The New Guard (Crossroads Book 1)

by Matthew M. Johns

  All of the Riders grumbled agreement and Caliban went on. He singled out a broad shouldered Rider who showed no sign of his initiation into the Dark Rider guild. Caliban knew, however, that this particular Rider’s scars covered his back where his wings once were.

  “Vex, you take the rest of the band and track down the Truth Wielder and his offspring. Be wary of his abilities, but make sure they don’t make it to the Central Kingdom, for this will surely be their final goal. Kill them out as you can. Call on any forces you come across as you hunt them down.

  “We must stay in contact, so be sure to check in at the third watch of every night. We’ll meet back up as we can. Hunt well, Riders.”

  With those last words, Caliban mounted his horse. As if signaled, the hounds broke from their shelter and began eagerly sniffing the ground. The Dark Riders divided as instructed and took off in separate directions.

  *

  Caliban found the crossing after a half hour of searching. It was several miles away from where it had let the Void Riders out the previous night. It was several more miles from where they had entered it to pursue the new twelve. While this shifting was an overall good sign because it meant there was a great deal of instability in the land, it also created tracking problems here and now.

  Caliban chose to seek out their entry point from the prior night in hopes of finding some clue as to the whereabouts of the wayward demon. When he finally found it an hour later, he saw signs of a struggle. The band of thralls had been set upon and, as there was a fresh mass grave, it meant the forces of the Word had intercepted the Riders’ backup. Caliban looked around and came to the conclusion that the force which set upon the demon and his thralls must have been angels; as most of the other followers of the Word would have likely burnt the dead. Caliban smirked; this would prove to be an error on the angels’ part, he thought.

  Caliban, Maraud, and their hound dug at the mass grave until they got to the first body. Pulling the torso free, Caliban flooded the body with Void magic and summoned forth a fragment of the lost soul.

  “Tell me, thrall,” he spoke to the unmoving body, “what happened here?”

  For a moment there was nothing, and then the body twitched and began to scream. “Stop! I’ve served well! Not the flames!”

  “Thrall, awaken! I need information you still have.”

  “The fires are all about me. . .”

  “They are not at the moment. For the moment you have a respite. How long it lasts depends on your usefulness.”

  The thrall opened its decaying eyes and saw where it was. It then settled its eyes on Caliban.

  “Good,” Caliban said, nodding his head. “Now tell me, what happened here? You were at the crossing with your demon. The Riders went through; then what happened?”

  “We were to wait for the Void Riders’ signal that they had something. . . I can’t remember. . .”

  Caliban knew memory loss was a problem with partially revived beings, since they were neither fully dead nor fully alive, they could not recall much of either realm they were in. However, he did not wish to spend all night waiting while the dead thrall tried to remember.

  “Enough! What happened with your demon and the other members of your group?”

  The thrall blinked, trying to bring its focus back to Caliban. “The demon was hurt . . . strained. It was not only trying to hold the doorway open, but prevent it from shifting. There was a flash of light. . .”

  The thrall’s mind drifted. It began to look around and whimper about flames. Caliban held on to the thrall, listening closely for any further clues. After a minute, he realized the thrall was of no more use. Just as he was about to let go and sever the thrall’s connection to this world, it reached out and grabbed tightly to Caliban’s wrists.

  “NO! NO! Not the flames again!”

  Caliban looked contemptuously at the thrall and spat out a response. “Stupid meat sack! The flames are your punishment for failing your master, the Fallen One, and the Void. You are thrice damned and cannot escape your just dues!”

  With that, Caliban threw off the thrall, slamming the dead body back to the ground. He stood and looked up at Maraud who merely stared at him, waiting for Caliban to decide what was to happen next. Caliban shook his head while he wiped the dirt and decaying flesh from his hands and wrists.

  “We could try that all night and not get any further useful information,” Caliban finally said. “We’ll have to look around. The thrall confirmed an angel attack, and it looks like the attackers came directly from the Word’s realm. Let’s look around and see if we can find evidence of the demon’s banishment. Otherwise find spore so we can track it.”

  Maraud silently nodded and went to work. The hound did, too.

  *

  Ferreter’s job was going to be the hardest, but that was what he excelled at. Of all the Dark Riders, he was the best tracker. It didn’t matter that he’d never seen his quarry or that he didn’t have actual spore from his prey. He had enough to single out this wayward child. Ferreter knelt in front of his hound and laid his hand on its head. Both of them closed their eyes and vividly envisioned the previous night. They started with sights concentrating on the faces of the children they had encountered: eyes, noses, hair, ears, mouths, cheeks, chins, bone structures, and various other small details. Ferreter compared them again and again, drawing an image of the family similarities. He then added to the composite the Sword Bearer’s features.

  The next sense the hound and Ferreter examined was smell. Here the hound had far more to contribute than did Ferreter. Each of the children and the Sword Bearer had unique scents, but like physical features each family member shared a base smell that defines the line. It took some searching, but they soon found it and memorized it. Between the two of them, they would be able to track that smell through a crowded market and still locate their prey.

  Even after Ferreter and the hound created the familial composite they stayed bonded, studying the image and smell so each subtle alteration was known. Satisfied that he would be able to identify the unknown child, Ferreter broke the full bond; however, there would always be a part of him within the hound and part of the hound within him. It was one of the costs of becoming a Void Rider.

  Upon standing, Ferreter quickly mounted. Both he and the hound closed their eyes and began rotating on the spot, noses in the air. They found a strong family scent starting nearly a mile from their current location. This would be the band traveling with the Truth Wielder. Ferreter opened up a link to Vex’s hound and passed on the scent of their prey mind to mind. Vex’s hound altered the group’s course slightly, bringing them in line with the trail of the children. Vex passed a hint of annoyance through the hounds, letting Ferreter know they already had the scent well enough. Ferreter ignored him and broke contact.

  Ferreter sat upon his horse and puzzled over the information he now had. The Dark Riders had moved only about one quarter of a mile away from the gateway when they returned to the Crossroads. The Truth Bearer and his brood obviously moved a great deal further along once they came into the Way World, but their scent started further off than it should have. Upon exiting the gateway from Earth there had been no sign of the minor demon and its thralls; not even a sign that they had ever been there.

  Ferreter was not a demon; therefore, he was not versed in what was and was not possible with gateways. However, he did know that on the planets they connected with gateways could shift instantaneously anywhere on the world. It now seemed the connecting point here on the Hub Realm could shift also. Ferreter became sure that what he needed was a Way Watcher or a demon. He knew he could find one or both of these at Dead Hollow and so signaled his mount to head south.

  The journey took a little over two hours and brought Ferreter to a swamp land populated with numerous lifeless trees and thick grass with spiny burrs. These burrs would attach to passing creatures and slowly work into its flesh, making it necessary to cut them out. There was only one unmarked road into the swamp th
at didn’t eventually lead through a patch of these grasses.

  Ferreter knew this path well and easily found it. He moved quickly across the terrain and into the heart of the swamp. There, at its center, lay a haphazard collection of hovels ranging from crumbling shacks, improvised lean-tos, and reinforced burrows. Ferreter dismounted and led his horse to one particular shack. Leaving his horse and the hound outside, he entered without knocking on the plank door.

  Inside, he was greeted by the smell of feces, urine, bile, and rot. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darker surroundings and found, huddled in a corner, a nearly lifeless form. Going over to it, he threw off the small mound of fetid rags that concealed it.

  “I seek a Way Watcher,” declared Ferreter.

  At the sound of his voice, the lump began unfolding and revealed itself to be a misshapen human woman. She opened her milky eyes and turned her head toward him. She spoke in a raspy voice, “I be seeing what you needing.”

  Without another word the woman groped around until she found the shard of a mirror. She first cut herself with it, then took Ferreter’s hand and cut him with it. Then she asked, “What Way?”

  Ferreter answered, “The Earth bound doorway within this kingdom. I seek to know all who came through last night.”

  The woman brought the mirror fragment up to her forehead and began chanting. After a few moments she spoke, her voice slightly stronger but seeming further away.

  “In darkness last I see. Here are thirteen travelers: an angel, twelve humans. They flee fast. Shortly come Void Riders, two quickly killed. The Way a river, twisting, turning. . .”

  The woman’s body moved to match her words. Her slimy white hair swayed from side to side, blocking her face. “Far goes the river, far, far. Three, might four travelers go far without stepping long. The Way a river, twisting, turning, returning. The Way closes.”

  With these words the woman dropped the mirror and another piece broke off as it landed. Ferreter grabbed the woman’s shoulders shaking her slightly. “Tell me of the last travelers. Who were they? Where did they exit?”

  The woman moaned out an answer, “Two angels, a human, might two. Jumbled they are. Hard to part they are. Come to Haven’s Road, far, far.”

  “Haven’s Road,” Ferreter muttered in mild astonishment, “that is in the Second Kingdom. Is it even possible for a gateway to move like that?”

  The woman merely began mumbling, “The Way a river, twisting, turning,” over and over again. Ferreter stood, well aware that he’d get no more from the Way Watcher. He left the foul smelling dwelling and stood outside the doorway, looking around. It didn’t take him long to sense his next quarry.

  Leading his horse, Ferreter moved deeper into Dead Hollow. Within moments he came to a raucous gathering of goblins and two very minor demons. They seemed very fresh from Hell, living up their freedom until they attached themselves to a host. The demons’ backs were to Ferreter; thus, they did not see him approach. The goblins, however, quickly became guarded, easily identifying Ferreter as a Void Rider. Within seconds, the demons realized their companions’ attitudes had changed. They turned where they sat and were greeted by the snarling muzzle of Ferreter’s hound.

  Ferreter smiled at the fear his arrival produced and greeted his soon-to-be allies. “May the stars all die,” he began.

  The demons quickly finished the statement, as their eyes darted back and forth from the hound to Ferreter: “and the Void’s darkness cover all.”

  “Wonderful,” Ferreter’s grin broadened. “I have need of your services. I am going to press hard toward Haven in the Second Kingdom. I need you two and your companions to meet me there.” The goblins shrank back at the acknowledgment of the presence. “I take it you two can possess animals?”

  Both demons nodded.

  “As to be expected. Multiple animals at once?”

  “I am so skilled, Void Rider,” the larger of the two demons said. “I can possess several large animals. My comrade is skilled with many small creatures.”

  The smaller demon shot the slightly larger one a nasty look and was about to protest when Ferreter spoke back up, “Excellent! This is what I need.” Ferreter pointed to the smaller one. “I need you to get me some birds with good sharp claws and beaks like ravens, not simple song birds.” As the smaller demon nodded, Ferreter shifted his focus to the slight larger demon. “I need you to possess several good mounts for your goblin associates. All of you will meet me outside the south entrance of Haven two nights from now. We have a very profitable target to hit, one that will increase the standing of us all.”

  The demons were pleased with the prospect; they elbowed each other while grinning at their good fortune. The goblins, however, were more guarded with their expressions and attitudes. Ferreter knew their reservations stemmed from years of service to the Darkness, but he also knew they would obey the clearly dominant being. Therefore, his parting comment was directed to the minor demons.

  “Don’t be late; the hound doesn’t like it when a hunt is interrupted.”

  Ferreter was satisfied to see the demons sober up and begin to nod vigorously. With that matter settled, Ferreter mounted his horse; soon both the horse and the hound broke into a run.

  *

  Vex was pleased to have the easiest job, which also promised to lead to the greatest amount of reward. Yes, there was the problem of the angel and the Sword of Truth, but these were not insurmountable issues. The Sword Bearer was human and would be travelling with his younglings. The roads between here and the Central Kingdom could be made quite treacherous.

  After only an hour on the road, following the trail Ferreter had given to the hound, Vex realized they were heading toward Oswald’s Farm. It was an obvious place to find shelter as it had one of the strongest thresholds in all the twelve kingdoms. Neither the hounds nor the riders would be able to break down the barrier. However, there was one way to bring it down: by pressuring those inside. Vex called the other Riders to speed up so there would be enough time to test his plan. Within moments the horses and hounds were speeding toward Oswald’s Farm, calling upon their Void powers to maintain the pace. Thus the distance that took the band of children all day to cover only took the Void Riders hours to travel.

  It was still early in the second watch when Vex’s band arrived at Oswald’s Farm. The riders sat upon their mounts, staring at the manor while Vex explained his plan. “Under normal circumstances there isn’t any way we can get in there. However, if the barrier was to fall, or the Sword Bearer was to come out to us, we’d have all the time left in the night to harass and eliminate these whelps.”

  “An’ how’s da barrier suppose ta jus’ fall, Vex?” This came from Gall, who had taken off his hood and looked mockingly at Vex. Gall’s face was swollen and puffy, and he sported a nose that showed signs of several breaks. His dark red hair was merely stubble on his head, missing in several places where long scars dominated. With his hood on and when he was not speaking, Gall was an imposing Rider, but when he spoke out and had his hood off, Vex felt he was in the presence of a country bumpkin who just liked to brawl.

  “I means,” Gall continued, “our forces ‘ave been fighten dat barrier for generations.”

  Without looking at Gall, Vex smiled a thin lipless smile. “Why Gall, all we have to do is infuriate the Sword Bearer so he comes charging out, or get an Oswald to betray their guests. If they betray their guests, well then, the Oswald’s Farm will no longer be a sanctuary and we can take them apart at our leisure. If, however, the Truth Wielder comes charging out, well, he’ll forfeit the sanctuary’s protection and allow us to bring him down.”

  “Supposin’ none of dis ‘appens?”

  “We’ll set a day watch over the place. We’ll track them as they leave and harry them all along the way. Eventually they will be out in the open at night and we’ll take them down one by one. In reality, we only need to kill one. One of them dead breaks the possibility for this twelve to unite the kingdoms with blood. However, th
e more of the twelve that die, the better.”

  All the Riders nodded. Vex smiled and called forth an arrow from the darkness around him. He pulled his bow from its holder on his saddle and notched the arrow. Vex nodded to the others and each one formed their own missiles, a combination of throwing knives, spears, or small axes. All four riders took aim and loosed their weapons in unison. When the projectiles hit the front door to the manor, they exploded in a horrendous clash of thunder and a brilliant flash of light.

  The Dark Riders were momentarily deafened and blinded; the hound whimpered in pain. Vex also felt some pain in his arm, as if some of the protective force that destroyed their missiles had leapt out to sting him. As his vision began to clear, Vex urged his mount forward. He strained to listen for any commotion inside the manor. The hound moved forward as well and added its senses to Vex’s. Vex began to hear the murmuring of voices right by the door. They were discussing the threshold and the Void. Hearing his master’s name, Vex called out.

  “We seek the Sword Bearer and his kin. Surrender them and we will leave you in peace.”

  His answer came back in seconds. “Hollow words, servant of the Dark. Leave now, before my Coterie brothers and I hunt you down and strip you of your false life.”

  Vex took pause. The Sword Bearer was in there with Coterie. It was unknown how many, but even a few could even up the odds. The angel was in there too. Very well, Vex thought, the Riders would have to go with their backup plan.

  “Sword Bearer,” Vex called, “you will have to leave this sanctuary sooner or later, and when you do the Dark Riders will come after you.”

  With that the hound began to bay, and Vex signaled the Riders to pull back. Within moments they were down the road and the manor house was only just visible. Vex looked at his fellow riders.