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

by Tolle, Steven A.

  "In the midst of this turmoil, the Creator stood and, with a gesture, quieted the hosts. He was displeased and saddened by the disobedience of the rebels. He told them if they would not serve Him as He commanded, they would be cast out of His Light and creation forever. Some repented, but others openly defied Him. For their rebellion, He cast them out of the Light and into the Darkness."

  "In this Darkness, their rage and hatred over their punishment further twisted their spirits. They became the demons we know now." Tomaris paused, taking a sip of his cup.

  "So, how come they are here?" Jake asked. "How did they escape?"

  "That is the question that I have given my life to answer." Tomaris replied. "What some texts indicate is that, after being cast out, the demons could still move about in the spiritual realm, seeking to influence men to rebellion and hatred of the Creator. While they could not touch the physical realm, they still had the powers given to them. Somehow, on this world, that prohibition was skirted. Some of the writings talk of a 'rift' or 'tear' between the realms that allowed the demons to escape."

  "How come this place isn't overrun with demons?" Jake asked, perplexed. "If they had a way out, shouldn't they be everywhere?"

  "A large number came over, Jake." Tomaris said gently. "However, understand that there are factions amongst the demons. The fact that some crossed over caused others to stay. The rebellious spirit that they took with them into the Darkness did not change. If anything, it became more pronounced."

  "Also, something happened that they did not expect." He continued. "Several references in the histories were made of a 'blending' when the demons crossed over. From what I have gathered, this meant that their spirits became 'blended' with the physical bodies. They could no longer enter the spiritual realm, only sense it, and they became subject to the limitations of a physical body. They retain their power and immortality, but can die if the body is damaged enough. Unlike humans, they were not created to have a spirit separate from the body, so when they are killed here, they are destroyed utterly. Facing that oblivion, many chose to remain in the Darkness."

  Jake sat there in silence, trying to absorb what he just heard. The room was quiet, only the faint sounds from the courtyard coming from the patio, Tomaris and Dominic waiting on him. Finally, he asked again. "So what do they want with me?"

  Tomaris reached over to pat Jake's hand. "I believe that they seek to turn you to their side." He said gently. "This power you wield is unique. There is something about you that allows you to access it. My theory is that this uniqueness makes it possible that if you turned, unlike their half-men, you can use their dark power. That would make you a very powerful and dangerous tool." He paused as if to say something else, then shook his head slightly.

  "However, do not be troubled." He continued, a reassuring smile appearing on his weathered face. "You are beyond their reach here and I will teach you to use your power. Once you control that, you will be able to stand against them and their followers."

  He glanced over at Dominic. "However, not all of the demons' followers are influenced by their power, so I would like to see you continue your combat training with Dominic. In facing those threats, you may find that your sword is the better weapon. Also, a boy your age needs to have regular physical exercise."

  He addressed Dominic. "If that sounds agreeable, you can speak with Moshanna about setting up a training space for the mornings. I will work with Jake in the afternoons."

  "That sounds fine, Tomaris." Dominic replied.

  The doors opened and Deepwood entered. He came back over to Tomaris. "The rooms are prepared, Tomaris."

  "Thank you, Moshanna." Tomaris said, slowly rising. He addressed Dominic and Jake. "You have had a long journey, so I will not keep you any longer. Please follow Moshanna to your rooms where you can rest. We will start Jake's training tomorrow."

  Jake and Dominic made their thanks, grabbed their bags and followed Deepwood out of the hall and up another set of stairs. Dominic spoke with him about some training space as they walked. Deepwood responded that he would find some space and that they were welcome to join him and his men for the morning meal. He took them to a hallway with a row of doors on either side. There were a pair of doors set next to each other; Deepwood entered one.

  Jake immediately noticed the large window and curtains against the far wall, with a set of doors out onto a small terrace. He could see that the terrace overlooked the courtyard and main walls. There was a small bathroom off to the side that had a small basin and what looked like a bath, full of water. In the room, there was a large bed, along with a wooden dresser and small desk. The room had some paintings decorating the walls. A door was in the wall on Jake's right, which Deepwood went to stand by.

  "We have given you connecting rooms." He said, indicating the door. He pointed to a silken cord back near the entry door. "If you need anything, please ring the bell and a servant will come to assist you. Please rest and I will send someone to escort you to the barracks and training areas in the morning." With a slight nod of his head, he left, closing the door behind him.

  "What are you thinking, boy?" Dominic asked Jake as the door closed, noticing the slightly pale and concerned look on his face.

  "I'm a little freaked out by all of this." Jake admitted, throwing his bags on the bed and sitting down on its edge. "I mean, according to Tomaris, these demons are after me for some power I did not even know I had. As long as I am here, I will have to look over my shoulder for them." His voice dropped. "The one in the city scared me like I have never been scared before." Jake looked down at his hands, saw that they were slightly shaking.

  "There is no shame in fear, boy." Dominic said, voice calm and even. "It is what you do with that fear that is important. You have to learn to master the fear, not let it master you."

  He paused for a moment, then continued. "We are all afraid at times. One of the purposes of training hard is that it helps condition you to react, even when afraid. If you train well with Tomaris and learn this power, you will have the ability to defend yourself and others from the demons. Like a good sword and armor, it will allow you to feel more confident when you have to face that fear."

  "You never seem afraid." Jake said, looking up at Dominic.

  "I feel fear, boy." Dominic replied, eyes shining. "My fears just tend to be about things other than my own safety." He opened the connecting door. "Get some rest. We start training again tomorrow." He stepped into his room and closed the door.

  Jake felt a little better after listening to Dominic. He unpacked his bags, took off his armor and stepped out onto the terrace. He could see that the terrace was built out from the cliff wall. He went over to the waist-high iron railing that bordered the terrace and looked over. Night had fallen, but he could see that the courtyard was at least one hundred feet below him. He could look down on the large abutment of stone over the gate and saw that it was a platform manned with soldiers. In the distance, the main gate and walls were lit with large torches.

  Stepping back, in the light coming from his room, he noticed a small wooden table and two chairs near the rail. He went over and sat down, gazing up at the stars. The faint sounds of the courtyard slowly faded as he sat there, staring up and wondering again how he got into this whole mess.

  He finally went back inside, cleaned up in the bathroom and crawled into bed. He sank into the comfort of a mattress and pillows, enjoying the feel after a couple of days sleeping on the ground, and was soon asleep.

  ...

  Jake woke early, feeling surprising refreshed. He had slept deeply, dreamless. He got up, stretched and went over to the terrace. As he stood at the rail, taking in the early morning air, he saw that the sky was just starting to lighten in the east. He stood there for a while, then went in to dress for the day.

  He came back out and sat down in one of the chairs, putting his feet up on the rail. He closed his eyes and just drifted for a bit.

  "So, you are up already." Dominic's voice said quietly, intr
uding on his thoughts. Jake opened his eyes and saw Dominic leaning against the rail of the terrace of his own room, looking out over the Keep. "Since we are ready to go, rather than wait for the soldier, let's go see if we can find the barracks."

  They left their rooms and headed back the way they had come last night. The Keep was quiet at this time; they only encountered the occasional servant. While Jake was slightly turned around, Dominic seemed to know where he was going. Before long, they had made their way back to the landing that overlooked the domed area.

  There was more activity here, with people and soldiers moving about along the floor level. They went down the stairs and over to where they had left the horses. Dominic called a nearby soldier over and asked where the barracks were. The soldier offered to show them and led them through a nearby tall and wide passageway into another large natural cave.

  The area was lighted with the same glowing balls of light as the main cavern. Around this cave, however, there were no landings, only twenty long, low stone buildings that were built along the walls. There were groups of soldiers forming up in front of several of the buildings, clearly starting their day. There were a couple of openings high on the cliff wall that let fresh air in, but no opening on the ground level to the courtyard.

  What took Jake by surprise was a large opening near the back wall which led to a large grass-covered field, just visible in the early morning light. The soldier led them through the opening and to one of several medium-sized wooden buildings that were built next to it. Jake saw Deepwood standing on the porch of the building, speaking with a couple of his officers. They stopped a short distance away, waiting for him to finish.

  Once he sent his officers away, Deepwood turned and approached them, dismissing the soldier. "Good morning. I hope that you had a restful night." He said politely.

  "We did, thank you." Dominic replied urbanely. "I trust that we are able to come and go without an escort?"

  "Of course. Tomaris has welcomed you as guests." Deepwood stated plainly.

  "This is unexpected." Dominic said, gesturing out towards the large open field. The field stretched for several hundred yards and was at least one hundred yards wide, bordered on two sides by the cliff walls of the mountain. There seemed to be nothing but sky on the other two sides, even though there were large stacks of stones spread along the edge.

  "It is our training area." Deepwood said. "The mountain shelters it and there is a sheer cliff on the other side. The stones are for any enemy stupid enough to try to scale the three hundred feet exposed."

  He pointed to a large wooden building across the field. "We also stable the horses here. If you need your horses, simply speak with the stable master."

  He took them inside the building and down a hall where Jake smelled bread and other food being cooked. They entered a mess hall with soldiers sitting and eating. They sat down at a table and food was brought out for them. They finished breakfast quickly, Jake eating in silence while Deepwood and Dominic talked about their training requirements.

  After breakfast, they went out back outside and Deepwood took them over to a small training circle, surrounded by short posts and rope. "I hope that this will meet your needs?" He asked Dominic.

  "This is fine, Moshanna." Dominic said.

  Deepwood left and went into another building. After several minutes, he came back out with a couple of training swords and headgear. Dominic tested the practice swords, apparently satisfied, but dismissed the headgear. "I try not to bash him in the head too much." He said with a shrug.

  "Do you mind if I observe, Dominic?" Deepwood asked.

  "Of course not." Dominic replied. He unbelted his sword and turned to Jake. "Let's see what you remember since you have had several days off."

  The morning flew by as Jake threw himself into the training. Before he knew it, Jake was following an older female servant to Tomaris' study. He rubbed his sore arms and hands as he climbed the stairs and followed the servant into the room. The round room was lined with wooden shelves filled with scrolls and books, except for a small stone fireplace set into the wall. There was a small table in the middle with a couple of chairs and a large window that opened out towards the courtyard. Tomaris was sitting at the table when Jake entered.

  "Thank you, Learthe." He said to the servant. "Please have some food brought up for Jake." With a slight bow, the woman left.

  "How was your morning training, Jake?" Tomaris asked, looking meaningfully at Jake's arms.

  "Normal, by Dominic's standards." Jake replied with a short laugh.

  "Well, you will find that the training here not as physically challenging as that." Tomaris said with a smile. He gestured to the other chair. "Please sit. I'm an old man and find it easier to talk while sitting. While we wait for your food, perhaps we can discuss what happened again when you first used the power."

  Jake and Tomaris discussed the fight in the woods, going over it several times. While they were talking, Learthe returned with a plate of food, along with a pitcher of water and two cups. Tomaris had Jake eat while he sat there quietly, apparently mulling over what he heard.

  When Jake was finished and the plate cleared away, Tomaris stood and came over to Jake. "I would like to touch your forehead for a moment, Jake." He said, then laid his hand on Jake, closing his eyes.

  To Jake, his hand almost felt like it was made of dry paper, except that it was very warm. A tingling sensation spread out from his forehead to the rest of his body. They were like that, motionless, for several minutes. Finally, the tingling faded and Tomaris opened his eyes and sat back down.

  "I felt what Jonas described, the change in you." Tomaris said. "That happened when you accessed the power for the first time. We just need to find out how you called it up." He shifted slightly. "I want to close your eyes, Jake, and think back to right before the power woke. Describe again what happened."

  Jake complied, recalling the face of the half-man appearing as it had when they fought. He mentioned his anger and fear of what would happen to Cherise if he failed.

  "Strong emotions can often be a trigger." Tomaris said. His voice took on a soothing and reassuring tone. "Recall the sensations just as the power came forth. Try to duplicate those in your mind. Act as if they are occurring again."

  Jake recalled that burning sensation that started in his chest. He tried to imagine it happening again, striving to will it to happen.

  "Just relax, Jake." Tomaris said, voice soft and almost hypnotic. "Let it come as it will."

  Jake tried to follow those instructions. He took a deep breath, slowly releasing it, letting his body relax. He sat there quietly, focused on recreating what happened. He recalled Cherise and her battered face, the certain knowledge that if he fell, she would suffer a worse fate. As he drifted along those thoughts, he re-felt the anger of that night and was startled to feel a slight tingling spread across his body.

  "Open your eyes, Jake." Tomaris said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "You have taken the first step."

  Jake opened his eyes and saw a faint glimmering of blue surrounding him.

  ...

  Later that evening, in the foothills to the southwest, the demon call Rigil waited impatiently for Martis' men to return from their mission. He had sent them ahead on horses to scout out this Numaria for any signs of the boy, while the wagon came after.

  It had been the second day after the boy left Sanduas when they found out about it. Martis had come back to inform him that the boy and Dominic had left to the north. While Rigil rode in the wagon's secret compartment, Martis had driven his team hard, verifying that their quarry had spent the night at the waystation.

  It took them another day heading north to realize that they were following a false trail. There had not been sightings of the boy or Dominic at any points north of the waystation. That had to mean they went off cross-country. The question had been to where. After looking at the map, Rigil was certain that they were headed to the Keep of Tomaris. There was no other place th
at could provide the protection they needed but there.

  Rigil was strangely hesitant to pursue them there. There had long been whispers that this Tomaris was more powerful than any of the clerics that opposed them. The demon lord he served had sent some of his brothers and followers to determine who Tomaris was, if he was indeed powerful, and kill him if they had an opportunity. None had returned from that mission.

  However much he was concerned about facing this Tomaris, he knew that his lord would never allow him to survive failure. So, he pressed Martis and his men to continue, not allowing them to stop.

  He shook off those thoughts and hissed over his shoulder. "If those fools do not return shortly, you will pay the price, Martis."

  "I know they will return, Master." Martis said rapidly, his nervous voice carrying his fear. "Please give them..." His voice cut off.

  Rigil spun to see what had stopped Martis. Across the clearing, Martis was frozen, partway to his feet, a hand reaching beseechingly towards Rigil, locked in some stasis. Rigil reached for his power, but was already too late as everything exploded in light and he was taken.

  "...more time!" Martis came to halt as he faced an empty clearing. He felt an icy cold stab of terror. One moment the demon was there, the next it was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A few days after Jake was able to call up his power, Tomaris informed Dominic and Jake that he was sending a messenger to Jonas to let him know that they had arrived safely and of Jake's success; if they had any letters, they could send it with his messenger.

  Jake had borrowed parchment and pen to write to Madalin and Hailyn and reassure them that he was fine. He was debating writing Keria, sitting at the small desk in his room, when Dominic came in.

  "Do you have your messages ready?" Dominic asked, a sealed parchment in his hand. "I was instructed to give them to Moshanna tonight, so the messenger can leave at first light."