Iron Age Demons

by Eden Redd

  Letting the moment slip away, Will began walking toward the castle. Castle Thorn stabbed at the air like a multi-pronged odd looking trident. The main keep was pentagon shaped with towers reaching into the sky at each point and a thick, singular tower in the middle. Will lamented on the immense work to create it, because it stood practically empty since the kobolds spent most of their time in the village. Will and the others stayed in the castle, but the empty halls and rooms haunted him, begging to be filled with bodies and purpose. Reaching the wide stairs, the player climbed them until the sun was blocked out and Will walked into cool shadows.

  Simple lanterns glowed along the walls as Will made his way deeper. The feeling of home washed over him as his gaze fell to the floor. Before he knew it, he was closing the main doors to the royal quarters. Walking on, he made his way down the wide hallway. Some doors stood ajar while others were closed. Routines took everyone to different locations, but by evening time, everyone would be here, talking about their day and what to expect for tomorrow.

  A thought flashed, remembering what Morgan said about taking a nap. The new stable was already constructed and some of the kobolds would be taking care of the new horses. The day’s task done, a small rest before delving into the Mystic Crafting bench might be just what he needed. A charge surged as Will’s thoughts turned. He had studied the Mystic Bench for a few days, but hadn’t tried to create any spells yet. He studied it nightly, making sure he had some idea on how it worked before he dove in. It was one of several things he wanted to become better at before searching for more Idols.

  Pushing the door to his bedchamber open, Will looked up and smiled. Milly sat on the edge of his bed; hands folded in her lap. Will’s smile slowly faded as he noticed a crease along her brow and a sad darkness in her eyes. She wore a gray robe, but her bare feet lay flat on the thin rug. Turning her head, curved horns graced the sides of her head as curly black hair cascaded down from a widow’s peak to past her shoulders.

  Seeing Will, the horned woman stood up and walked toward him, head bowed. “Will, so glad to see you.”

  The two met in the middle of the room, two feet apart.

  “Good to see you too. Is everything okay?”

  Milly hesitated before giving a small nod. “Yes… I… just wanted to speak to you in private.”

  “You have all of my attention,” Will said with a disarming smile. Milly was the first creature he had awakened from their primitive state and he would be lying if he didn’t have the softest of hearts for the beautiful horned woman.

  Milly turned her head to the bed, “Maybe we should sit down.”

  Milly made her way to the large bed and Will followed. Concern touched his heart as he kept his expression plain. She was never like this and he knew it had to be important. When they reached the bed, Milly turned and touched Will’s arms, giving a small push to indicate for him to sit. Will complied, sitting down and eyeing Milly with loving patience.

  Milly stood before him, eyes looking away. A moment later, she knelt down and put her hands on his knees. Head bowed; she took a deep breath.

  “I have something to ask of you,” Milly said in a low tone.

  Will put his hands over hers, “You don’t have to kneel. Sit beside me so we can talk.”

  Milly shook her head. “It’s important and… I want to make sure I give the proper respect for what I want to ask.”

  Will’s lips parted, ready to tell her she was being silly when the horned woman pulled her hands away. Each slender hand dove into her robe pockets. When they withdrew, a dozen soul stones gleamed in the shadowy room. Will looked down, eyebrow raising. He thought he had run out of soul stones when he placed the last ones in Sil and Nova’s soul caskets.

  “These stones are from the sheep I have slaughtered to ensure we have plenty of meat and wool. I… began collecting them so I could bring them to you with my request. I know I’m no longer like my primitive race. I know I’m evolved to be awake in this world.”

  Milly looked up, making eye contact, “Will, I ask you not just as your lover, but as your friend, I want people like myself here on Jova. I tried to use a Soul Casket by myself, but it didn’t work so, I am coming to you to grant me the privilege of having my own people here with us.”

  Will glanced to the stones before looking back to Milly’s powerful gaze. Using his hands, he closed her full hands and took hold of her wrists. Milly’s eyes widened as Will stood up, bringing her to her feet. The two stared at each other, a nervous silence filling the air around them.

  “Milly, you never have to kneel to me. As for your request, it would be my honor to awaken your people,” Will said with a warm smile.

  Milly’s eyes watered before she flung her arms around his neck and embraced him.

  “Thank you,” she sobbed.

  Will held the horned woman close, basking in her scent as her shoulders shuddered against him, bright light spilling in from the open balcony and a warm breeze rushing in to touch them both.

  ***

  The sun sank lower, a thick shaft of light moving slowly across the stone floor. Will and Milly lay in bed, the horned woman fast asleep, her body pressed against Will’s. The two lay and talked for about an hour before a midday slumber pulled on their spirits. Eyes closing, Will didn’t fight the last tendrils of sleep as they wrapped around him. Happily holding Milly, the abyss yawned and he floated down with a sigh.

  The dreamscape writhed like a living thing as Will sat up. He scanned the dreamy realm as an unfamiliar melody played along his spirit. Ghostly trees swayed as grass curled and uncurled around him. Tiny spirits danced to the melody, holding hands and skipping without a care in the dream world.

  “Not the strangest dream I ever had,” Will chuckled as he felt completely at home.

  The ground shuddered and a few feet away, it cracked. Blue fire rose up as Will turned his attention to it and scuttled back a few paces. A head appeared, black eyes with starry points staring at the young man. The head cleared the crack, followed by shoulders covered in a trench coat. Will’s eyes narrowed as Draygon slid up from the crack until he hovered an inch off the ground. The jagged hole closed and the god landed on the curling grass, the little spirits running away and disappearing in the ghostly forest.

  “You understood what I was trying to say,” Draygon grinned with sharp teeth.

  Will slowly stood up, “What are you talking about?”

  Draygon’s smile dimmed. “Dreams, I mentioned dreams. This is the only place we can talk because dreams are left to interpretation. It...” Draygon stopped and looked over his shoulder to the forest around him.

  The god shook his head before looking back at Will, “Dammit, she’s coming. I’ll have to make this quick.”

  Draygon held out a hand. The ground before Will began to shake before a hole swirled into view. Will looked down at the small hole, a spiral leading deeper into the earth and tiny horned demons began to climb out, small howling reaching the player’s ears.

  “Draygon, what is this?”

  “Shut up and listen,” the god growled. “An Idol of Light has been found. If you stand a chance of winning this celestial battleground, I suggest you travel North. Your enemy cannot get their hands on another particular Idol. Find it and bury it deep so no one can…”

  Draygon turned his head to the ghostly forest when a robed figure stepped out. Will looked past the startled god to see a woman clad in a dark purple robe. The hood was up, shadows covering her eyes and only the bottom of her face was visible. Pale skin glowed as dark, plump lips parted with a sultry sigh. The robe adhered to her body perfectly, inviting cleavage shining like a beacon in the night. The garment clung to her narrow waist before flaring out to strong hips. Slits along the front of the robe parted as she walked, showing strong but sensual thighs and bare feet. She moved with grace, stepping closer as hips swayed with hypnotic power.

  “Will, don’t let her tempt you. She…” Draygon trailed off before the ground underneath him cr
acked open once again.

  Will watched as roots sprouted, snaking around the god and wrapping around his limbs and torso. Draygon grunted as they pulled him down into the jagged hole. Mouth open, he tried to say something else when a root coiled around his head and clamped his mouth shut. The last of Draygon sank into the ground and the hole closed.

  Will watched as the sultry woman stepped closer. Inky shadows shifted over her eyes, but the player’s gaze couldn’t penetrate the darkness. When the cloaked woman stood before him, she lifted a hand and pointed a single finger at his chest.

  A growing rage bubbled under Will’s skin, “What do you want?”

  The cloaked woman stood, silent as a grave until she pressed the tip of her finger to his chest. Will was about to slap it away in annoyance when pain surged and exploded across his entire form. The woman’s finger penetrated his skin, cracking and shattering the middle of his ribcage before burrowing deeper. Will’s eyes were wide as saucers as he grabbed at her wrist, fighting through the deluge of torment. Holding tight to her wrist, he could not slow her advance as the single digit grew longer, stabbing beyond the broken ribcage and touching his heart.

  “Stop!” Will screamed, losing all sense of himself.

  The fingertip pushed against his heart until it stabbed through, setting his entire soul on fire.

  Will sat up with such force, Milly was thrown to the side, her eyes blinking open in confusion. The player’s hand touched his chest as the dreamscape fluttered away, pain radiating from a single point. Gasping, he waited as the pain ebbed, Milly on all fours and moving closer with deep concern in her eyes.

  “Will?”

  Will glanced to her before looking past her to the balcony, the sun low in the afternoon sky. The pain ebbed further until it was gone, Will letting his hand drop to his leg and taking a deep breath.

  “I’m okay,” he whispered as his mind pieced itself back together.

  “Was it a nightmare?” Milly asked.

  Will looked down, senses alive as he slowly felt himself return to normal.

  “I… don’t know,” he whispered as the image of the robed woman faded from his mind.

  Two

  Light flashed as a lid closed. The edges sealed shut and Will took a step back, Milly at his side. Lanterns flickered as a row of Soul Caskets lay before the couple with several more to the right and left. Milly’s eyes were wide and her smile was infectious as Will turned to her. She could not contain herself as she hugged him and he hugged her back.

  “It will take twelve hours before they wake. We can welcome them in the morning,” Will said.

  Milly pulled back and looked into his eyes, “Thank you. This means so much to me.”

  “It means a lot to me too,” Will smiled before looking to a casket again. “Have you thought of a name, for your people?”

  Milly nodded. “Panu. It felt true and seems to fit.”

  Will kept his smile. Letting go of Milly, he moved closer to a casket. A timer glowed in the corner of his gaze, counting down until the soul stone would morph into an awakened soul. Thoughts floated, telling him there was greater potential in having people like Milly around to tend to the farms and crops. She was so good at it; he hoped the future panu would do the same dedicated work.

  Glancing to a window, the sun had set and darkness covered the land. Will had the kobolds set up lanterns along the simple dirt street, but even their light could barely keep away the primal night. The lands were mostly untamed and their little corner was barely strong enough to keep the nightly monsters out.

  Milly moved to a casket, turned and sat down. “If you don’t mind, I want to sleep here tonight so I can be here when they wake up in the morning. The bed is still on the loft floor so I should be fine.”

  “I don’t mind at all. I’ll have two of the kobolds guard the house until morning.”

  Milly shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll feel better if you have guards. The ghouls can’t get in, but we don’t know if any hydras will return. Plus, it will help me sleep tonight, knowing you’re safe.”

  Milly gave the lord a bright smile. “As you wish, my Lord Asher.”

  Will gave Milly a warm smile before turning and walking toward the front door. Outside, he stepped out onto the dirt street and looked around. Lanterns hung from simple wooden poles. A faint moaning rose up from beyond the walls surrounding the small village. The sounds of ghouls had become such a common, nightly occurrence, that Will sometimes forgot they were out there. Despite their weak attempts at the wooden main gate, they couldn’t get in. A dark thought of hydras speared his mind’s eye. The bigger, multi-headed serpent creatures were tough to handle and hard to kill. The two altercations he and his friends had had, left both sides hurting to a degree.

  Will looked down, thoughts lingering on the word “friends.” He couldn’t remember a time where he'd actually had friends. Faint echoes of a lonely life plagued the edges of his memories, but he could never get a clear picture. The life he'd had before appearing on Jova was as mysterious as the world he now resided in. Beyond the castle, village and walls, an entire world stretched on and he had no idea how far it went.

  “Maybe I need to stay home and make this place worth living in,” Will whispered to himself as he started walking.

  Reaching the small dirt intersection, Will was about to walk to the castle when the sounds of two kobolds reached his ears. Turning his attention, he walked about twenty feet until he saw two iron spear points moving around, a pair of kobolds talking at each other.

  “You take first watch! I sleep first!” one kobold nearly shouted.

  “You always sleep first!” the other said in a low growl.

  “I’m stronger! I need more rest!” the first one hissed.

  The two were about to continue when they sniffed at the air and turned to see Will approaching them. The kobold’s dark eyes widened as they tried to stand at attention, their thick short tails pointed down.

  “Lord Asher!” the two kobolds said in unison.

  “Everything okay?” Will asked with an amused smirk.

  Both reptilian heads nodded a little too fast.

  “What are your names?”

  The kobolds glanced to each other before turning their attention back to Will.

  “Freek,” the first one said, standing at about three-foot one inch.

  “Folly,” the second one said, standing at three feet.

  “Did you pick out your names yourselves?”

  The kobolds nodded.

  “Lady Milly said we could name ourselves.”

  “Kobolds name themselves by their actions,” Folly said before his hand slipped and his spear fell.

  Will watched as the spear came down onto the dirt road, the iron spear point aimed at his boot. Folly bent over and grabbed the shaft. Lifting it up, he nearly hit himself in the snout and tried to regain his less than stellar composure.

  Will could barely hold back his grin. “Okay, so I know why you’re called Folly,” Will then turned his attention to Freek, “I just don’t know about your name.”

  “He likes to collect butterfly wings,” Folly said instantly.

  Freek glared at the other kobold, “Shut up!”

  “It’s true and it’s weird. You may be stronger than many of us, but everyone calls you Freek. We collect gems and stone, not insect wings.”

  Will raised a hand to his mouth to cover up his smile. When the urge ebbed, he lowered it and looked to the two nervous kobolds.

  “You don’t have to keep that name,” Will addressed Freek.

  Freek shook his head. “It fits me even if I don’t want others knowing the meaning.”

  Will gave the kobold a warm smile. “It’s a strong name for a strong kobold. I do have need of two guards to watch Lady Milly as she stays in the Soul Home. Do you think you both are up to the task?”

  The kobolds gave a hardy nod.

  “Good. Stay
by the Soul Home and keep an eye on it. One of you come to me if anything doesn’t seem right, okay?”

  “We will guard her and the Soul Home with our lives,” Freek said with confidence.

  “Excellent,” Will said before walking toward the castle and trying not to laugh.

  The kobolds hastily made their way to the Soul Home while Will walked the dirt path to Castle Thorn. The evening air was refreshing as he took a deep breath. The young lord wished he could stay by Milly’s side all night, waiting for the Panu to rise in the morning, but he had other plans he had to address. Patterns and possibilities spiraled along his thoughts and before he knew it, he was walking across the castle threshold.

  Torches and lanterns flickered to the small breezes. Corridors turned into stairwells as the player made his way up. When he reached the royal private chambers, he closed the door behind him and made his way down the hall.

  A bedchamber door opened and a gray skinned woman filled the doorframe. Witch hat tilted to the side, she gave Will a sultry smile before leaning her back against the frame edge and pushing out her voluptuous chest. Breasts strained against her tight, black top as she pressed one heel to the doorframe like some pinup model.

  “Greetings Lord Asher,” Stella said with a lustful edge.

  “Hi Stella,” Will said plainly.

  Stella’s sultry gaze turned into a pout.

  Will shook his head. The Witch Angel tried nearly every night to seduce him and he rebuffed her advances. The last encounter with Cyndi stoked the fire of mistrust. Will could see through the witch’s facade. She tried everything to regain his trust, but the player felt something was off. Stella used her body to manipulate, but Will refused to allow it to continue until he felt he could trust her again. It made things difficult with their friendship, but at this point in time, it was a decision he was going to stick to.