Corbett found he couldn’t get his words out because the Clerics spell didn’t affect the cold air entering his lungs. ‘Moloch.’
‘What are you saying you ridiculous man?’ Felicity asked, not happy with having him pointing his finger her way.
‘Your Demon. He’s an Ice Demon.’ Corbett said.
‘Yes.’ Felicity said, ‘So what?’
‘So what?’ Corbett said, his eyes widening. ‘Are you taking the piss. Look at us. We’re literally surrounded by ice. I’m standing on ice. This is ice central.’
‘What are you saying Corbett?’ Daisy said, a little kindlier, ‘There’s no Demon here. Valeran would have sensed it.’
At this point the Cleric arrived.
‘What’s this idiot shouting about now? Valeran asked.
‘I’m no idiot. We need to turn around and get out here.’ Corbett said, his accusatory finger now travelled to the Cleric. ‘Moloch, he’s an Ice Demon. Do you have anything making your hair stand up? Anything from your friends up-stairs?’
‘What?’ Valeran said, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Any… vibrations or ghostly warnings. Foreboding. That kind of thing.’
Valeran frowned, then thought.
‘Well… I’ve had this ache in my elbow. It’s an old tennis injury. It’s been giving me gyp since the cold weath…’
‘You useless old goat.’ Corbett snapped.
He turned back to Daisy, who appeared to be the only person he might not be wasting his breath on.
‘Her prophecy, if we are to believe her…’
‘’Excuse me.’ Felicity said, her face instantly displaying the anger lines she kept very well hidden.
‘This Prophecy was delivered to her by a Demon named Moloch. And guess what! Moloch just happens to be an ICE Demon.’
‘Oh, come now Corbett. Moloch is a very common name among Demons. It’s like calling someone Tyler or Brad. You have to remember that the name you know isn’t their...’
‘Yes! I know. Thank you very much Mr Bleeding Obvious. I do have a couple of the things nestling in my brain remember. What I’m saying is… no, what I’m asking is, how did Little Miss Bats and Rats here come by that particular prophecy...’
It clicked in his mind the moment he said it out loud. How else would one get visions and persuasive suggestions fed into your mind by a Demon?
‘Oh shit.’ Corbett.
‘What now?’ Daisy asked.
Andreton came up behind him. Puzzled as to why everyone had stopped, and no one appeared to be cooking. Francis let out a low, nervous moo.
Corbett’s finger of accusation now came full circle, once again pointing at Felicity.
‘It’s in her mind.’
‘Have you gone insane?’ Felicity asked. Corbett thought she looked genuinely angry. If he was right, did she know? Was it possible to have a Demon in your mind and be unaware of it?
‘Kezra! Are you still there? Can she not know? Is that possible?’ Corbett asked.
‘Yes.’ Kezra said. And for the first time since this Demon had entered his mind and spoken to him and entertained him and kept him company with her strangely happy outlook on everything as walked for bloody miles, she sounded a little nervous, possibly a little scared. ‘If it is a very powerful Demon Jeremy, nothing less than a Prince.’
A discussion that bordered on an argument began as Valeran, Daisy and Felicity threw questions and insinuations around and Corbett having opened the can of accusation, stepped away from the worms of repercussion.
‘Are we safe?’ He asked.
‘We cannot enter the human world unless we are called into it by someone using our true name Jeremy and a Demon would never give anyone or anything its true name unless it trusted it implicitly.’
‘OK. That’s something at least. No one is stupid enough to trust a Demon.’
Corbett paused, ‘er... present company excepted of course.’
And again, hearing his own thoughts triggered something in Corbett that he was beginning to recognise as genuinely practical thinking.
The Demon Moloch had convinced this young woman, an obviously powerful and talented but still quite young Sorceress, that he was delivering messages while it was under her control, and from within the Abyss. But this wasn’t so, it was inside her mind. There was a good chance that her intentions were good, noble even. She genuinely thought she was going to save them all, save the world possibly! Would anything less than that be acceptable to call a Demon into their own Dimension?
‘Jeremy. You are in grave danger!’ Kezra said fearfully, not for herself but for him.
‘What do I do Kez?’
‘Don’t let her say his name. She must not say his name.’
Gone was Kezra’s almost childlike excitement at everything. Corbett could feel the Demon in her now. Her strength and power. He sensed Kezra start ransacking his mind. She was
looking for something. Corbett knew he could stop her, he could simply will her away from his memories but he decided not against it. If this was all as she said he might need whatever she found. Yet it startled him to have such dark energy moving through his head. He turned back to the group.
Clearly things had become heated while he had been lost in conversation with Kezra. Daisy and Felicity were arguing. Valeran was stood with his arms crossed, clearly not happy. Andreton was close up to Francis, patting her head. She didn’t appear to be at ease either. The snow storm whirled about them with increasing speed and was kept at bay only because Valeran had produced a bubble of invisible force around them to keep it away.
‘This weather is being affected by the magical energy in this place.’ Kezra advised him.
‘Ours?’ Corbett asked.
‘A little yes, but there is more. There is something formed of condensed essence nearby. I can feel it. Even through your Clerics force shield.’
Corbett looked around. He couldn’t see anything past the snow outside of the bubble and he didn’t like it.
‘If it wasn’t for the shield, we wouldn’t be able to see a hand in front of our…’
Kezra had found the emotion she had been looking for and she tossed it out to him. The emotion was alert caution of things that might not be there, that, just because you were paranoid it didn’t mean they weren’t out to get you. It had not been hard to locate and when Corbett caught it, he realised instantly what was bothering him.
‘The snow is blinding us!’ Corbett said. ‘There’s something out there!’
He shouted the last and all heads turned towards him.
‘This is a trap. We’ve been suckered.’ He said. ‘His eyes blazed at Felicity. She’s duped us.’
‘Dear boy, what are you waffling on about?’ Valeran said.
‘How can you not sense this? This is your fucking job. DEMONS!’
‘There are no Demons here.’ Valeran said dismissively. ‘I can sniff an agent of the Abyss from a hundred yards.’
‘Really? Then how come you’ve never once mentioned anything when mine have turned up. Eh?’
‘Well, they are in your head. Naturally I can’t detect them. I’m a Cleric, not a bloody mind-reader.’
Corbett shot out a finger. ‘She’s got one in her head too you twat.’
Felicity stared hard at the Wizard’s accusatory digit.
‘I’m getting pretty sick of you pointing at me Corbett.’ She said with dark malevolence.
‘You don’t even know do you? You think it’s through some ritual or mystical connection.’ Corbett took a risk and stepped a little closer. ‘You think he’s communicating from the Abyss, and that you are in control, but you’re not. He’s pulling the strings.’
‘No one is pulling my strings. There’s no Demons inside my mind. I don’t go about tearing apart the fabric of reality just to make a few fireworks to impress some warlord.’
‘No.’ Corbett began to walk around her. ‘But you do fancy yourself, don’t you? As a manipulator, as a clever-clogs, and I’ll bet you even think you might be
able to save the world. Not because you particularly want to save it, but because you want everyone to know that it was you that pulled it off.’
Felicity boiled with anger. Fuming that this self-serving, lazy Elementalist would be so damn rude to her.
‘This is deliberate provocation child. Do not be taken in by this cretin’s taunts.’
It was him, the Demon. He had come to her aid and as usual he was right. Moloch had often been the voice of reason, calming her temper.
‘How did he first contact you Felicity? Corbett asked as he continued to circle her. ‘Had you cast some powerful spell? Communicated via some artefact you didn’t fully understand?’
He had to make her mad. Upset her, and this shouldn’t be a problem, especially as he had a gift for rubbing people up the wrong way.
The others watched with confusion etched onto their faces, not noticing that Francis’s mooing was becoming more frequent and more urgent. Even Andreton stood over it all not realising that his Steppe-Cow was anxious. He only looked on, wondering if punching someone might help calm everything down a bit. The Wizard stuck him as the best option for this.
‘Maybe he’s talking to you right now. Perhaps some wise words are being trickled into that echo chamber between your ears.’
‘Fools like him are why this world is in danger. His tiny mind cannot comprehend the horror that is coming. That only you and I can prevent.’
Felicity understood. Moloch had sacrificed so much for her to prove to her that his intentions were noble and just. Yes, he was a Demon, but he had no wish to hurt her or anyone, only to bring their domains closer in understanding. He had done this so that she would have the power to resist the evil that was coming. He had even told her the most precious secret that any Demon could reveal, his true name.
‘What should I do?’ Felicity asked of her mentor, ‘Do I ignore him? Why does he think you are in my head?’
‘Because all he knows is Lesser Demons. Trivial and worthless creatures that cannot exist once they leave the Abyss without leeching off the pathetic energy of their host.’ Moloch said with a measure of impatience that she had not encountered before.
‘You have seen the horror. The end times. Should this blathering idiot prevent the Gate it will all come to pass. You must destroy him before he infects the others with his stupidity.’
‘Yes.’ Felicty thought.
The Wizard was doing just that. Infecting them all with his questions and his doubts. Yet, something seemed at odds with how she recalled the visions granted to her by Moloch.
She had not seen them all pass through the Gate in the vision but understood that they had done that. All of them. And at the
same time. It wasn’t a scene like the terrible violence and devouring darkness Moloch had revealed to her had been. This image of the party as a group had come at the end, as a sensation, not something visual. They had been joined in terror, and fear and some measure also of excitement!
But where was Donalt? Where was Dorian and also his companions, Spyra and Scout? If she destroyed Corbett, which admittedly had a nice warm feeling about it, that would be one less person to make that final part of the prophecy complete. So how had she experienced this sense that all of them should go through the Gate, and at the same time?
I can feel doubts rising in you child.’ Moloch said.
‘His presence is stronger now.’ Felicity thought.
It had always seemed so distant, as it should be when he was communicating to her from the Abyss. Yet, now that they were here, in this spot, with Corbett pressing her, confusing her, angering her…
She took a step back from the group. And then another. She needed time to think about this. The Wizard needed to shut up. The storm outside the bubble was raging and she felt somehow trapped within the Clerics shield rather than protected by it. Or… perhaps it wasn’t her that was feeling oppressed by the divine force. Perhaps, if a Demon was sufficiently close to its power, such as inside her mind…
‘Tell me something Sorceress.’ She heard Corbett say, and shook her head to bring her focus back to him.
‘What do you smell right now? He said.
‘What? She asked, incredulous.
‘Don’t think about the answer, just tell me, right now, what do you smell?’ Corbett asked, and he took up the steps she had taken backwards to close the distance between them.
Valeran, who had been very near to casting a sleep charm upon the Wizard suddenly held his thoughts. He was interested in this. He understood what Corbett was asking.
‘I… I smell… that bloody Cow, and you, and the Warrior and Daisy’s ridiculous nut oil she thinks keeps her skin smooth.’
Daisy reddened. She hadn’t realised anyone had seen her applying the Dapnut Oil each morning.
‘Ok. What else. What other smell is there, at the back of your nostrils. Floating there, almost as if you just passed through a kitchen where you mum has been baking a…’
‘Marzipan.’ Felicity said, and her mouth opened wide into an ‘O’ of horror.
Valeran mirrored her abject surprise. ‘Oh my fuckity fuck.’ He said, unable to bring to mind anything less profane.
‘I’m not following.’ Daisy said. ‘What’s the big deal with Marzipan?’
‘It’s what Demons smell like.’ Corbett said, his face wore a look of triumphant smugness. ‘I should know. It’s like I’ve inhaled a birthday cake when my pair are hanging around in my head.’
Daisy looked to Valeran.
‘It’s true.’ He said, fearfully. ‘Angels smell like bleach, Demons smell like Marzipan.’
‘This is ridiculous!’ Felicity shouted. ‘I know his name. What Demon would risk giving someone his true name.’
‘One who has more than one name.’ Valeran said. ‘My dear, if Moloch is a Prince of Hell then he will have more than one name. It will be a true name but only in Hell.’
‘Enough.’ Daisy said, but the voice was not hers. She looked directly at Valeran. ‘Now I will come. Now you will all die.’
‘Oh shit.’ Corbett said.
The Cleric’s shield began to bubble and blister as caustic Essence flowed from Felicity and ate at its holy power.
‘What is she doing?’ Daisy said, as snow quickly began to pour into their shelter.
‘It’s not her. It’s that Demon. It’s in her. Daive almighty! Corbett was right.’ Valeran said. ‘Step away from her Daisy. Corbett, move!’
The Cleric lifted his hands and prepared to cast the slumber spell he had primed for Corbett. But, in an instant Felicity was gone, obscured by the blinding, roaring snowstorm as his shield against it collapsed.
‘CORBETT’ Valeran shouted to raise his voice about the wind, ‘DO YOU SEE HER!’
‘RIGHT IN MY FUCKING EAR!’ Corbett screamed back. THANKS FOR THAT. NO. I DONT SEE HER.
Francis issued a loud and frightened ‘MOOOOOOOOOO!’
‘VY IS EVERYVON SHOUTING?’ Andreton bawled.
‘SO WE CAN HEAR EACH OTHER YOU STUPID BASTA…’ Corbett started but abruptly the storm halted and killed his retort. The wind that had been driving the snowflakes in circles dissipated and the snow drifted gently to the floor. A clear blue sky appeared above the party, and as the once blinding blizzard died they saw that they were surrounded.
Orcs were all about them. And Wargs, enormous wolf-beasts with teeth as long as short-swords. Some were so large that Orcs were sat on top of them.
‘Mountain Orcs.’ Daisy said.
She drew her swords and began to slowly move around her fellow adventurers. Gauging the strength of the force around them.
Francis mooed loudly again and Andreton patted her side, whispering soothing words to calm her.
There was no sign of Felicity.
‘Cleric. Do something.’ Corbett said.
‘It OK. Andreton get Dennis.’ The Warrior said. Lifting up his axe from its harness.
‘Wait!’ Daisy said. ‘They aren’t attacking.’
Keeping her
stance. Ready to spring into combat, Daisy studied the Orcs more closely.
Their eyes were wide and filled with the desire to fight. They grunted and slavered. The Wargs were almost shivering with excitement at the prospect of a bloody assault, but they didn’t place even a single paw forward.
The weaponry of the massed horde was typical of Orcs, crude and wicked looking, and their armour was not metal as their larger cousins the Black Orcs tended to wear. But that was of little consequence. There were hundreds of them. Sheer weight of numbers would give these savage things the upper hand.
‘They are being controlled.’ Daisy said.
‘Yes.’ Valeran agreed. ‘Something is holding them back. Perhaps we could talk to them. See what they want?’
‘We can try. They speak the Common tongue, don’t they? Daisy asked of anyone.
‘Dunno.’ Corbett said, eyeing up the distance to the back of the horde.
To teleport he would need a visible reference point to move to. Once beyond them he could try running and then… but no, the Wargs would be on him before he could prepare another teleportation. They would fuck up his positioning and he might end up three feet inside solid rock.
‘Bugger.’ He thought.
Andreton took a step and rested Dennis across his shoulders. ‘Andreton speak to Orcs.’
‘What!’ Valeran spluttered. ‘God no.’
‘Hai! Orcs.’ Andreton called to them. All Orc eyes turned to him. ‘Ve are going to Gate and you are in ze Vey. You must go now. Or Chop Chop.’
No Orc or Warg moved but their eyes burned with rage.
‘Andreton think they want Chop Chop.’ He said.
‘I think they do too Andreton.’ Daisy agreed. ‘So why aren’t they…’
A tearing noise came from within the crowd and the party saw something rise from amongst the Orcs. They shuffled about as something pushed them away from it. Something black, and awful began to unfold.
‘By the Gods.’ Valeran said.
He quickly began to spin through his mental Rolodex of deities and call in as many favours as was possible.
They all saw that Moloch had arrived.
‘How is that possible?’ Daisy said. ‘How can he be here.’
‘These are his minions,’ Corbett said, ‘and he is still connected to Felicity, wherever she is. ‘He has forced her to release him. She must have said his true name for this plane for him to escape her mind.
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