The righteous fury left him, but he remained filled with a sense of purpose. Sir Aldin had struck a deadly blow against the large force, but it had cost him. He swayed on his feet as he pulled his sword from the ground. He held the blade out, tip point down toward the ground. It looked as if he was using the sword more to balance than brandishing it as a threat to the demons.
Slowly, the horde started to approach him again. They continued to move forward slowly; with each step, they grew bolder. And when he failed to lash out with his power again, they began to charge. The horde started to run, and then the thunderous calls from the battlements brought them up short. Sir Aldin struggled to maintain his feet as he listened for what the men were shouting. He couldn’t make out the words from where he stood. It sounded as if the men were shouting something about the Lycans coming, but that would have been impossible. The wolves had refused their call to arms months ago. Why would they be here now?
Sir Aldin turned to look where the men had been pointing. Descending into the valley from the west, under the seemingly eerie white light of the moon, was a Lycan battle force the likes of which had never been seen. There had to be thousands of them. God truly did work in mysterious ways.
They ran faster than a horse on all fours, and they were covered from head to toe in black metal armor. You could just make out the glint from the pommels of their massive swords. Now the only question he had was, did they come to save them? Or maybe this was a new threat. He knew Richard would be thinking the same thing. He hoped that his friend had the good sense not to attack until they knew which side the beasts fought on.
The demons on the western side of the field turned to face a new threat. For now, that was enough of an answer for Sir Aldin. Some of the power he had lost trickled back into him. He wasn’t whole yet, but at least he was no longer swaying on his feet. He ran to the east, lashing out with his sword as necessary, calling on his power when the press of demons threatened to overwhelm him.
Richard watched his friend run back into the horde and knew this battle would be his last unless he did something. “To Sir Aldin!” he cried. “Open the gates.” The gates rose, and men streamed out of them, heading toward the eastern side of the field. This would cost them all of their men if the Lycans had chosen to work with the demons, but it was a risk he had to take. Sir Aldin was worth more than a thousand of his human soldiers.
The archers fired three more volleys, and then their bows went silent. Sir Richard watched as his men crashed into the demons. Many of them fell, but more of the horde was destroyed. Sir Aldin would do what he could to keep those men safe. He turned to the west and waited to find out if he had just destroyed humanity’s best chance for survival.
The Lycans burst through the initial ranks of demons, still running on all fours. The demons fell beneath claw and jaw alike. Then an unspoken signal went through the pack, and they stood to their full height and let out a howl. The sound alone would have been enough to make the old gods shake in fear. Their Christian God would have enjoyed the majesty of his creations as they tore into the enemy. As one, the Lycans pulled out their swords and went to work on the demons.
The Lycans cut a huge swath through the horde as they moved into the battle. It reminded Sir Richard of watching his men tend to the wheat fields back home. The Lycans swung their massive swords, and the demons fell before them. They pressed through the demons, and finally a hideous sound rolled across the battlefield. The demons acted as one and retreated as fast as they could.
The Lycans and Sir Aldin didn’t stop. They lashed out as the demons fled back into the growing darkness. Every demon they could slay now would be one that wouldn’t stand against them tomorrow. Sir Aldin moved back toward the center of the battlefield, and his men spread out around him. A massive Lycan moved forward, and they stood staring at each other. Sir Richard grimaced. Was the battle over or just getting started?
They stood that way for a few moments before Sir Aldin sheathed his sword and extended his hand. The Lycan across from him held his sword as he examined the knight, before finally sheathing it and taking the offered hand in his own. The knights broke out in cheers, and the Lycans howled at the moon.
Sir Aldin smiled. The Lycans had come, and with their help, they had won the day. If nothing else, this victory would keep the eyes of the enemy upon them while Sir Roland tried to complete his task. Now he just needed to seal this alliance with the Lycans. “We will make arrangements for you to join us inside of the city.”
“That will not be necessary. We will stay out under the stars where we cannot be so easily betrayed.”
Sir Aldin frowned. “I know there is little love lost between us, but after today, I was hoping to put those differences behind us.” The Lycans’ leader slowly shook his head. “Then if you will not join us in the city, you must let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Do you need supplies or food?”
“We will set up camp west of the city. Tell your men not to venture into that area. If anyone comes into our camp not flying banners, they will be destroyed.”
“We appreciate your assistance with the demons. I will let my men know that the hills to the west are off limits. Before the next invasion, we should sit down and plan out how best to use our forces.”
“I agree. Tomorrow we should break bread and talk about our strategy.”
“Thank you again.” Sir Aldin took a deep breath, coming to an internal decision. “It seems as though I haven’t even asked your name.”
“The name is McCreedy.”
“I look forward to hearing your plans, McCreedy.”
“And I to yours, Sir Aldin.”
They shook again, and then the Lycan leader dropped down to all fours and let out a fearsome howl. All across the battlefield, the Lycans fell to the ground and started running toward the west. A cloud of dust followed the pack until they reached the base of the hill, and then they disappeared into the night.
God be praised that they would have such great warriors joining them in their battle against the demons. They would need all the help they could get if they were to stand a chance over the coming weeks. If the Lycans ever decided to betray them, the battle would be over quickly. There was no way the knights would be able to stand against demon and Lycan united. He scanned his men for a moment, looking into their weary faces. Trust had to be earned, and he was sure that it would be in the battles to come. Sir Aldin smiled then, showing his men strength as he signaled for them to head back to the castle.
Sir Roland rode hard into the night. They needed to put as many miles between them and the battle as they could. If they could push out of the hills to the west, then they might be able to take the great road north for a portion of their journey. That would save them days, if not weeks of travel. They would need the first part of their journey to go well if they were to have any chance at success.
He pushed them forward as the moon rose into the sky until he could see the boy starting to slip from his saddle. Why had Sir Aldin forced this additional burden upon him? It wasn’t as if he would need his chamber pot changed out here. As far as he could tell, the boy didn’t have any skills and would be a hindrance to any battle they were forced into. At least he had a sword strapped to his waist. That was something that he could work with.
“Hey, boy!” he shouted over the sound of their hoofbeats on the road. “Do you even know how to use that sword?”
“Sir Aldin taught me himself,” the boy said with some pride.
Maybe he wouldn’t be a total waste after all. “Then after you rub and feed the horses, we will spar.” When the boy didn’t say anything, he continued. “Did you hear me, boy?”
“My name is Bristow.”
“Well, at least now I will have something to call you.”
“Almost anything would be better than boy. I am almost a man grown.”
He had a few years left before he resembled that statement, but Sir Roland appreciated his gumption. “Did you hear my words, Brist
ow?”
“I did.”
“Then be ready. We will stop for the night soon.”
Sir Roland pushed them for another hour before turning them into the forest. He dismounted by a stream and signaled for the boy to do the same. “You do know how to tend to the horses, right?”
“I have personally attended to Sir Aldin’s steed on many trips.”
“I’ll see to our meal while you get the horses squared away. Make sure you bring your sword with you when you return. You will have to earn your dinner tonight.”
Bristow finished his work with the horses. Exhaustion pulled at the muscles in his arms from rubbing the horses, and his legs felt like jelly from the long ride. He couldn’t imagine having to battle against a knight for his supper, especially against one of such low standing within the order. He cursed silently to himself. Why had Sir Aldin saddled him with such a burden?
The pot over the fire smelled fantastic as Bristow entered the small clearing. He moved toward it and was reaching for the lid to the pot when the flat of a sword blade tapped against his back.
“Fighting first, food later,” Sir Roland said.
Bristow could hear the smile in Sir Roland’s voice. Just why in the seven hells was he so happy? All Bristow could think about was food and sleep. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”
“If you want to become a knight, then your sword must grow to be an extension of yourself. Or would you prefer to serve others for the rest of your days?”
“There is honor in service. Something you might know very little about.”
So the boy knew who he was. Still, the words stung. He would never live down his past, not when Sir Aldin decided to send him on this folly of a quest. But you had to work with the tools God gave you. One of those tools was the boy standing in front of him.
“Let’s see just how well you know your way around a blade.”
For the next thirty minutes, he worked the boy as hard as he could. His form was adequate but needed drastic improvement in several key areas. They would need to work together every day to make sure he was ready before they reached their goal. “Serviceable, but before we reach the end of our destination, you will be one of the finest swordsmen in all of the lands.”
If he wasn't so tired, Bristow would have given him more of a response. Instead, he only managed to mumble, “And dinner?”
The two of them ate in silence, listening to the sound of the stream behind them. The night was almost peaceful. If they hadn’t been sent on a quest that would lead to their deaths, surely they would have grown to become friends. The moon moved through the night sky, and they slept. Sir Roland heard the call of the stone in his dreams. If he succeeded in his quest, then all would be forgiven.
CHAPTER 4
NITRO
All I could think of doing was running as fast as I could. I wasn’t even sure how I had gotten free. All that mattered was that I was free and that I had a chance to escape. The archfiend must have left the building, or else I would have never been able to get out of the chair. I’d tried to run so many times before, but I always awoke in the same chair, and then the beatings began again. I burst through the door in front of me and rolled to the left. The sword just missed me as I stumbled back to my feet.
The demon lunged again, but its technique was sloppy. Just who in the hell did he think he was fighting? I’d killed more demons than just about anyone on the planet. There was no way a half-trained demon would be bringing me down, even unarmed. When the demon swung again, I trapped his sword arm under my armpit and slammed my forehead into his nose. The crunch his nose made was epic. The demon staggered backward, letting go of the sword to clutch at his face. That was a big mistake. One swing of the blade later, and we had our first headless demon. Something about killing one after being imprisoned and tortured felt oddly fulfilling.
Now that I had a weapon in hand, I felt a little more confident. This building was doing something to block access to my gift. I’d never felt anything like it before. When I tried to use my power, it trickled out before petering to a stop. That meant I had to do this on my own. It was a good thing Adam made us train so hard with weapons. It was for situations just like this.
Demon number two entered the room, probably after hearing his buddy scream in pain. He made it three steps in before I took his head off. I stopped to grab his keycard and then headed up the stairs. The steps seemed to fly under my feet. I was going to make it. No way were they going to be able to stop me now.
If my magic worked again as soon as I was out of the building, then I was home free. Score one for Nitro. Screw that archfiend. I never broke, and I would happily die before I did. For all of his efforts, he had gained nothing from me that would help his cause. Every moment had been agony, but when I escaped, it would all be worth it. Although, I could use some new clothes; these had been ruined and turned stiff by dry blood.
The sign above the door said level one. I scanned the guard’s card, and the door beeped as the reader turned green. I slipped through it, trying not to draw attention to myself. Sprinting toward the lobby doors, I could almost taste my freedom. Twenty feet away, I came to a skidding halt. Squigs. What in the hell was he doing here? The rest of my team came in the front doors right behind him.
Squigs turned, seeing me for the first time. “Well, that just made our job a hell of a lot easier.” A few of the team snickered behind him.
“It’s good to see you, Squigs. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Squigs said, pulling his sword from its sheath on his back. The rest of the team did the same and then fanned out to block my escape.
“What in the hell is going on here? We need to go before the archfiend comes back.”
“We know that you talked, Nitro. We weren’t sent here to rescue you. We were sent to make an example out of you.” Squigs started moving forward.
I raised my blade in front of me. “I don’t want to do this, not to you.”
“Then toss your sword aside and I promise to make it clean.”
“Fuck that noise. I’m going home.”
Squigs started to charge toward me. I still almost couldn’t believe it. We had been partners for the last three years. It was our squad. We had run it together, and the people we sent up the chain had done great things. Now Squigs was going to try and kill me.
Our blades came together with a crash. He had the physical advantage; I was still weak from the torture, but I had always been a better swordsman. We broke apart, and my blade snaked out quickly, catching him off guard. The cut on his arm made him pause for a moment. He stepped back and motioned for the rest of the team to come at me.
The people I had thought of as family came rushing in all at once. They must have been spending a lot more time practicing together since I was gone, because they never struck with this kind of precision for me. I tapped Vanessa’s blade to the side and stepped around her toward Taylor’s exposed back. The blade in my hand shook as it plunged into his flesh. I had almost hesitated, but that would have cost me my life. I kicked his body off of my blade, bringing it up in time to dodge a wild swing from Thomas. Ok, maybe things hadn’t changed that much. The kid still needed a ton of help.
Vanessa was back now, with Martin by her side. I used her clumsiness to slow down Martin before slashing out at her leg. She fell in a heap but still managed to lash out. Jumping over her blade, I miraculously dodged the blow Martin had been aiming at my exposed side. He pushed me hard, and with Vanessa at my back and Thomas closing in again, all I could do was play defense. Shit, that reminded me. Where was Squigs?
I felt him before I felt the kiss of the blade on my arm. Thankfully I turned just in time so that the wound wouldn’t be fatal. My kick took him in the stomach, sending him stumbling backward. I surged forward into Martin, driving him back. Vanessa had found a way to prop herself up using a chair. I kicked it out from under her as I went running past, sending her stumbling back to the ground. M
artin overextended himself, thinking that I would be distracted by the kick. A rookie mistake.
I slapped his blade to the side, stepped under his extended arm, and then stabbed him through the side. He turned to face me, blood bubbling from his lips, and I slashed him quickly across the throat. Thomas stood frozen in place. So I turned and rushed back toward Vanessa. She moved her blade up fast enough to deflect the first blow, but then I brought my foot down on her sword arm and ran my blade cleanly through her neck.
Thomas was still frozen in place, so that meant it was time to deal with Squigs. He came at me with everything he had. We moved around the lobby as if it were a stage, neither of us having a real advantage over the other. We danced around the room, our blows coming faster and faster. His foot slipped in some of Vanessa’s blood, and I made my strike count. The blade pushed through his chest and punctured his heart. The fight was over. I was going home.
I turned around, heading toward the door, and I felt the blade enter my stomach. “Thomas, why?”
“We all have our jobs to do.” A smile broke out across his face. “Maybe I’ll get a promotion for bringing down Nitro the traitor.”
“The only traitor here is you.” I pushed myself off of his blade and stabbed him with my own. I couldn’t stop now; I was almost free. Hatred flowed through me. I hated him for what he had done, and I hated my team for what they had made me do. The door was right there, a mere twenty feet away. Twenty feet, until I could use my magic to heal myself and get home. All I had to do now was find a way to make it outside.
I had never betrayed the Ascendancy. I would have died first. Why would Adam send my own team after me? I knew one thing, if I ever made it back home, there would be hell to pay. There was no way my last moments would be spent in some dilapidated office building.
Demon Stone (Ascendancy Legacy 4) Page 3