‘Take me to him,’ said Alex, and in the next instant he stood in a bedroom on the top floor where eight white witches, Adair, two elves, two goblins, and three dwarves stood. On the bed lay Zakora. ‘What happened?’
‘He was attacked by a blood devil,’ said Birkaz.
Adair put his hand on the goblins head. ‘Questions later, we have to work fast.’
Luella also touched the goblins head. ‘It cannot be done without sending him mad.’
‘There is one way, but it will take all nine of us.’
‘You mean us, too?’ said Livvy, sounding worried.
‘Yes,’ said Adair, ‘you’ll be fine, just clear your mind and I will show you what to do.’
They stood around the bed, four witches either side with Adair at the foot. They held hands as the wizard put the thought into their minds, and they knew what to do.
Alex watched as a bubble appeared and floated down to Zakora’s forehead. None of the nine made a noise as they stared in deep concentration. The bubble started to go black with a gassy liquid. It took an agonizingly slow hour before Adair stopped it.
‘Enough,’ he said, and the women broke their concentration. Livvy and Donna nearly collapsed and Alex caught them, the others were also unsteady on their feet when those in the room helped them. The bubble floated upward and Adair put his hand out and it vanished.
Luella put her hand over the goblins head again, and concentrated. ‘He will be fine now, he just needs rest.’
‘What happened?’ Alex asked again.
Thank you,’ said Korzak, ‘but please before you question us, can I go back and reassure our people who might be panicking?’
‘You go, I will answer any questions,’ said Birkaz, and his brother vanished.
‘Your people would panic that much,’ said Torgon.
‘Not for me, but they would for Korzak and Zakora as they are loved by them.’
Adair stared at the unconscious goblin. ‘You said a blood devil did this to him.’
‘Yes, one of the oldest.’
Alex scratched his head. ‘What’s a blood devil?’
‘One of the evilest creatures from the Dark World,’ said Birkaz. ‘They’re the strongest and their food is blood.’
‘A vampire then?’
‘In a way, yes, but not what you perceive it to be from your films.’
Verdan looked down at the unconscious goblin. ‘Shouldn’t we talk about this downstairs over a drink and let Zakora rest?’
Alex raised a brow. ‘I thought you would never offer.’
‘It’s your home and your beer, so it’s all good to me.’
‘I should stay and keep watch,’ said Birkaz.
There is no need, said House. I will let you know of any change in his condition.
Birkaz smiled. ‘I really like you.’
That is very kind, said House, as they all made their way downstairs.
‘Where did you all vanish to?’ James asked.
‘Come into the party room and find out about a blood devil that’s on the loose,’ said Alex, not trying to be funny, but more in the mood of will it ever end.
‘A blood devil is basically what the name implies’ said Birkaz, as most of them took a seat. ‘It looks like a devil and it feeds on blood.’
‘So do we all think of a devil in the same way?’ said Asima, who with Alex and James poured the drinks.
Birkaz rubbed his nose. ‘How would you describe a devil?’
‘Part animal, part human, with large horns.’
‘The way we all see one I believe, and a blood devil is not far off,’ said Birkaz. ‘They stand twice as tall as us and have horns.’
‘Is it some sort of vampire?’ said Claire.
‘It doesn’t fear daylight like the ones you know about, and it’s not dead.’
Alex passed drinks around before sitting next to Carrie. ‘What did it do to Zakora?’
Birkaz picked up his drink. ‘It tried reading his mind.’
‘There are a few who can do that, and never hurt anyone.’
Birkaz shook his head. ‘It doesn’t read a mind in that way, it rips the information from your brain.’
‘Will Zakora know what it took?’ said Adair.
‘No, he will have no memory of it.’
James sat. ‘Could it have been the spell for the Dark World?’
‘It might have been after that,’ said Birkaz, ‘but he chose the only one of us who didn’t know it. The devil did take something though, and we won’t know until he wakes up.’
Alex rubbed his chin. ‘I thought you said he wouldn’t remember.’
‘He won’t, so we will have to ask him a lot of questions until he doesn’t know the answer to something he should.’
‘Where’s this blood devil from?’ Claire asked.
‘The Dark World.’
‘So it got out before you sealed it?’
Birkaz shook his head. ‘No, afterwards, and I know this as it had Dagur with him.’
‘Dagur is dead,’ said Alex, as he felt Carrie tense up next to him.
‘Yes, he’s very dead, but the devil somehow can still use his powers.’
Alex raised a brow. ‘You can do that?’
‘It would appear the devil can.’
‘Is Korzak going to be OK on his own?’ said Verdan.
‘Don’t worry about him,’ said Birkaz, ‘the devil couldn’t get past his shield.’
Alex sighed. ‘I knew it was going too well.’
Adair scratched his chin through his beard. ‘How do you mean?’
‘Two weeks of peace, then this happens.’
James poured himself another juice. ‘It might have happened sooner if they hadn’t come on the adventure with us.’
‘That’s true,’ said Adair. ‘How long were you back home before it attacked?’
‘About an hour or so,’ said Birkaz, ‘but it was when Zakora left the room.’
‘So,’ said Torgon, ‘it could see you from where ever it was hiding?’
‘Yes, it would appear it has more power than I thought.’
‘How long will Zakora sleep for?’ Alex asked.
‘It could be hours or even days,’ Adair replied.
‘It might end up being too late by then.’
‘What might be too late?’
‘Whatever the devil’s after, and it’ll have a head start on us.’
‘We don’t know what it found or what it was looking for.’
‘It took something though,’ said Birkaz, ‘and it’s why Zakora got hurt.’
‘Well,’ said Verdan, ‘if you are going after it I want to come.’
‘As do I,’ said Laxan, ‘it ruined our talks.’
‘I did wonder why you were there,’ said Torgon.
‘We went over to see if any goblins wanted to become farmers on our world.’
‘That would be a good idea,’ said Thalion. ‘I’ve seen dwarves trying to farm.’
‘You can’t be that bad at it,’ said Alex.
‘Oh, but we are,’ said Verdan. ‘If it hadn’t been for the elves helping us out we would have starved a long time ago.’
Korlan nodded. ‘We’re much better underground when it comes to working.’
‘I bet your women would be good at it,’ said Livvy.
‘No,’ said Verdan, ‘they are just as bad, and you have seen my wife. Fighting and mining they’re good at, just like the men.’
~~~~
Drosca cursed his luck, the goblin didn’t know the spell, and all it took was a memory of another world. He was also in pain as the goblins fireballs burnt him and smoke still came off his skin.
Did you get them? Lorbronika asked.
Drosca spat. ‘No, he didn’t know any of the spells to our worlds.’
That is impossible, he must know them, or are you trying to trick me?
Drosca growled. ‘Stick around and see how quickly I rush to open my world.’
Did you learn anything from
him?
‘Only about another world that might contain the power I seek, but I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do.’
Then tell me what you know, and we can work it out together. Just get us off this world now or they will find you, said the demon spirit, and vanished into Dagur’s body.
‘I want to wait for another of them to be alone.’
They have gone. Alex and the others will be here looking for you, and will know what they are looking for now.
‘Why do you worry when they cannot hurt you?’
Because you are my only hope of success at the moment, so get us out of here.
~~~~
‘Tell us about the blood devils,’ said Paige, as Korzak appeared. ‘How have they survived on their world without already killing everything?’
‘They do not always kill when they take the blood,’ said Birkaz. ‘Killing at the same time is a luxury for them, and a luxury they could not enjoy too often.’
Alex passed Korzak a bottle of cola. ‘You didn’t stay with your kind tonight.’
‘Thank you, and no, I thought me being there might put them in danger.’
I could not find it anywhere on their world, said House.
‘No,’ said Birkaz, ‘it would have used Dagur’s magic to go somewhere safe.’
Claire glanced at Korzak. ‘We were talking about the blood devils.’
‘Yes, I heard, and very nasty creatures indeed.’
Birkaz nodded and leant on the table. ‘The smaller ones you fought on their world were their main source of food, and if they have a name I don’t know what it is. They are slaves to the devils and even breed just to feed their masters.’
‘That’s just sick,’ said Blaze.
‘To us yes, but everything on that world is evil. If one could give one of its offspring to please its master it would gladly do so, as it would be less painful than being bled themselves.’
Paige had a look of disgust. ‘So they give up their children to save their own lives.’
‘No, it is much worse than that,’ said Birkaz. ‘They don’t give over their children to save their own lives, but to stop the torture.’
‘This is something you might not want to hear,’ said Korzak. ‘You are gentle people, and the things these creatures get up to are not something you want to think about when you go to bed.’
‘You’re too soft at times,’ said Birkaz. ‘They need to know what they’re up against.’
‘You’re both correct,’ said Alex. ‘We do need to know about them, but if any here don’t want to listen should leave now.’ No one moved.
‘The devils need more than just drinking the blood of its victims,’ said Korzak. ‘Killing its main food sauce on that world is too risky for them. They only drink a little and let them live, so they can breed.’
‘It was the same on the old world,’ said Birkaz, ‘just drinking blood bored them. An idea came to them a sick and twisted one. They did not need to kill their food but to cause the victim so much pain that their blood was enjoyable.’
Korzak shuddered. ‘They would cut off their fingers, not quickly, but very slowly as they enjoyed the pain in the faces of their victims.’
Birkaz scowled. ‘It is what they do to the children, and you would have to torture me to tell you what they did.’
‘The Elders would not let my brother kill all of them, as he did not believe they deserved a world.’
‘They told me the Elf World could not exist if the Dark World was not there, it had to have equilibrium,’ said Birkaz. ‘One pure world, one evil world, with all the other worlds in the middle.’
‘You killed a few I take it,’ said Alex.
‘I went on a rampage when I found out what they did, and the Elders were most displeased with me,’ said Birkaz. ‘I sometimes believe it was them that gave me the task of looking after the chest because of it.’
‘Well, we’ll never harbour you any grudges for doing it,’ said Blaze. ‘We would most likely give you a medal.’
Birkaz smiled. ‘Why thank you, my lady.’
‘I bet that made you hungry though,’ said Thalion.
‘No, actually it didn’t, I was only ever that hungry when I came out of the lake.’
‘He’s just teasing you,’ said Summer. ‘You come here one morning and see if you can manage the monster like many here can eat.’
‘That’s a challenge I will take up, my lady, and I have also heard about your cakes.’
‘I baked a few earlier if you would like one.’
‘I would love one, as I have not eaten since this morning.’
‘I will get them,’ said Anna.
Alex smiled at the goblins. ‘Is there anything Zakora knows that neither of you two knows?’
Korzak nodded. ‘Probably many things, why do you ask?’
‘I want to know if either of you know of anything that could aid the blood demon,’ said Alex. ‘It was most likely after the spell to open up its world, but could it have found something else which would help it?’
‘We know many things, but apart from those spells, I cannot think of anything,’ said Birkaz, as he chose a large slice of chocolate cake from the tray that Anna held in front of him.
‘Those spells are the only dangerous knowledge that I can think of,’ said Korzak. ‘We have already decided that we would wipe that from each other’s mind and hide the parchments on the Elf World, if the elves would accept them.’
‘We would, but why not just burn them?’ Torgon asked.
‘We thought about that, but Alex needed them once.’
‘Then we will accept them,’ said Torgon. ‘Will you be OK wiping the memory from your minds?’
‘We will be more than OK,’ said Birkaz, ‘I’ll just swap mine with the memory of cake. This is quite wonderful.’
‘Lady Summer has more magic with her cooking than anyone I have ever met.’
‘We just spent ten days with her and you never let the lady cook once.’
‘I was on holiday,’ said Summer.
‘I could live on it, my dear lady,’ said Birkaz. ‘I will be here in the morning to make sure my brother is OK.’
Alex smiled. ‘So who’s up for a run?’
I thought you had forgotten about them, said Rho.
‘No, my friend, but these have gotten a bit lazy.’
Carrie squeezed his arm. ‘We have been on holiday.’
‘Yes, dear, I know, and now you need to work it off.’
‘There are other ways,’ Carrie whispered to him.
Alex felt his cheeks burn. ‘OK, running it is, and Mother, I’ll need to see you when I get back.’
‘Is there anything wrong, old man?’ Claire asked.
‘Yeah, I’m thinking of getting Ron Stevens to put a dungeon in here.’
‘That’s horrible,’ said Blaze. ‘What would you keep in there?’
‘Just me, and I will have the key.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Another Monster, Another Search
Alex dreamed he was walking with Carrie on another world. They turned and waved to their friends who set up camp near a portal. Alex and Carrie continued on towards a large forest on their own. He saw a mist in front and large mountains either side. He glanced up and saw something flying high as they entered the forest.
Alex woke confused. Why was it only him and Carrie going into the forest, and not their friends? How would she take it when he tells her? How long would he be away from the children? So many questions, he thought. He felt unusually hot and went for a cold shower.
Alex dressed. ‘How’s Zakora?’
Awake and happy, said House. Birkaz and Korzak are in the party room asking him questions.
‘You’re late,’ said Carrie, waiting at the top of the stairs for him.
Alex kissed her cheek, unsure what to say. ‘I had a dream.’
Carrie took his arm as they went downstairs. ‘Are you going to tell me about it?’
‘Yeah, but I ne
ed to ask Zakora something first,’ said Alex, as they entered the party room where the goblin was centre of attention.
Korzak looked up at them and smiled. ‘He has answered all our questions so far.’
Zakora nodded. ‘I have no idea what it could have taken.’
Alex leant on the back of a chair. ‘Good, then you can tell me what the devil wants on the dragon world.’
Zakora’s eyes grew big. ‘What dragon world?’
‘You do not remember?’ said Korzak.
‘No,’ said Zakora, with a look of disappointment.
Korzak patted him on the back. ‘Don’t worry, Brother, I will tell you everything I know, and we can get other information from the chest.
Birkaz pushed his plate away, he had finished the monster. ‘You should be worried, there would only be one reason why he would want to go there.’
‘And what’s that?’ Alex asked.
‘To steal the egg of a golden dragon.’
‘Yes,’ said Adair, ‘it would cancel out our magic and make the devil even stronger.’
‘An egg could do that?’ said James.
‘Yes,’ said Birkaz, ‘and it’s why magic cannot be used in most places on that world, if I remember correctly.’
Alex scratched his head. ‘Wouldn’t it cancel the devil’s magic too?’
‘Maybe, but if he ate the contents from one it would be immune.’
James sighed. ‘I knew we were going there.’
Alex glanced around the room. ‘Well . . . about that.’
‘You’re not going alone,’ said Adair.
‘Not gonna happen,’ said James.
Alex rubbed his face with both hands. ‘No, not quite, we can take a large group but only two of us can go after the devil.’
Adair folded his arms. ‘That’s ridiculous.’
‘That maybe so, Uncle, but it’s true. I don’t know why others will not be able to go.’
‘Then I will go with you,’ said Adair.
‘No, your magic won’t work,’ said James. ‘I’ll go with him.’
‘It’s nice of you to both offer, but I’m afraid it will be neither,’ said Alex, and looked at Carrie. ‘I’m sorry.’
Adair stood, and leant forward on the table. ‘Have you completely lost your mind?’
The Final Destiny: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Three - Fantasy Page 19