by Megan Cutler
Arimand laid a hand on her shoulder. Before he had a chance to speak his reassurances, a collective gasp from the crew drew their attention. Following their extended fingers, Kaylie saw a black and red shape moving on the edge of her vision.
The demon reached the top of a tower and craned its head toward the river. It was far away. Too far to make a running leap. But from its vantage, there was no way it missed their ship moving downstream. The weight of its too-human eyes once again locked on Kaylie. She shivered.
The demon tilted its head backwards, unleashed a deafening roar, and disappeared back down the side of the stone building.
“We can't go back ashore,” Arimand muttered.
“We wouldn't be able to anyway.” Eselt clapped a hand against Arimand's back, producing a soft grunt in response. “Good work, my boy. But try to stick with us from now on.”
As Arimand's hand slid from her shoulder, Kaylie retreated below deck. She had seen enough of the city.
~*~*~*~
The crew whispered every day about the demon stalking them as they continued downriver. Whenever Kaylie remembered those fiery eyes, she shuddered. What did that thing, or its master, want with her? Who was she, who had she been, to warrant such attention?
Why hadn't she stayed safely between the rivers in Ethilirotha? Perhaps the demon would have come for her there, eventually, but she could have allowed it to carry her away without harming her friends.
Kimuli spent most of his days screaming from the upper deck, threatening the distant demon with death and dismemberment. Not that his shouting kept Kaylie at bay; she had no desire to go up there again.
Once more, Kaylie preferred to sleep when she could. She spent the rest of her time fetching wood for Wardel, who agonized over the placement of each plank. They could only guess how long it would take to reach the wall. If they reinforced the inner hull too much, it would be impossible to break when the time came. But if they left it weak, the flames would consume it too soon.
The woodpile dwindled distressingly.
Thail's behavior became more erratic, like an animal trapped in a shrinking cage. Exasperated, both Arimand and Eselt reprimanded him, but only Wardel could ever calm him, and only for a little while.
Dwenba became Kaylie's eyes and ears. Every day she would circle the main deck, observe the city and return to describe what she saw. But the wall remained invisible, a portent of doom in the unknowable future.
Until the morning a violent shake jolted Kaylie awake. Terrified she was back in the city about to be carried away by the demon, she flailed. By the time she recovered, she had entangled herself in the threadbare blanket she used to pad her bed.
“Come quickly, my lady,” Dwenba's voice dispelled her lingering nightmare haze. “You must see it.”
Blearily, Kaylie rubbed her eyes. “What? The demon?”
Dwenba ceased her shaking and closed both hands around Kaylie's arm. “The wall, Lady Kaylie. It's a sight.”
The wall? Kaylie shot out of bed, darted across the lower deck, dodged the men repairing the ship and dashed up the stairs. She stumbled, using the sidewalls to keep her balance.
It loomed impossibly high, dwarfing the stone monoliths that made up the city. They stood well back from its edge, leaving a wide, empty gulf in between. It was made of a metal Kaylie couldn't identify. Not steel, but surely nothing weaker. Legend said the Impassable Wall was built of something stronger than any material made by man. It glittered silver-grey in the dim light, stained by age and weather, decorated with giant symbols painted in fresh blood.
As Arimand and Eselt barked orders, Kaylie located an out of the way position to gawk. They'd been searching for signs of the wall for weeks, now they were nearly on top of it. At this rate, the ship would smash into structure within the hour.
Vast ramparts topped the wall teeming with demons of all shapes and sizes. They leaned over the edges of the defenses, grinning wickedly at the approaching vessel.
Still focused on the threat above, Kaylie reached for Dwenba. The older woman took her hand and squeezed it gently.
“You shouldn't be up here.” Arimand's voice made both women jump. “You need to get below and prepare for departure.”
With a start, Kaylie realized the workers below weren't repairing the hull; they were tearing it apart. They'd soon discover if their smaller ship, little more than a cocoon of thick planks, would protect them from the flames when they plunged beneath the wall.
Dwenba screamed, squeezed Kaylie's hand so hard her fingers went numb and motioned frantically toward the massive wall.
Heart pounding in her ears, Kaylie lifted her chin. Her blood turned to ice.
A familiar demon stood among the figures at the top, mouth open in a vicious grin. It was larger than the rest of them and they cheered its arrival. The conquering general come to lead the army.
It gathered all four of its powerful limbs beneath it, and Kaylie's heart lodged in her throat as the demon leapt. It plummeted with all the grace of a boulder, splintering several planks as it crashed onto their ship's main deck.
Chapter Twelve: The Impassible Wall
The collision rocked their small vessel, spilling several crewmembers over the rails. Arimand stumbled, but quickly caught himself against the doorframe, adrenaline surging through his veins.
Flames splashed across the deck, leaving long bands of fire in their wake. Wood popped and sizzled as it burned. The ship's frame creaked as the demon rose to its hind legs. Many of the remaining crew panicked and fled below deck. The rest had the presence of mind to draw their weapons.
Kaylie remained rooted in place, eyes locked with the demon's.
Arimand swept between her and the beast, sword already in his hands. But he couldn't fight the thing on his own. “Go!” he commanded over his shoulder, though he dared not turn his head.
With a deafening cry, Kimuli exploded from the stairwell. In one smooth motion, he lifted his spear and let it fly. “Come on men! This is the beast that stole Sulard from us. It's time to show him what we're made of.”
One by one, the men he rallied below surged up the stairs, flinging their spears at the demon and drawing their swords. Already, Kimuli had organized a coordinated strike by the deck crew against the creature's left leg. At least someone maintained their wits!
“Dwenba,” Arimand appealed to the more seasoned of the women, taking advantage of the moment the mad rush earned them, “get Kaylie to safety.”
As if to emphasize his plea, the demon surged forward. Several more deck planks buckled. The ship lurched precariously.
Dwenba seized Kaylie's arm with both hands and yanked her toward the stairs. “Arimand is right. Move, my lady, you must!”
Kaylie stumbled into motion, her gaze still locked on the demon as it swept another set of crewmen off the deck. Her steps were agonizingly sluggish, like an errant glob of tar inching toward the stairs. But she followed Dwenba's lead.
Trusting the old woman to get Kaylie to safety, Arimand spun and surged forward. Darting across the cracks in the deck planking, he thrust his sword at the demon's right ankle, hoping to cripple it. With more men, he might be able to bring it low and slit its throat. A wild hope. A small tendril of insanity.
More than anything they needed time.
Kimuli's group hefted the deck ropes, trying to lasso the demon's head or horns. Kimuli shouted like a madman over the chaos, berating the fallen and encouraging the rest in turns. They swung their makeshift lasso a second time and ensnared the demon's left wrist. It jerked hard against the restraint, sweeping another man overboard, but the rest held firm.
Still, the beast pushed forward, reaching for Kaylie. She hovered in the doorway, pinned by the arrival of fresh troops from below deck.
Swallowing his frustration, Arimand drove his sword as deep into the beast's foot as it would go, but the demon didn't pause.
As the wicked, curved claws began to close, Eselt swept from the ranks, slashing across an exposed
knuckle. The demon hesitated, and the clan leader drove his blade into the sinewy wrist, jerking it back as the limb retracted.
Black ichor oozed from the wounds as the demon withdrew its hand, threw back its head and unleashed an outraged howl.
Reacting to the roar as if it were a signal, the demons on the wall above skittered with glee. With a low, dull thrum that sounded like the wing beats of a rising flock, they unleashed a volley of arrows thick as a rainstorm.
A few defenders had shields. The rest rushed for the stairs or the far end of the deck where the raised doorway would shield them. Arimand, Kimuli and a few men close to them, dove beneath the demon's bulk, risking its crushing limbs for the safety provided by its position.
Heavy, black arrows pinned those who failed to move fast enough against the burning deck.
“Down!” Eselt bellowed, pushing Kaylie ahead of him.
Finally, she disappeared down the stairs.
Under the circumstances, they had no choice but to yield the upper deck. They had only the time it took the demons to reload to evacuate. The crew streamed down the stairs, stumbling over each other in their haste to retreat.
Arimand shared a glance with Kimuli. With a bloodthirsty grin, Kimuli drove his blade deep into the demon's calf, sawing against the thick flesh in several directions before he drew it free. Only then did he dart toward the stairs.
Arimand covered his retreat with a series of quick slashes to the demon's opposite knee. Then he joined the rear of the retreating procession.
As he reached the wooden arch, the second rain of arrows fell. Several arrows clattered as they ricocheted off the arch. Others sank loudly into the deck behind him. One buried itself in his lower back as he descended the stairs, barely slowed by his thick, leather armor. Gritting his teeth, Arimand poured all his focus into maintaining his footing.
He was halfway down the stairs when the ship shook again. Splinters rained over his head. He raised his arm to block the larger pieces of debris, risking a glance over his shoulder.
With a mighty heave, the demon tore the roof away from the stairwell, exposing the lower deck to further arrow fire. But no third volley came. Instead, the beast charged, lodging itself in the too-small doorway.
Jolted by the impact, Arimand lost his balance and tumbled down the remaining stairs. The fall drove the arrow deeper into his back as the shaft caught and snapped. A lance of pain shot down his legs, momentarily stunning him when he reached the lower deck.
Chaos reigned below. Several of the men had formed a line with Kaylie and Dwenba, ferrying supplies between the storeroom and the secondary vessel. Wardel and Thail frantically tore floorboards free of the midsection, tossing them through the doorway as well. Some of them had been nailed in place scant hours ago.
Their stalker continued to rend the top of the staircase, scrabbling forward until the frame gave way. The ship shuddered and creaked.
Arimand rose unsteadily to his feet, retrieved his fallen sword and held it at the ready.
Wardel shouted, abandoned his hammer and joined the supply line. Thail jerked a final nail free, then stumbled toward the smaller ship. Eselt appeared in the doorway.
“You've got to get aboard, Lady Kaylie. It won't take long for the flames to eat through what remains of the hull!”
“Not yet! We're almost done and we need as many of these supplies as we can-”
The demon crashed down the stairs. They buckled beneath its bulk, but the doorframe at the base held.
Arimand lunged, aiming his blade at the creature's eye.
With a snarl, the demon drew back and rushed forward, shouldering its way through the final barrier. Arimand's blade scored its leather cheek, knocked off course by the beast's movement.
Kimuli drove a fresh spear into the soft flesh just beneath the demon's armpit.
The beast shifted and the shaft snapped. It raked its claws across the deck, revealing three thin lines of fire and forcing Kimuli to dance backward.
Arimand retreated as well, leaping across a small gap to join the scattering supply line. Every movement sent a new burst of pain through the lower half of his body, but it was death to remain motionless. Did demons dip their arrows in poison before they loosed them? Surely I'd feel the fire by now… And no doubt they wanted their prey alive and clear-headed when they faced the next stage of torment.
A tight knot of defenders tried to enter the secondary vessel, once again falling over each other as they blocked the path. Eselt knocked several out of the way, cursing their stupidity. He took Dwenba's arm and spun her toward the doorway, then grabbed Kaylie's arm and did the same.
Dwenba tripped over one of the rising crewmen and together they tumbled through the entry. Kaylie lurched with the ship, bracing herself against the doorframe to keep her feet.
Kimuli cast about the remains of the hold, seeking another weapon, but it seemed the rest had already been loaded. He screamed a wicked curse, and it looked like he might leap back across the flames and fall on the demon with his teeth, but three of his hunters tackled him and wrestled him into the smaller ship.
The demon's hand shot forward. Arimand sliced at its elbow. It changed direction, swatting him out of the way. He crashed against the nearest wall. Fire shot across his back and midsection as the remains of the black arrow delved deeper into his body.
A growing shadow filled his vision. He managed to raise his sword, but he doubted it would do much against those crushing fingers. He needed to find the strength to move, but his legs refused to obey his frenzied commands.
“No!” Kaylie's voice echoed through the small space. She still stood in the doorway to the secondary vessel, resisting Eselt's attempts to draw her inside.
Miraculously, the demon abandoned its attack. Like a dog brought to heel, it lowered its head until its curved horns almost brushed the flaming wood.
Bracing himself, Arimand pushed off of the wall. He stumbled to the doorway and braced against the outside, placing his sword between Kaylie and the creature.
The beast lifted its gaze. Its eyes seemed almost imploring.
“I have come for you, Lady Kaylie.” The demon's voice rumbled from the depths of its chest like steel scraped through gravel. “To take you back.”
“I will not yield her,” Arimand replied. He shifted into the doorway and took a step backward, forcing Kaylie to do the same. She seemed transfixed, unable to draw her gaze away. Had the demon cast some kind of spell over her?
The demon snarled and snapped its jaw closed with a sickening smack. “I will not allow this to continue.”
As the demon advanced, the supports securing the lower deck finally gave way. A gulf opened between the beast and its objective. The river's flames spilled inside. The creature hesitated. Its eyes locked with Kaylie's.
“I am Moril. Try to remember.”
“Remember?” Kaylie breathed the word close to Arimand's ear. He doubted anyone else heard. He took another step backward, forcing her out of the doorway.
“Try to remember,” the demon growled, louder this time.
Weakened by fire and pressure, the sides of the ship's hull split open. The roof tore asunder, its charred remains raining into the river. Light drifted through the new opening. The flaming gap between Arimand and the demon grew wider.
“The lady has no desire to speak with you.” Arimand spat in the demon's direction. It landed in the water, causing the flames to sizzle.
Kaylie's hands pressed against his back. Her body leaned into his, activating a fresh wave of pain. Was she trying to get past him? Had she gone mad? She could easily have knocked him from his feet if she wanted to. Instead, she lingered, her support bolstering his shaky stance.
The remains of the lower deck blazed. Inky black smoke filled what remained of the space, shrouding the demon's face in shadow.
They stood for three rapid heartbeats, locked in a three-way battle of wills. Then Arimand's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. He shifted his weight
to the doorframe and inched one leg backward, forcing Kaylie further into the room.
Moril snorted. “I will return.” It turned on its heels then, leaping from the ruins of the sinking ship. Its claws sank into the metal structure of the wall as if it were made of butter, and it scaled the sheer facade with long strides, one powerful heave after another.
Eselt rushed forward. With Wardel's help, he dragged the ship's heavy door into place, securing it against the coming plunge. Dwenba took Kaylie's arm and drew her away. Voices shouted, then faded to the buzz of insects, distant, droning.
Arimand stumbled, caught himself on the wall and shuffled further away from the flurry of activity. As the battle high subsided, agony took its place. He was dimly aware of a voice calling his name and hands cushioning his fall as darkness consumed his consciousness.
Part Two: Dreamers Do Lie
So confident in this world in which we dwell
Certain that we shall never awaken from the spell
Never do we question through our youth
Until a silent Nightmare bares the truth
With only one nervous glance behind
Suddenly we find
That Dreamers do lie
They do lie
How can we tell what is real?
What we see, what we feel?
So hard when a dream’s golden haze
Works so well to distract the able gaze
In search of deepest truth we go
But when we stop a moment to think we know
That Dreamers do lie
They do lie
Dreamers do lie
Chapter Thirteen: Sammoric
Kaylie couldn't forget the demon's eyes. Try to remember, it said. Remember what? The name Moril meant nothing to her, aside from the cold terror it trickled into her blood.
Had she encountered this demon in life? Had it brought her to Hell? Perhaps her family made a deal with the demon and its master, trading her soul for salvation from the blight. Could they do that? It seemed unbefitting the kindly voices in her memory but, as she was learning, war changed everything.