the trees were blocking the moonlight. He would have to stop and kneel from time to time to locate the tracks. He continued on, his only thought of saving Cherise.

  After several minutes of this, he stopped again to look when he heard the soft whinny of a horse. When it sounded again, he immediately set off in the direction he heard it come from. Soon, he could hear the muffled voices of several men and saw a faint orange light ahead. He drew his sword and continued on, trying to avoid making any loud noises. As he slowly climbed up a small rise, he could tell what he wanted was on the other side. He heard the rough voices of the men and could just make out the sounds of a girl crying. Jake came up behind a tree and glanced cautiously around it.

  In the hollow beyond the rise, next to a small stream, Jake saw three half-men, their backs to him, silhouetted in the light of a couple of torches, facing Cherise. Cherise was battered and bloody, her face showing the signs of the abuse she had endured.

  "We may as well have some fun." The one closest to her said, as he slapped her hard, causing her to fall to the ground. He knelt and grabbed her dress, ripping at it while the others laughed.

  Jake's mind went flat. He was moving before he realized it, charging down towards the men. They heard his approach, reaching for weapons as they turned to meet him. The nearest half-man spun around, only to take Jake's sword in the throat. He went down in a heap.

  Jake slid around the man, using his forward motion to carry him past. Facing the next man, his hand on his sword, Jake drove his sword point down, sliding the blade along the man's wrist, preventing him from drawing his sword. Jake continued the motion, his sword stabbing into the man's thigh. The man cried out as Jake wrenched his sword free and, like Dominic did with Matus, used his momentum to spin around, his sword striking the back of the man's neck. The man collapsed as if his strings were cut, his cry dying.

  As Jake moved towards the last man, who was just getting to his feet, the man threw a dagger at him. Jake tried to twist away, but he could not avoid the dagger. Fortunately, it bounced harmlessly off of his breastplate.

  Jake's momentary pause was enough for the man to move away and draw his sword, then come at him. Jake put himself between the man and Cherise, determined to protect her.

  "You were stupid to come here, boy." The man said, sword moving back and forth. "You will die for that foolish girl and I will still have her." The man laughed as he suddenly surged forward, sword seeking Jake.

  Jake was able to deflect the sword, but missed the man's backstroke and felt the sword slice across his arm, pain radiating from the wound. His mind shook as he realized that this man was a better swordsman. Jake desperately tried to defend, but the man continued to nick and wound him.

  Soon, Jake had cuts bleeding from his arms and legs. He could feel himself slowing. The man, a fixed grin on his face, was toying with him. Once he tired of it, Jake would die and Cherise would be all alone.

  At that thought, Jake's felt his anger and frustration well up. He had to find a way to save Cherise! He would not let this man have her!

  As his passion reached its peak, he suddenly felt as if his heart was on fire and a tingling sensation spread over his body. He saw the half-man's eyes go wide a moment before everything exploded in a brilliant flash of bright light, then suddenly went black.

  Chapter Twenty

  As the sound of Dontas' hooves faded into the distance, Hailyn said a quick prayer for Jake and turned back to Norlan and Madalin. She ran back over as Norlan was slowly getting to his feet.

  "Sit back down, Norlan." She demanded. "You have lost a lot of blood and healing can't replace that. You need fluids and rest."

  "I have to go after Cherise and Jake; I will not let the half-men have my children." Norlan said, face grim, reaching down to pick up the maul, swaying as he straightened. "I can rest when they are safe." He started to stagger towards the gate, calling for a horse, when both Madalin and Hailyn grabbed him.

  "You will get yourself killed is what you will do, my love." Madalin said softly. "Please come back and sit down." Norlan stood there for a moment while Madalin stroked his face, his hands squeezing the maul's handle, his arms cording tight, then he relaxed and let the maul drop.

  "You are right." Norlan said, his head dropping. "I have not been much use to anyone tonight." Madalin hugged him tightly, whispering reassuring words to him, but his face showed that he got no comfort from that.

  "I will find Dominic or Master Jonas and go after them, Norlan." Hailyn said, moving towards the gate. "We will get them back." Norlan did not respond; he was staring at the ground, his hands curling and uncurling into fists.

  "Go, Hailyn!" Madalin said, voice cracking, still holding onto her husband. "Find them. I can't lose both of them." She seemed to wilt and began to cry again. "Not both."

  Hailyn pushed through the crowd as neighbors came up to support Norlan and Madalin. Once on the street, she picked up the edge of her robes and ran, running as hard as she could. She wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes; she cared for Jake and Cherise as well.

  Even when her breathing became labored, she did not slow. She would run all of the way to the Temple, she told herself. Any wasted moment could be disastrous.

  As she turned a corner, she skidded to a stop as Dominic appeared as if by magic, yanking Shadow's reins to avoid a collision. So focused was she on keeping running, she had missed the sound of their approach.

  "What are you doing?!" Dominic demanded angrily, his bright blue eyes hard. "I told you and the boy to go to the Temple. When I got there, Jonas said he had not s
een you."

  Hailyn took a second to catch her breath and told Dominic what happened. Dominic cursed under his breath, then reached down. "Come on, girl." Hailyn grasped his hand and he pulled her behind him. "You think it was the South Gate he headed for?"

  "I can't be sure, but that was the general direction." Hailyn replied, tears coming again, this time from relief that Dominic was here.

  "Hold on." Dominic warned her. She grabbed his armor straps as he turned forward. "On, Shadow!" He called and the large horse took off. Dominic drove him hard, running towards the South Gate as fast as he could go.

  The city flew by as they raced south. Shortly, they were entering the South Gate courtyard and Dominic slowed Shadow to a trot. He spotted Armartas, sitting on his horse, organizing the soldiers to set up a defense of the open gate, as well as separate their dead from the dead half-men who littered the ground. A group of clerics were moving around, healing wounded soldiers. Dominic rode over, the soldiers making way as he passed.

  "Armartas, have you seen Jake?!" Dominic called out as they got close.

  "He rode past not more than ten minutes ago, in pursuit of a group of half-men." Armartas said, looking back. He looked abashed. "I'm sorry, Dominic. I should have stopped him, but I had my hands full at the time."

  Dominic waved off the apology. "You did what you needed to do. I'll go find him." He started to boot Shadow forward when Hailyn stopped him.

  "You have been pushing Shadow." She said, sliding off the horse. "Give me a second to look at him. It will do no one any good if he cannot catch Jake."

  Hailyn embraced her power, sending it into Shadow. As she concentrated, she could tell that the horse was in good condition, with only some minor cuts and a bit of exhaustion. She directed her power to heal those wounds and relieve the exhaustion, at least temporarily.

  When she was done, she reached up to Dominic, who grabbed her hand. Before he could react, she sent her magic into him, quickly healing his wounds.

  He yanked her up, grabbing both of her arms and pulled her close, those blue eyes cold now. "Don't ever do that again." He said, voice soft but icy, then swung her behind him and booted Shadow into a run.

  Hailyn leaned against Dominic's back, holding on to his breastplate straps as the large stallion hit his stride, the city quickly falling behind them. Dominic was focused on the road, watching for signs in the pale moonlight.

  Soon, they come upon the trampled grass and Dominic turned Shadow to race along it. Hailyn could see the wooded hills approaching rapidly, then noticed a large shadowy form move at the tree line. She pointed it out to Dominic, who said. "It's the boy's horse."

  Dominic halted Shadow next to Dontas, leaving the saddle before the horse stopped. He quickly looked at the ground and found the tracks left by Jake and the half-men. He drew his sword and began to follow them, Hailyn right behind him. Once the trees blocked the moonlight, making the trail almost impossible to see, Dominic looked over his shoulder and told Hailyn. "Embrace your power, but stay behind me. It will light the trail. Be prepared to release it when I tell you."

  Hailyn complied, her power bathing the area in a golden light, chasing away the night. With the trail now clear, Dominic took off at a near run, Hailyn struggling to keep up.

  They had only moved for a couple of minutes when a cry of pain sounded faintly ahead of them, then abruptly stopped. Dominic immediately sprinted towards the sound, his long legs carrying him ahead of Hailyn. He noticed a faint light ahead and the ringing sound of steel on steel and angled towards it. He raced up the small incline that hid the light, reaching the top.

  In an instant, he took in the scene. He saw the two half-men lying dead on the ground, the young girl beyond them, battered and bleeding, staring in horror at Jake battling a half-man. Dominic could see that the boy was injured, blood covering his arms and legs. He would not last much longer, Dominic knew. He took all of this in as he continued to sprint, sword ready, heading towards the half-man, hoping he could reach him before he killed the boy.

  The shout on Dominic's lips to distract the half-man died when the boy was suddenly surrounded by a pale blue light, startling Dominic. That lasted only an instant, then the light flared brilliantly, an explosion of blue fire sent racing in all directions. Dominic squeezed his eyes shut and threw up an arm instinctively to protect his face as the fire rolled over him. He was surprised again when no damage was done; only a brief tingling sensation over his body.

  He opened his eyes and saw Jake lying on the ground, unconscious, sword next to his body. The only sign of the half-man was his clothes and sword on the ground, dusted in ash that swirled around the area. He noticed that the bodies of the other two half-men were gone as well, reduced to ash. The young girl began to cry again, staring at the boy lying there, though she was also not injured by the fire.

  He headed for Jake, dropping to his knees next to him. He felt for a pulse and found one, strong and steady, the boy's breath even. He heard Hailyn come up behind him. He looked over his shoulder and pointed towards Cherise. "See to the girl first; the boy only seems to be unconscious."

  Hailyn ran over to Cherise, her power glowing, and embraced her. She quickly healed her, then tried to untangled herself, but Cherise clung to her, crying. Hailyn was able to get her to stand, maneuvered her over to Jake, and then pushed her gently towards Dominic. Cherise immediately embraced him.

  As Hailyn knelt down to heal Jake, she saw that Dominic had an unreadable expression on his face while Cherise clung to him and cried. Glancing up for a moment, Hailyn saw one of his arms come up to gently hold Cherise.

  Hailyn reached down and laid her hands on Jake. She probed him, finding him in good health, except of the wounds on his arms and legs. As she directed her power to heal those wounds, she felt something unusual. She could not pinpoint what it was, but something was different from when she had healed Jake in the past. Somehow, that unexpected explosion of magic had changed Jake; she just could not figure out how.

  When she finished, she was surprised that Jake was still unconscious. She reached down and pinched him on the arm, squeezing softly at first, then increasing the pressure. He did not react at first, concerning her, but his eyes started to flutter, then opened up, staring at her.

  "Hailyn?!" He said, surprised to see her. He sat up, but felt confused, shaking his head. "What happened? The last thing I remember was fighting the half-man, then a flash of blinding light." His eyes suddenly went wide as he regained his bearings and he swiveled his head to and fro, looking around. "Cherise!" He shouted.

  "Here, boy." Dominic's voice came from behind him.

  Jake twisted to look behind, relief flooding through him when he saw Cherise being held by Dominic. He slowly stood up, Hailyn's hand protectively on his arm, and turned to face them. Once he was on his feet, Dominic gently extricated Cherise from her embrace and turned her to face Jake.

  Jake could see from her face that Hailyn had healed her, though her clothes were still stained with blood. For a moment, when she first looked at him, Jake thought she flinched and appeared to be afraid of him. That shocked and hurt him deeply, wondering what caused her to recoil from him. He did not know what to say, feeling suddenly lost. Then, with a soft cry, she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into his shoulder, weeping.

  Jake held her tightly for a few moments, whispering reassurances to her as she cried. He glanced over at Hailyn and saw that her eyes were full of tears as she watched them.

  Dominic had gone over to look through the half-men's clothes, seeking any information or clues. After he had gone through them, he retrieved Jake's sword, wiping the blood off before he handed it back to him.

  "We need to go." Dominic said, his eyes moving, watching the shadows beyond the torchlight. "We are exposed" was all he said, clearly not wanting to frighten Cherise more.

  "What happened?" Jake asked again. "I still don't know what happened to the last half-man."

  "We'll discuss it back
in the city, boy." Dominic replied, exchanging a look with Hailyn. "We should get the girl back to her parents. Take her to the horses; I will be right there." Dominic headed off into the woods.

  With Hailyn's help, Jake was able to get Cherise to let go, even though she clung to his arm as they made their way back to the horses. Once there, Jake climbed into Dontas' saddle, then pulled Cherise up, allowing her to sit in front of him while he wrapped his arms around her.

  Hailyn stood next to Dontas, her hand resting on Jake's leg. She looked up at him, concern on her face. "How are you feeling, Jake?"

  "Fine, I guess." Jake replied, shifting slightly when Cherise moved. "I just feel a little off. Must be all of the stress from the night."

  "Let me look at you again." Hailyn said, as she embraced her power. Jake felt the familiar warmth spread through his body. She seemed to be troubled by something, but before Jake could ask, she released her power and gave Jake a reassuring smile, which he returned. She did not remove her hand, though.

  After several minutes, Dominic appeared, leading three horses. He handed to reins of one to Hailyn and helped her onto its back. He tied off the reins of another to his saddle and had Jake do the same with the last one. He pulled himself into his saddle and led their small band back towards the city.

  Jake was a little surprised that they kept the horses at a slow pace, Dominic apparently not feeling the need to press them. It took them nearly half an hour at that pace to reach the city gates. When they reached them, there was a line of soldiers blocking the open gate, large torches burning to light the area. Dominic rode up to them, then stopped when they did not move out of his way.

  "What is going on?" Dominic demanded to the solder who appeared to be in charge, face calm, but a tone of anger in his voice. "Let us through."

  "I am sorry, Dominic, but I have orders not to allow anyone entrance until daylight." The young officer said, looking a bit pale as he faced Dominic.

  "I'm sure those orders were not meant to prevent a cleric and a young hostage rescued from the half-men from the safety of the city walls." Dominic growled, eyes boring into the young officer.