“I am known by that name, and many others. Why are you following my servants?”
Jonas knew that the man before him was not Maltheil. The demon must be controlling them and somehow talking through the man. “I am Shyann’s servant. And I have come to end you and free these men. I bring her light to stamp out your darkness.”
The man before him laughed. It was a low rumble and it seemed to emanate from the ground. “Young warrior, there cannot be light without darkness,” the man said. “I thought your stench was familiar. I have known Her smell. You will all make fine servants. Perhaps you will lead my army.”
Bearit glanced back and forth, nervously adjusting his hands on his axe. “Jonas, we can’t fight them all.” Bearit glanced over the side of the bridge and stepped closer to the edge.
“Don’t,” Jonas whispered. His voice was hard and sharp. “You will die in the water if you jump.”
The man laughed again, clearly hearing them despite the distance. “You will die either way.”
Just then Jonas heard an earie clicking sound and moments later pale human-like forms scurried like spiders from under the bridge and over the wall on both sides. They were the same creatures that had attacked them at Gyeen. Sure enough, handfuls of the creatures climbed over the wall behind them as well, their sharp claws clicking on the stone as they climbed up the rock façade like lizards. They must have scurried under the bridge from both sides only to pop up less than five paces away.
They were boxed in and outnumbered. “We cannot fight them all,” Bearit said, his voice rising with nervous energy. He had almost no experience in combat, and now he was faced with a threat that would surely see their end. He was always confident in his abilities, but now they seemed inadequate to see them through their predicament alive.
“We can,” Jonas said confidently, his jaw set. “And we will.” Then he looked at Bearit, his eyes intense and filled with a rising controlled rage. “Prepare yourself. We will survive.” His jaw was set and his eyes were as hard as steel. In a flash he returned his gaze to the man, releasing his arrow at the same time.
The arrow struck the man in the forehead, knocking him backwards where he stumbled and fell to the pavers. Then the scene erupted in chaos as the two groups converged on them. Men ran at them, the demon creatures scurried on all fours, and the animals leapt and jumped, their claws splayed and their roars deafening.
“Get behind me!” Jonas yelled as he ran forward towards the group before them. Bearit had no idea what to do against such odds so he did as instructed, running behind Jonas with Tulari at his side. He couldn’t believe what they were doing. They were charging a huge cat, a colossal bear, and over fifteen men and demon-spawn, with another group close to that size on their heels.
Jonas reached deep within his conscious and called upon his cognivant powers, pulling a large amount of energy from everything around him. In his mind’s eye he could see the particles of energy that made up the stone of the bridge and that spun in the air around them, and he drew it into him, and just before they collided with the advancing force he flung it forward in a sharp wedge, the point of the energy plowing aside bodies just as an axe splits wood. Even the rock bear was knocked aside, its massive form crashing into the bridge wall. They busted through the line with men and demon-spawn alike cast aside by the invisible wall, their claws and swords angling clumsily for them as they tumbled to the ground or even over the side of the bridge. The shadow cat had leapt high, hoping to land on them, but it struck the side of the invisible wall and was knocked over the side of the bridge, its angry roar extinguished when it hit the water. No blade or sharp claw could penetrate the translucent shield as the trio busted through to the other side.
Once free from them, Jonas spun around, releasing the energy quickly and bringing his bow back up. He had used a large amount of cognitive energy and his head, near the base of his neck, was developing a slow ache. But the pressing situation allowed him to forget it easily enough. Now they were facing all of them, no longer forced to fight them from both sides. On top of that advantage, four of the enemy had been launched over the side of the bridge, along with one of the cats, and handfuls of others lay scattered on the bridge. But still the odds were overwhelmingly against them.
Jonas went to work, releasing arrow after arrow, every sharp point, each one blessed by Shyann, finding their mark. Enemy bodies tumbled backwards or over the bridge, pierced by his deadly arrows. Bearit and Tulari flanked Jonas, and it was a good thing, as moments later pale forms crawled over the railing from the underside of the bridge on either side of them, their thin but strong legs propelling the demon-spawn from the wall directly at them.
Bearit howled and swung his axe to meet the first body, the heavy blade cutting through the creature’s head and into its torso. The logger stood like a thick oak, the impact of the beast minimal. Bearit stepped back a few steps to lessen the impact, tossing the dead body to the side with incredible strength. Two more came at him, one leaping at his right flank while the other met his reverse swing, the sharp blade of his axe cutting into its torso and flinging it over the bridge railing into the darkness below. Feeling sharp claws rip into his leg Bearit screamed in pain. Remembering the sharp blade on the other end of the axe, Bearit brought the handle end down hard on the creature’s head just as it bit into his thigh below his chainmail, the blade punching through the creature’s skull. Striking it with his knee, Bearit knocked the dead creature into another attacking demon-spawn. More came at him and he swung his axe with all his strength and speed, barely keeping the enemy from ripping into his flesh.
Tulari was using her huge head and claws to swat the beasts away, cutting through flesh and launching several over the railing to the water below. Using her massive size and speed, she kept all the assailants off her and protected Jonas’s right flank as he killed more with his deadly bow.
The overwhelming assailants were just about to reach Jonas when he dropped his bow and drew his blades, the blue glow of Shyann’s power flaring along the sharp edges and lighting up the shadowy evening. The rock bear barreled through the pale men, and lowering its head in a thunderous roar, came straight at Jonas. Even if Jonas skewered the beast with his sword, the momentum of the charge would crush him. Having only seconds to think, Jonas drew forth his cognitive powers again and wrapped his body in energy as he leapt impossibly high into the air. The combined power of his enchanted boots and the energy around his body sent him well over the bear. The snarling beast ran underneath him as Jonas landed in a throng of pale men, their rictus grins leering at him as their swords sought his flesh. One blade nicked his arm scoring a shallow cut near his elbow. Spinning like a top, his dual blades followed his trajectory, slicing into their flesh. Stopping his momentum, his swords flashed high and low, left and right, creating a wall of steel they could not penetrate. Several possessed men fell but Jonas had no time for the others as the bear had skidded to a stop and turned, its red eyes intense with anger. Roaring defiantly, the bear charged again. It seemed that Maltheil had the ability to possess animals as well as men, for clearly the forest creatures attacking them were not under their own bidding. And they had changed, becoming a demon-like version of their former selves.
Jonas was not sure what to do, sensing the sharp steel of the attackers behind him and seeing the huge bear charge. Bearit was bleeding and struggling to keep the attacking demon-spawn off him, but despite the blood on his flank his huge axe flashed back and forth impressively fast for such a heavy weapon.
A massive roar from Tulari shook the bridge and she spun to face the bear, her huge body knocking three demon-spawn over the edge, while she shot forward off her strong hind legs, catapulting into the charging bear. The impact was incredible and Jonas heard bones break as the two huge forms rolled in a flurry of claws and snarls only to tumble off the side of the bridge.
“No!” Jonas screamed as he turned on his heel to block two blades descending for his neck. A third blade reached past his swords, deflecting o
ff his thigh guard and inflicting a shallow cut on the side of his leg. Fury, like white hot fire, roared through his body as his blades darted and flicked, slicing flesh and turning aside sharp steel. He had no time to do anything other than to block and kill, and hope that Tulari survived the fall and that Bearit was still alive and covering his flank. Bodies piled up around him as he danced across the stone pavers, his body ducking and turning as his twin swords blurred like the wings of a humming bird. He had to dig deep for everything Kiln and Allindrian had taught him to keep the enemy from striking him down.
A cat’s roar broke through the din of battle and just before him two men turned aside as a huge black cat flew over them. The beast must have leaped from behind them, its huge paws were splayed wide, dagger-like claws curved like an eagles and ready to rip his flesh. Having no other choice, Jonas pointed his right sword towards the cat and drew in more cognitive energy. Pulling it from everything around him, he screamed defiantly as he shot the invisible force forward from the tip of his sword, concentrating all of the power on the cat’s open mouth. There was a loud crack and it looked like the cat was punched in the face by a frost giant. Snapping hard to the left the cat’s neck broke, the power of the invisible punch knocking the cat away from him where it spun in the air, careening off the edge of the bridge rail to the river below.
Suddenly the bridge shook and Jonas looked over his attackers, most of whom turned to see what was causing the shaking. His head pounded and he was thankful for the quick distraction. A column of mounted warriors rode across the bridge, striking the rear of the assailants. The men wore armor and red sashes around their waists, and each man held a shield and cavalry sword. Their horses pushed through the attackers like stalks of corn, their swords cutting into them and killing anything that was not knocked over the bridge. Within moments the attackers were dead or scattered and twenty warriors on barded horses stood before them.
Jonas was holding his glowing swords to either side and was panting heavily, the back of his head pounding from over-using his Cognitive powers. There was a pile of fifteen dead bodies around him. Glancing back, Jonas was relieved to see Bearit on one knee, blood dripping from his leg and several cuts on his arms. Over eight demon-spawn were dead on the bridge and more than likely at least a handful had been knocked over the railing. Using the bloody end of his axe, Bearit pushed his body to his feet. Standing tall, he held his bloody axe before him. Jonas was impressed. He was badly hurt and tired, but still he would not show weakness before these men.
Then he heard a low growl and saw Tulari slowly walk towards him from the other side. She was dripping wet and Jonas saw her limping and coddling her right leg, the fur around her mouth drenched in blood. Other than her injured leg, she seemed fine. He was relieved to see her, but Tulari’s presence did not get the same reaction from the mounted men.
“Behind you!” the lead warrior yelled as he gripped his reins ready to heel his steed and attack.
“Wait!” Jonas yelled, running back to stand before Tulari. She lowered her head and Jonas put his arm around her thick neck. “She is with me! Hold your attack!”
The same lead warrior stayed his horse but looked ready to launch forward at any moment. The man next to him, wearing a full chest plate, pauldrons, helm, and holding a long curved sword, lifted his visor. Jonas noticed that the man’s helm had a red plume, figuring it marked his higher rank. “Who are you?” He asked, his appraising eyes scanning the carnage, lingering on the demon spawn, their pale disfigured bodies all too clear. It seemed pretty clear that the warrior had never seen such a beast.
“I am Jonas Kanrene, Shyann’s knight. This is my apprentice Bearit and my companion Tulari.”
The man who spoke had a full beard of dark hair but even in the dimming light Jonas could see his lightning blue eyes. They were piercing, the contrast against his dark beard startling. They reminded Jonas of Kiln’s intense gaze. “What manner of beast is that?”
“She is a night wolf. And she bears you no harm.”
He looked skeptical, but he nodded nonetheless. “I know of you. We passed a messenger coming from Gyeen a day ago. He told us what happened there and that a knight saved the magistrate. I assume that is you.” Before Jonas could answer he spoke again. “My name is Korrin and I’m a Captain of the Red Guard. We were tracking some captured villagers when we found you.”
“And a good thing. Thank you for coming to our aid.”
The captain nodded again. “Your man is hurt. It will be dark soon. Let’s set up camp where we can see to your wounds. Then we can eat and talk.”
***
They set up a camp on the far side of the bridge, their tents and fires built with precision typical of well-trained soldiers. There wasn’t much room along the road’s edge so most of the tents were erected on the road itself. Cook fires had been set and the hardy men sat around three different fires eating bowls of beans with salted ham and big chunks of bread.
One of the warriors saw to Bearit’s wounds, cleaning the cuts and smearing them with a green salve that tingled before wrapping them in clean bandages. The bite on his leg was the worst. There was a row of deep punctures and the soldier, who was a trained healer, was worried about infection.
“Bites are the worst,” the man said as he massaged the salve into the oozing holes. His name was Tamoran and he had been a Red Guard soldier for over ten years. He was lean and tall, with jet black hair cut short over his ears. “How does it feel?”
“Stings some,” Bearit answered, not cringing in the least bit.
“The tingling is good…means the salve is doing its job. You should heal nicely, but keep an eye on it.”
“Thank you.”
The man nodded as he moved to Jonas. His wounds were shallow, the bleeding already stopped, and all that were needed were a salve and a clean bandage. Soon after, Jonas sat down as a soldier brought two steaming bowls of food. He handed one to Bearit who stayed standing and gave the other to Jonas. “Thank you,” he said to the warrior, who nodded. “Does it hurt to sit?” he asked Bearit.
“Some,” Bearit admitted.
“Hopefully the bite will scab up and stop bleeding,” Tamoran added as he accepted a bowl of beans from Captain Korrin.
Tulari was now the size of a big dog and curled up next to Jonas, the fire’s flames warming her wet fur. Most of the men seemed leery of her, keeping their distance. Jonas knew that she would heal herself with time, and that likely her injured leg would be good as new by tomorrow morning. He wasn’t sure if her ability to heal was part of being a night wolf, or perhaps Shyann’s doing, or maybe it was a combination of the two. He was just happy that she could heal herself, as he no longer had that ability. It was one of the hardest powers to lose, being able to heal the needy and his friends. He hated seeing people suffer and no longer being able to do anything about it.
“So how long have you been tracking your people?” Jonas asked as he dipped his bread into the salted beans.
“Since yesterday,” Korrin replied. “We have stepped up our patrols on the king’s orders. We found their destroyed and mostly empty village yesterday morning. The carnage looked to be a day old. We tracked them all day until we found you.”
“We just came across their tracks ourselves,” Jonas added. “I don’t think they are more than a half day ahead of us.”
Korrin nodded his head, eating his beans. “We will free them tomorrow.” He was firm and matter-of-fact. Jonas liked that. He looked up from his bowl, his expression serious. “We did not expect to fight the manner of creatures we found on the bridge. What were those things?”
Jonas looked up confused. “What did you think you were following?”
Korrin shrugged. “Brigands…maybe slavers. We were told they were about and to step up our patrols.”
“Who told you this?”
“General Moore, our commander.”
Jonas was shaking his head. “Looks like they were trying to keep the news quiet.”
“What news?” Korrin asked. The other soldiers around the fire were eating quietly, listening intently. Each one was just as concerned as Korrin. They had never seen a rock bear or shadow cat act as they did on the bridge, or fought against demon-spawn such as they saw.
“The demon Maltheil has escaped from its prison. What you fought on the bridge were its servants, enslaved by the creature’s magic. They were once human. I believe that the group you follow are being herded to the beast so that it may turn them just as it has to hundreds already.”
No one said anything, each man frozen in shock. Korrin set his bowl down, looking into the fire. Then he looked back at Jonas. “You are sure of this?”
“I am. I thwarted an attack on the Earl at Gyeen just yesterday. We were attacked by the same creatures. The Earl knew of the demon’s escape.”
“Why would the king keep this news from us?” Korrin asked.
“Perhaps he didn’t want to create hysteria. My guess is you would have been informed eventually,” Jonas added.
“We need to get our people back,” Korrin said, his voice more grave than before. He was obviously thinking the same thing as everyone else…that they would eventually be turned into the creatures they just fought. They couldn’t let that happen.
“The force guarding them may be considerable,” Jonas said.
Korrin nodded. “They are our people.” He said nothing more as if that was reason enough. After a few more spoonfuls of beans, he looked back at Jonas. “Is it true that you are one of the heroes of Malbeck’s War? I heard a song a few years back by a traveling bard. He sung of Kiln the swordsman, and King Baylin Gavinsteal dying to protect his people. I remember the words describing a great demon dragon, an elven Bladesinger, and an ogrillion with a mace as big as a tree. He sung about a twin bladed swordsman who was once a cavalier.” Korrin glanced at Jonas’s blades at either hip. “Are you that man?”
There were five other men sitting around the fire talking softly and eating, but once the Captain had spoken about Malbeck’s War they stopped and listened. It seemed they were all curious about Jonas’s identity. It didn’t go unnoticed that when they found him on the bridge he was surrounded by fifteen dead enemies and had barely a scratch on him.
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