He glared out over the desolate landscape but could see nothing there. The pale light of the moon only served to deepen the shadows that lay among the scattered rocks. The killer could be hiding among them even now, laughing at him and waiting his chance to strike again. He snarled at the thought and raised his hand once more.
Bolt after bolt of ruby power lashed out into the night. Rocks were smashed to rubble under the terrible impacts and the thundering roar of their destruction pealed out all around. Men covered their ears and fell to their knees as their master sent forth his rage and fury. All around the perimeter of the encampment went the bolts of deadly power until at last, drained of energy, Demos lowered his hand.
The rumbling roar of the concussions gradually faded away into silence and men climbed slowly back to their feet, shocked by the display of deadly power they had just witnessed. Surely nothing could have survived that.
Demos glared at them and cried out,
‘Hear me Akonites; these two were killed by bandits. Foolish men who thought they were as strong as we. They have learned the error of their ways and have paid the price for their foolishness.
At first light a patrol will go forth and find the bodies which will then be hung from a scaffold as a warning to others that we are all powerful in this land. The danger is past now men, you need have no more fear.’
A ragged cheer greeted his confident words and Demos smiled coldly. Then he turned to the soldier, who had found the slain sentries and said,
‘See that these two are buried before first light. I don’t want the sight of their bodies to feed the fears of the men. See to it at once.’
‘Aye my lord, it shall be done.’ the soldier replied.
Suddenly the man gasped and his eyes opened wide with shock and Demos snarled as he saw the point of an arrow which had sprouted bloodily from the front of the man’s tunic. The soldier fell, clutching at the shaft that pierced his heart and as he did so, other men cried out as more deadly shafts found their marks in flesh.
The camp became a pandemonium of running men and frightened horses. In the light of the campfires the men made easy targets and Demos, cursing himself for not having thought of it sooner, cried out,
‘Put out those fires fools! They are giving away your positions.’
Several more men died as they obeyed his commands but at last the fires were extinguished and darkness cloaked the camp. A tense silence fell as all waited to see what would happen next.
Demos, like the others, lay on his belly on the ground and stared into the menacing gloom. None there would dare to say so but they all knew that he had failed them and so too, to his intense annoyance, did Demos. Word of his failure to defeat his foes would soon spread he knew and the knowledge rankled his soul. Whoever was out there in the darkness had dealt him a heavy blow this night but it was a blow he would recover from.
Once he had the Heart of Ra in his possession he would be truly invincible. Then let any who doubted him come forward. They would all die and their deaths would serve as a warning to others. He grinned at his ambitious dreams then froze as a long, blood curdling cry rang out. The sound echoed among the tumbled rocks making it impossible to locate its source and men clutched the earth and bit their lips in fear as they listened to that unholy noise. Such a cry could only come from the lips of a demon and all knew that these desolate wastes were home to such creatures.
Demos too trembled at the sound but not because he feared some demon of the wastes. He had heard that ghastly cry before when Asgoleth the Calthian had hacked his way out of the palace back in Torr. That barbarian had almost killed him then and now, here he was again, still stalking his prey. Suddenly, Demos, despite all the power he wielded, felt terribly, terribly afraid
The fear though was only a temporary thing and then his arrogance reasserted itself. He would not allow a filthy barbarian animal to destroy his plans. He reached out and gripped the arm of a soldier lying nearby.
‘Make your way to my tent and bring the princess Amira here to me. This barbarian has vowed to rescue her and that shall be his undoing, go now.’
The man gasped, ‘Aye my lord’ and slithered off into the darkness.
Demos grinned coldly into the night. Somewhere out there was a man foolish enough to think he could defy the will of Demos. Well he would soon learn how foolish he really was. Time passed with agonising slowness and Demos began to wonder if the soldier had made it. Then he heard a soft clanking sound and looking behind him he grinned as he saw a squad of his men approaching safely concealed behind a wall and roof of linked shields. No barbarian arrow would penetrate that barrier.
Within moments he too was behind the barrier and he gazed with cold satisfaction upon the swooning form of Amira. She would be the instrument of her would be rescuers doom. He would enjoy making her relive her part in this when the barbarian was dead. He raised a hand up to his mouth and called out.
‘Hear me Calthian; the princess is with me now. If you open fire again you may hit her.’
There was no answer but there were no arrows either and Demos grinned and went on.
‘Unless you surrender to me now Barbarian I will have her tortured to death. If you doubt me, listen.’
He turned to Amira and once more raised his hand. The gem pulsed with hellish ruby life but not as brightly as before. Using his power to blast the shadows beyond the perimeter of the camp had weakened him but he still had energy enough to carry out his threat. From the pulsing gem upon his finger a beam of red light leapt forth and the soldiers holding Amira jumped aside with frightened curses upon their lips as she was enveloped in a red glow.
Her eyes flew open and a long, pain filled, shriek was torn from her as that hellish light worked its grim magic upon her body. Again and again she cried out in her torment until Demos finally lowered his hand and the beam died away allowing her to fall sobbing to her hands and knees upon the ground. Demos called out,
‘Did you hear that Barbarian? That was just a taste of the agonies she will suffer unless you surrender to me. The dawn is but an hour away, you have until then to decide. Her life is in your hands.’
Amira raised tear filled eyes and glared at her tormentor with hatred and loathing.
‘He will not give himself up to you, you pig. He will hunt you down and slay you.’
Demos sneered at her and said,
‘How little you Know, little princess, this hulking brute of a barbarian desires your freedom not your death. He will surrender.’
‘Never!’ she cried, ‘Never! He will kill you, you animal.’
Demos smiled,
‘We shall see Amira, we shall see.’
They fell silent then and began the short wait for dawn.
As the eastern sky grew brighter and the rays of the rising sun drove back the shadows of the night, a tense, expectant silence lay over the Akonite encampment as they waited to see what the Calthian would do. The silence remained unbroken as the sun climbed higher and Demos snarled quietly as he looked out at the forbidding wastes that held his enemy. His men glanced at him from time to time but said nothing, fearful of arousing his wrath. At last Demos decided to force the barbarian’s hand. Perhaps the fool thought he had been bluffing in his threat to kill the girl. Well he would soon find out differently. He knew now the location of the Heart of Ra; he did not need her anymore.
‘Bring her.’ he growled as he rose to his feet. Once again his wounded leg sent out a clarion call of pain and his face twisted. By all the gods he thought, this barbarian was going to take a long time to die.
His strength had returned a little and as he emerged from the protection of the shields his body was once again clothed in a glowing mantle of red energy as it had been before the walls of Fort Kronos. In his glowing armour he was protected against any earthly weapons, as long as his strength lasted.
He searched the jumbled rocky terrain with keen eyes but could see no sign of his foe. He was out there though, this he knew, watching every m
ove he made. He decided to give the barbarian something to watch and gripping Amira by the neck, so cruelly that she cried out in pain, he forced her to her knees at his feet. She struggled but his grip was too powerful for her to break. Demos called out,
‘Hear me, Calthian. This girl will die now because of you. You had the chance to save her and you did not take it. Watch then as her body is consumed by fire. Watch as her soul is torn from her body and borne off to everlasting torment.’
He laughed as he raised his hand and his eyes gleamed with wicked anticipation as he looked down upon his writhing captive. Again that evil gem began to pulse and glow and Amira screamed. She saw no pity in her captor’s eyes only a cruel joy and she knew without a doubt that he would carry out his threat. Despite her terror she cried out,
‘Do not listen to him, Asgoleth, he must be stopped. Kill him.’
Demos merely sneered at her and raised his hand for the killing stroke but before he could unleash the hellish gems power against her a voice rang out,
‘Hold dog! I am here.’
Demos gave a startled curse at the nearness of the voice and saw the huge form of the barbarian emerge, as if by magic, from the shadows where he had lain concealed.
‘Take him!’ screamed Demos and a squad of his soldiers leapt to obey. In moments Asgoleth had been stripped of his weapons and his arms bound behind him with thick leather thongs. Demos sneered at his captive.
‘Well done barbarian, now your pretty princess will live but you? Oh you will die as no man has died before. You will scream and beg for death and when I finally grant it to you, you will die thanking me.’
Asgoleth said nothing and Demos snarled,
‘Take him away; I will dispose of him later.’
Amira watched in despair as her protector was dragged away and she began to weep. He had been her only hope and now it seemed that hope had been dashed. With Asgoleth a prisoner she could think of nothing that could stand in the way of Demos’ plans to plunge the world into an age of slavery and nightmare.
CHAPTER TEN
Asgoleth tried to spit the dust from his mouth but his throat was too dry. For three long burning days he had trudged through the blasted lands with his hands tied to the tail of a pack horse. His dry skin itched and burned in the pitiless heat of the day and his lips were black and swollen from lack of water. He was given food and water at each day’s end but only enough to keep the life within him and no more, Demos wanted him to suffer.
Black, burning anger filled his soul as he thought of the tyrant. He had had to surrender to save Amira’s life but in the freezing cold of the desert nights gone past when he had heard her cries of torment and Demos’ mocking laughter he had realised that it would have been better had he sent one of his arrows through her heart to end her pain. Demos was truly a monster beyond comprehension. Calthians could be hard and cruel when they had to be but no Calthian would ever take such wicked delight in the prolonged torture of a helpless girl. Somehow he would find a way to put an end to Demos even if it cost him his life. If he could not do that then at least he would put the girl out of her misery. Better a quick death at the hands of a friend than a long slow one at the hands of a creature like Demos. Lost in these gloomy thoughts he trudged on under the burning sun.
His vision was blurred and fatigue threatened to bring him down but he knew that if he fell he would be dragged along behind the horse he was tethered to. On such rough and stony ground he would suffer terrible injury. Injury he could not long survive in his present weakened condition. He concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and despite a few faltering steps he managed to stay on his feet. So engrossed was he in doing this that he only became aware that the Akonite column had come to a halt when he walked into the back of the horse.
A subdued murmur of unease broke out among the Akonites as they looked upon their destination. Asgoleth blinked the sweat from his eyes and followed their gaze. Ahead of them rose a massive tower of jet black stone, jutting thousands of feet up into the dry desert air. This then was the hiding place of that which Demos sought. This was the fabled mountain of doom.
He had heard the tales of those who had come to this terrible place seeking the treasure that was reputed to lie within the mountain. None had returned and what terrible fate they had met with no one knew, except perhaps the priestesses of mighty Solus. They however, until now at least, had kept their secret well.
Suddenly his guards snapped to attention. Asgoleth heard a horse approach and as a shadow fell upon him he looked up into the grinning face of Demos. For a long moment they stared into each other’s eyes and Demos frowned; before him stood no beaten wretch broken in spirit. He saw in the barbarians eyes no fear or despair, only a cold, implacable hatred. Then he sneered. It did not matter what this barbarian animal felt. As long as he held the princess captive this fool would obey him. What utter fools men could be. His lip curled with contempt as he said,
‘I have a task for you Calthian. Yours will be the honour of retrieving the Heart of Ra from its hiding place. If you fail me in this or if you try to escape you know what will happen. Do you understand?’
Asgoleth said nothing but the rage glittered brightly in his cold grey eyes. Demos snorted with contempt and turned his mount away.
‘Bring him.’ he commanded and Asgoleth was pushed roughly forward. The thongs that bound his wrists were cut and he stifled a groan as the agony of returning circulation hit him. He glared at his captors, calculating his chances of leaping in among them to slay and destroy but the guard commander knew barbarians and snarled,
‘Don’t try it, pig or by Balzar I will send you to face the demons of the mount with your legs full of crossbow bolts.’
Asgoleth saw that the man meant what he said and stood silently making no move. The Akonite grinned.
‘Well done dog, you know who your masters’ are, don’t you? Now march.’
The commander pointed to the head of the column and Asgoleth started walking with his guards all around him.
Demos awaited him and so too did Amira. Asgoleth raged inwardly as he saw the lines of fatigue and horror etched in her lovely face. Her eyes were hopeless pools of despair and they held no hint of recognition as he drew near. She had the look of one spell caught and Asgoleth growled,
‘What have you done to her, you animal?’
Demos grinned his cold, infuriating grin and said,
‘I have merely put a simple spell on her to stop her from trying to kill herself. She does not seem to be enjoying the little games we play together at night.’
With a roar of fury Asgoleth launched himself at the tyrant determined to bring him down and kill him there and then. Such was his speed that his guards were taken completely by surprise even though they had been half expecting him to do this. But fast as he was his speed availed him naught for Demos too had been expecting such a move and he was cloaked in the protective aura of the gem on his finger.
Asgoleth’s leap was checked in mid-air and he was hurled violently away to land heavily upon the hard, stony ground. He lay there dazed and breathless and Demos snarled at him,
‘I grow weary of your puny insolence, barbarian. You will carry out my orders or both you and the princess will die now.’
Asgoleth rolled over and climbed to his feet and stood there swaying slightly as he fought off waves of dizziness and nausea then Demos said,
‘Give him his sword and dagger; he will need them to fight the guardian of the Heart of Ra.’
A surge of pleasure went through Asgoleth as the weapons were thrown at his feet. Covered by half a dozen crossbows, he stooped and swiftly buckled the belt about his lean waist and drew his sword from its sheath. The razor sharp edge gleamed brightly in the sun and he grinned at the Akonites who surrounded him. They were ready to open fire in an instant having seen how fast and dangerous this man was but Demos ignored their fear. He knew the barbarian was just playing with them and did not intend to attack. He knew that Amira
would die if he did.
He signalled another of his warriors and the man threw a bundle of prepared torches to Asgoleth then he tossed another one already alight which the Calthian snatched out of the air with unerring ease. Demos grinned,
‘Go and carry out your master’s orders, barbarian.’
Asgoleth hefted his sword and with a final look at Amira he turned his face towards the brooding bulk of the Mountain of Doom. He put Demos and the Akonites out of his mind; he would find a way to deal with them later. For now he would need all of his concentration for the task that lay ahead.
An almost palpable aura of menace seeped out of that massive pile of black stone and for a moment he hesitated and considered going back. Better to die under a hail of crossbow bolts than at the hands or claws of whatever foul fiend awaited him within the mountain. Then he growled deep in his throat and chastised himself for such thoughts. He was a warrior and he would face the guardian of the gem as a warrior should, with sword in hand and courage in his heart. Grimly he began to walk towards the gaping mouth of a tunnel which had been carved into the side of the mountain.
Ashe drew near he saw that others had been here before him. A little to one side of the entrance lay a heavy stone slab which had served as a seal against the outside world. Some other seeker of the treasure had pried it loose and then went in to die, leaving the slab where it had fallen. A shudder touched his spine, no doubt he would find their bones lying somewhere within. Torch in one hand, sword in the other, he entered the tunnel ready to deal death at a moment’s notice.
Within only a few steps the black rock seemed to soak up all the light from the sun that filtered in from behind and he was left with only the flickering radiance of the torch to light his way.
He moved silently, his eyes searching every leaping shadow for danger. As he moved deeper into the gloom he became aware of a chill dampness in the air and a heavy, musty odour as of corpses long dead. Suddenly he saw a flicker of white ahead and he crouched into a fighting stance, sword ready to deal death. For a long tense moment he stood thus but nothing moved and finally he went warily forward. Then he saw that the white object was a shattered human skull. Looking around in the wavering light he saw other bones strewn about the floor.
Asgoleth The Warrior: A Modern Tale of Sword And Sorcery (fantasy fiction books) Page 8