by J D Dench
“Gargoyles attacked you two?” Kayla asked after he had finished. He nodded his head. “You say they’re Demons? From your world? How did they get here?”
“I don’t know,” he answered her, “but however they got here, they spell big trouble. If two of them got here, there could be more on the way. Maybe already even here.”
“And one of them escaped.” He nodded again. “And you thought it came here and attacked me? Is that why you were so high on your guard?”
“Kind of. It could have come back here, or it could have gotten backup and come back here. There’s lots of answers to what could have happened. It was a long time ago.”
Kayla didn’t say anything to that. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity. Matias was trying to figure out where the Demons had come from or where they had gone. Kayla was thinking about what Zae had told her…and why Lillian had suddenly talked to her the same night Matias was attacked. It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it?
“Did the Hammer talk to you today?” she asked out of nowhere.
Matias took a moment to answer her. “Yeah,” he finally said. “Hamerst told me he knows where the Demons came from, but he didn’t tell me where. But how did you know that?”
“Lillian talked to me.” She turned her head to meet his eyes. “She said we need to talk soon.”
And I think it’s time to talk now.
The Sword began to flash a bright green color. At the same moment, the Hammer flashed a bright red. It pulled away from Matias’ pocket. Matias reached out his hand to grab it, but the Hammer pulled away from him stronger than he could handle.
“What’s happening?!” he cried out.
The pocket knife pulled out of Kayla’s pocket. She wanted to reach for it, but she knew there was no point. Lillian had told her they needed to talk. Maybe she had answers.
“Let go,” Kayla told Matias. His eyes met her own, and when he saw the look she was giving him, he let go of the Hammer. Together, Kayla and Matias watched the knife grow until it was a full blade, and the Hammer grow until it was a full hammer. The two weapons touched…
A portal appeared and sucked Kayla and Matias through it. It happened in a flash. They were pulled through, and the next moment the portal was shut behind them.
The room had no windows or lights. Kayla could feel the coldness of the stone flooring beneath her through her pants as she sat on the ground. Nothing else was in the room except for a bed in the center of the room and a dark, wooden door. The blanket on the bed was old and worn, layered in centuries of dust. On top of the blanket was the Sword and Hammer.
“Where are we?” Kayla asked Matias.
“I actually don’t know.” He walked over to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. He pulled harder and harder, but the simple wood wouldn’t move. “We can’t leave. There’s some magic keeping us here.”
“Magic?” Kayla stood up and walked to the bed. Her fingers caressed the hilt of the Sword. “What kind of magic?”
“Ancient and forbidden magic,” Matias answered simply. “The kind of magic that has been banned for a long, long time.”
Their eyes turned to the Hammer as it began to glow again. It rose from the ground, and a figure appeared before them. The figure was a male Dwarf, short and stout, holding a candle. A long beard nearly touched his toes. He was dressed in brown and gray clothing, and a metal helmet hid the rest of his head only allowing his face to be shown. He had fierce eyes and a scar down the right side of his cheek. Kayla had never seen the man, but she heard Matias whisper his name.
“Hamerst, Ruler of Rolistone.”
The Dwarf smiled, and the ferocity faded from his eyes, leaving a warm, greeting gaze that swept over them both. “And a pleasure to finally meet my handler in person. Or, at least, the most ‘person’ I can be.”
The Sword began to glow as well, and a figure appeared in its place. A woman Elf, to be precise, wearing a light-blue shirt and a dark blue skirt that reached her ankles. Her silver hair fell to her waist, and her face was so beautiful, it made the most brilliant of artists stop in wonder.
“And you’re Lillian,” Kayla said quietly, reaching for Matias’ hand. “Lillian Sharp-bringer.”
Her smile could warm an entire room by itself. “And you’re Kayla, the protector of the Realm, the savior of the Palace, and the wielder of the Sword.” She turned and smiled at Hamerst. “It’s wonderful to see you again, my love.”
Hamerst grabbed her hand in his chubby, strong one. “And a blessing to see you once more.”
Matias took a breath to say something. Lillian interrupted him. “You know why you’re here. We need to tell you something. Something dark and evil has awoken in the world, and there is no running from it. It will come find you.”
Hamerst nodded and sat down on the bed. “The portal that you saw, Matias. It leads to the other world. I could be wrong.”
“You’re not,” Lillian replied quickly. “You’re never wrong about your portals.”
He shot her a faint smile and continued, “I swear that portal reached to the Palace in the Elven Kingdom, though how they would have gotten a portal I haven’t the slightest.”
“What is the evil?” Kayla asked. “We defeated Tony already, and the Demon King is dead.”
“Demon Kings die all the time.” Lillian waved her hand in the air. “Four died in my lifetime alone, though less powerful than Tony. Still, Demon Kings are like regular Kings: when one dies, another rises.
“A Demon God, though, is a whole different level. And that’s what you’re dealing with this time.” Kayla saw fear in Lillian’s eyes. “Azzaan in the most deadly threat the Elven Kingdom has ever faced. He destroyed entire Empires by himself before he even raised himself an army. His power is unmatched by anybody. It took generations to rebuild the damage he caused.”
“Can you explain? What Empires did he take down? What makes him so powerful?” Matias looked to the two of them and saw the fear in their eyes. “And were you alive when he was defeated?”
“No,” Hamerst answered, “but her father was. And my father. We heard the stories. Before the four Kingdoms we hold right now were established, BlueCrest, Malkina, the Elven Kingdom, and the Dwarven Kingdom, there was more to the lands. Those lands alone held fifteen Kingdoms and two Empires. The two Empires were the Crestfall Empire and Malkin Empire.
“Azzaan was able to defeat the two Empires and all the Kingdoms, making all the land the Demon Empire. He ruled with an iron fist and had one law: kill any who still live. Countless people died, and the only forms of resistance were hidden underground. It wasn’t until Lillian’s father agreed to work with the Dwarven resistance that any attack could be made.”
Lillian looked toward the door, as if it led to her past. “The attack cost nearly everybody their lives. The Demons fought relentlessly and fell one by one, but for every one Demon that died, it seemed two living souls were extinguished. The resistance pushed back hard, leaving the Demons with only what is now known as the Demon Kingdom left to defend. And, when my father went against Azzaan by himself, all seemed lost, for he was the true leader of the resistance.
“He was unable to kill Azzaan. Azzaan’s power makes it seem as if he always has a second life. Slay him, and he stands once more. I don’t know the details. All I do know is my father was able to capture Azzaan in a mask he wore to protect himself from the ashes of the Demonic lands. Without Azzaan, the Demon army he led fell apart and attempted to go into hiding. The Demons we considered his Generals or Lieutenants were locked in the mask with him.
“He took the mask and built a glass palace around it. He built it so perfectly, with so minimal help, that he was able to place an eternal blessing on the glass castle, so nothing without a living pulse could ever enter the doors of the castle without it shattering around them and rebuilding itself.”
“But Azzaan’s returned,” Hamerst stated. He licked his lips and reached out for a weapon that wasn’t there. “He’s
returned with as much power as ever. I heard Dwarves scream out in agony but knew I couldn’t help them. But I didn’t think it could be Azzaan. Not until I heard the names of those gargoyles, the two he kept as his personal slaves when he used to rule those lands.”
“So,” Matias said after a long pause. “this ‘Azzaan’ is more powerful than any Demon King. How do we stop him? Where do we find him?”
“First, I would suggest finding out how those stone Demons got here to begin with.” Lillian was the one to answer him, though it was clear Matias had been asking Hamerst. “From what I can tell, those are the only two to arrive here, and only one returned back. But do not seek out Azzaan. You cannot defeat him head on. First his army must be picked apart.”
“And remember,” Hamerst added, “this man was able to nearly wipe everything from those lands with his army before. BlueCrest and Malkina are the remains of those empires, so you can see clearly how much they lost. The Palace took the longest to rebuild, while the Hole was the quickest. Those four lands are all that stand now. Liquidina. Reinherst. Poeurto. Three Kingdoms completely wiped out from the raw powerful of his army. You need to suspect that all of those lands are being attacked, if they aren’t already defeated.”
“Are you saying if we go back, it might already be too late?” Kayla turned to Hamerst, and Matias could feel her anger from where he stood. “Why would you two wait so long before telling us all of this?”
“We had to be sure,” Lillian answered, standing up and grabbing Kayla’s hands in her own. Kayla suddenly felt calm, as if Lillian had a spell inside her skin. “When you two returned to this world, you didn’t seem to need us anymore. We didn’t want to worry you and drag you back into danger.”
“Funny enough,” snarled Matias, “danger always finds us.”
Liz had just finished a meeting when Hanika burst into the conference room. She was usually the most calm of her Elven spies, but she was panting from exhaustion. “They made it,” she spat out between breaths.
That means she sprinted here from BlueCrest and never stopped once, doesn’t it? That’s about four days walking, so maybe two sprinting. So she must have run for almost two days straight. Why would she do that?
“Leave us,” Liz said to her guards. They left the room with her researcher, Ryo,, and she closed the doors behind them. “Hanika, sit down and drink some water.”
“But Your Highness, I need to tell you something right away!”
“I don’t care,” Liz snapped back. “Drink. That’s an order.”
Hanika bowed her head and took a small sip of water. Then she took another, followed by another, until the glass was empty. When she spoke again, her face had cleared of sweat and was returning to its pale color. Her breathing was much easier now.
“I stayed behind Olap’s team for the entire journey. They went around the castle, heading toward the river like you expected them to do. But when they reached LivenOak, there was no town anymore. It was flat and bare with piles of ruin scattered throughout. And then, they were attacked by what looked like a giant skeleton shaped like a bird. And that’s when I ran.”
Liz sat across from her with her hands crossed. When Hanika finished speaking, Liz nodded and stood up again, her hands behind her back as she stared at the map on the wall.
“So, you saw a Demon. That proves it.” She took a dagger and stabbed it into the map where LivenOak was located. “That proves the Demons are back and are attacking boldly. Which means they have a leader even more powerful than the one before.”
Hanika didn’t know what to say. She sat in silence as Liz stared at the map for long minutes. Liz fell into her chair again and stared at Hanika. “I think the time has come, Hanika, for the secret project.”
Hanika instantly shook her head. “Terrible idea, Your Highness—”
“Liz!” she screamed, slamming her fist on the table. She instantly regretting flying off the handle. “I’m sorry, Hanika. I’m so sick of this royalty garbage. I wasn’t ready to be in charge of a Kingdom. Rizza was meant to be a leader.”
Just the mention of his name broke her heart a little. She swallowed hard and pressed on, “I’m not a leader. I’m a warrior, and I can’t help feeling useless when I’m in here talking and planning instead of out there fighting. I’m an assassin. An outcast to this race. I left this land because I didn’t belong here. Now, I sit here to rule only because nobody else could.”
“But you’re doing an incredible job Your—Liz,” Hanika corrected herself quickly, her face brightening in embarrassment.
“So, why is the secret project a bad idea?”
“It’s not tested.” Hanika leaned toward Liz and lowered her voice. “The portal may not work or may lead somewhere else. Ryo says it’s ready to put online, but I have my doubts. If it doesn’t work, there’s no hope anymore. Especially if something were to happen to you.”
Liz leaned back and crossed her arms. “It’ll work, Hanika. And without Kayla there is no hope right now anyway.” Hanika wanted to say more, but Liz cut her off. “I’ve made my mind. Now, go.”
Chapter Six
It almost felt like Kayla and Matias had woken up from a deep sleep when they left the dark room with Lillian and Hamerst behind them. Kayla woke up to the smell of coffee brewing. She turned over and instantly regretted it, her body throbbing in aches and pains from laying on the couch. As she turned, she saw Matias’ back facing her as he focused on pouring a cup of coffee and sitting at the table. Drinking it black, as usual, Kayla thought, almost retching at the idea. Instead, she pushed herself to her feet with a groan and walked behind him, wrapping her arms around him.
“Light almond milk, two scoops of sugar?” he said instantly, holding a cup behind him.
She grabbed it and kissed his cheek, standing on her tiptoes to reach his face. “Thank you,” she said with a small smile, turning away from him and taking a sip. He always makes it perfect!
He turned around to face her. His eyes were dark. There was no sign of a smile on his face. He rubbed his eyes roughly before taking a long sip of his coffee. He lowered his hand to his side and took another sip.
“We need to talk,” he said without meeting her gaze.
“About what?” she asked.
She could feel a cold hand wrap around her heart. She always hated when he gave her that look. It rarely happened. The last time it had been when they came to New York and Matias wanted to talk about how they were going to afford a place to live. The talk had been brutal, ending with Kayla in tears because Matias would take on such dangerous jobs.
“We need to talk about what we’re going to do next,” he said simply, sitting down at the table. He gestured for her to sit. “About the Demon attack at the cemetery. About this ‘Azzaan’ showing up, and about what the Hammer and Sword want us to do about him.”
Kayla took a seat across from him, folding her hands around her cup. The coffee was the only thing keeping her body warm as that cold hand spread through her entire body. “What is there to talk about? We go back and take care of the problem like we did last time.”
“I don’t want to go back.”
Kayla felt like all the air left the room. “What did you just say?” she asked, staring at him as if he wasn’t from the same world as her. She felt lightheaded and took a deep sip of her coffee to try and gather herself.
“We should stay here,” he said flatly. There was no tone in his voice. He continued, “This is our new life, Kayla. If we go back to them whenever something goes wrong, we will never be able to start a new life again. We will be at their disposal, whenever they need us.” He took a sip and looked toward the coffee brewer, unable to meet Kayla’s eyes. “That world isn’t our world.”
“It is, though, Matias,” Kayla scolded him. “And how dare you say it isn’t?”
“You grew up here, not there! And I want to leave that world behind me. I want to stay here. I want to stay here and work while you write. I want you to help children while I keep the
streets safe. I want to move us to New York City, like you have always dreamed, and I want to grow old with you with children and grandchildren. I had a dream of us in the future, Kayla, and it’s here. Not there.”
Kayla stayed silent after he finished. She took another sip, her eyes unwilling to leave his face. He couldn’t look at her, but she couldn’t stop looking at him.
“So that’s it,” Kayla finally said, shattering the uncomfortable silence in the room. “That’s all you have to say for leaving behind an entire world, Matias? Do you have any clue what you’re saying?”
“Kayla, you don’t understand. Remember what I went through? Remember what I had to endure through while the Demon King—”
“Forget about the Demon King!” she screamed, finally unable to control her temper. “I know it’s hard, but if I can forget about Tony, you can forget about the Demon King. Matias, you have to remember everything that world gave me. I learned I’m descended from a royal Elf, Matias. And I made friends.
“But more than that, I was somebody! For the first time, Matias, can’t you get that? I was a nobody who did schoolwork with a boyfriend everybody made fun of. But in that world? I helped save that world. I defeated Demons, and learned to tap into things I never thought I could do. I learned to use weapons, something I never thought I would learn in my entire life. I defeated Demons and saved people.
“And Matias, I carry around the burdens of my past the same as you. I remember what happened all too clearly. I ask if I’m the reason Tony turned evil. I wonder if leaving Liz the way I did was the wrong thing to do. But I’m willing to carry those with me and go back there to risk everything and try again, to be somebody again!” Her eyes were red, and tears coated her cheeks. She spilled her coffee on the table and didn’t even notice. Her face felt like it was on fire. And, for the first time all day, their eyes were meeting. Kayla could almost see Matias’ soul in his gaze, and she could see the conflict going on behind his eyes.
