“You're right. Reckon these are the same beasties?”
“Could well be, 'cause there aren't but a handful of diatrymas in the world.”
“Well, we need to find out if anyone was riding them,” said Gart. “Take a small patrol and see where those tracks go and who they belong to, Lieutenant. Pick out five. The rest of the men and I will wait here and set up camp.”
Itis thumped his breast and chose his men. They followed the tracks expertly and swiftly through the woods for a good two leagues. He dismounted to study the tracks where they were particularly hard to follow. Squatted on the ground, he heard voices far ahead. “Dismount,” he said softly. “Tie 'em up. We walk from here.”
Itis and his men moved forth quickly, as silent as any cat. After a couple of furlongs, the voices were quite plain. “If they turn out to be the runks we're after, Talorg will decorate me if I take them in,” he thought. “Knighted, maybe, and then I'd be above Gart. I hope it looks good.” He cast about for his men. They each nodded to him in turn. They crept closer to the clearing, now down on their hands and knees, completely hidden by the thick vegetation of the understorey ringing the clearing.
Now he was close enough to begin seeing. “Sure enough. The diatrymas, all three witches and Talorg's intended, and one of them is out cold,” he thought as his heart raced, pounding in his ears. “And that fellow lying on the ground with her could be some kind of wizard... and we've certainly got the drop on them. The dark witches look like they've just captured the others.”
Just as he started to raise his arm to signal the attack, he shuddered with every hair on his neck standing on end. “It feels like something's watching,” he thought. “Probably just some trick of the witches. Mage Cinid's told about witches setting out invisible devices around their camps. It must be that...probably harmless.”
Itis glanced about at his men once more, as they returned their alert and careful nods. “Good men,” he thought. “Well, here goes a promotion...” Once more he was stopped by a convulsive shudder before he could get his arm up, as Devi slipped into his head, right behind his ear. Devi was in control before he could possibly react. His consciousness shrank aside to cower in a far corner of his mind.
Devi grinned with Itis's lips, reveling in the feel of control. “Hey, I'm a demon from the Pit of Fire, Beaky Boy, and I'm getting good at this body possession,” he thought, making sure that Itis heard him, “and I truly enjoy trying on your carcass. I just might keep it for a while.”
Itis tried to lunge forward, in his horror, hoping to regain his mind, but Devi had total control.
“If you want to live, Beaky, you won't ever do that again,” he thought. Try it and I'll kill you and your worthless soul.”
“Now Beaky Boy,” said Devi, “I believe you were about to tell your men to attack. Let's just go ahead and do that.” At once he raised Itis's arm, giving the order. His men sprang to their feet in a chorus of battle cries.
Demonica was ready for this. She discharged a crackle of purple fire that turned first one then another soldier into crumbling cinders. Spitemorta thrust the Staff at a third, causing him to explode, plastering a fourth soldier with his entrails. As he wailed out in horror, Spitemorta blew him to smithereens as well. Soldier number five turned tail and ran from the clearing, charging right up to Devi, who ran him through with Itis's claymore.
Fuzz seized the moment and jumped to his feet. The diatrymas immediately understood and dropped onto their keels where Mary and Razzmorten lay. Lukus helped Fuzz onto Arwr with Razzmorten while Rose helped Myrtlebell onto Lladdwr with Mary. At once they sprang away into the brush as Rose and Lucas followed on Ceidwad and Tors while Hubba Hubba, Pebbles and Taflu took to the sky.
Spitemorta was still bouncing with glee at having blown apart her Beak soldiers when Demonica turned aside to find that their captives had vanished altogether. She wheeled 'round and set upon Itis. “Nice try, Beak,” she snarled as she raised her hands to scorch him. “But I've no use for a coward who tries to save his own skin by turning on his fellows.”
“Mistress! Wait!” cried Itis. “I'm Devi, your Cia, your servant!”
“What are you doing inside an attacking Beak soldier?”
“I saw these soldiers creeping up on the clearing and I thought I'd come to your aid, Mistress. There are others camped less than three leagues off, waiting for these ones to return and report. They mean to take you back to King Talorg and burn you in a wicker wolf. This one I'm in had a few delusions of glory about capturing you on his own, I'm afraid.”
“Did he now? And what might those have been?”
“Separating your head from your body and carrying it back to King Talorg on a pike while Spitemorta drug along your drawn and quartered body on a travois.”
“Well Devi, let this Beak know that I'm devising a death for him that I shall relish for years to come.”
Devi gave a look of disappointment on Itis's face.
“What?” snapped Demonica. “You have a problem with this?”
“No, Mistress, not entirely...”
“Not entirely? Either you do or you don't.”
“I had hoped to keep this body for awhile. It's quite enjoyable having substance and this one is exceptionally vital.”
“He won't be much longer, my dear Devi. Be glad I warned you of his death. I'm being generous, don't you know.”
“Mistress?”
“Very generous. And since you were involved in the attack which cost me my prisoners, I'm not so sure that you shouldn't share in the Beak's execution.”
“Mistress! You surely don't think I had anything to do with the attack, do you?”
“If I did, Devi, you'd be dead this minute. But you did fail me, by letting the White Witch and that simpering Myrtlebell escape. You do need to be taught a lesson.”
“I'll track them down and recapture them for you, Mistress! I vow it.”
“Oh, Devi, that's certain. And I think you'll be far more careful in the future. Wouldn't you agree, Spitemorta?” she said as she genially turned aside.
Spitemorta grinned, raising the Great Staff to point it at Devi.
Chapter 72
Arwr came to the bank of a broad creek and waited while Fuzz shifted to a new position on his back to get a better hold on Razzmorten, who was still unconscious.
Beyond lay the Gobbler Marsh, just visible through the trees. “So where are we?” said Myrtlebell as she arrived at his side on Lladdwr with Mary, who also remained in a coma.
“A few leagues north of the Beak castle,” he said, rubbing his face along his arm to get his hair out of his eyes as Taflu fluttered out of the sky onto his shoulder. He paused, looking up to see everyone else arriving. He caught Rose's eye. “We have some choices, I think, maybe more than we want. We could chance crossing the marsh here, where it would be quickest, or we could go further north along the edge of the Peppermint before we try it.” He eyed them each in turn. “Or, we could follow the Peppermint clear north until it becomes the Chokewoods and stay in the forest until we clear the marshlands.” He rubbed his sweaty eye along his arm again. “Well? I'm open for suggestions.”
“I'd take smallies and dorchadas over Beaks and Ugleeuh's evil kin any day, Fuzz,” said Hubba Hubba as he strutted up and down Rose's arm with his tail feathers splayed.
Pebbles nodded resolutely.
“I cast my vote with the featherheads,” said Lukus, grinning at Hubba Hubba.
“Well finally,” said Hubba Hubba “You're going along with the superior avian brain instead of making all your usual mistakes.”
“Yea,” said Lukus. “Arwr says that at least the smallies and dorchadas lack magic, even if they are nasty and vicious.”
“Arwr says? I didn't hear Arwr say anything.”
“Oh, that's probably 'cause you were too busy tooting your beak to hear him.”
“Stop teasing him, Lukus,” said Rose. “This is serious business. Who knows where Spitemorta and Demonica are now.”
/>
“Sorry,” said Lukus.
Hubba Hubba gave his feathers a resolute shake and assumed an aloof posture.
“I agree with Lukus and Hubba Hubba,” said Rose. “Smallies and dorchadas are scary, but considering the alternative, I don't see how we could have another choice.”
“Now, more than ever we must avoid a confrontation with the evil ones,” said Arwr with a solemn boom. “Without Razzmorten and Mary's magic we'd not likely survive another encounter with them.”
The company was unanimous. “Then it's agreed,” said Fuzz. “Chokewoods it is.”
***
Devi shrank away from Demonica in horror and disbelief. Surely she wouldn't harm him. But the fiery look in her gaze convinced him at once that she had every intention of causing him great harm. Suddenly he tried to flee Itis's body. To his horror, he found he was trapped. Spitemorta must have done something to him with the Staff.
Demonica smiled with delight at his panic and anger as he stumbled backwards. “Spitemorta,” she said, as if she were offering a quick peek at her goldfish. “Come see this fool's face. And while you're over here, bind him with the Staff.”
Spitemorta stepped up eagerly. “My,” she said, before mumbling something unintelligible as she waved the dreadful rod at him.
Suddenly Devi could not move anything below Itis's neck. “Mistress!” he cried, as he saw that he could still plainly feel everything. “You lost your prisoners entirely because of the Beaks! How can you blame me when I was doing everything I could to come to your aid?”
“Come to my aid?” rasped Demonica. “Coming to my aid would have been getting here and warning me before the Beaks got here. You knew all about what they were plotting from their camp. Oh no. You were either suffering from unforgivable idiocy or you were serving your own purposes. Either way, I must give you your lesson.
“Now, my dear granddaughter,” she said, taking on an oratorical tone, “please pay careful attention and I will give you some introductory instruction on the proper ministration of torture. I'm sorry to say that due to our hectic itinerary, this will have to be just an introduction, just an enticement, after all.”
“Certainly, Grandmother.”
Demonica flicked a finger at Devi, flattening him across a large boulder. “I much prefer my subjects to be in a supine position in most cases,” she said, turning aside briefly, as if from a blackboard, “for it's all the more convenient to reach their more sensitive body parts.”
Spitemorta nodded attentively as Devi franticly struggled to flee Itis. “What are you fools staring at?” he cried noiselessly, throwing his thoughts at Oana and Mael who hovered overhead in horrified fascination. “She could get either one of you next. If you don't want to be next, you'd better find the escaped prisoners now.”
Oana and Mael exchanged mortified yelps and sped away.
Demonica picked up Itis's hand and checked to see if she had Spitemorta's undivided attention. Then she neatly broke his little finger with a snap. Devi and Itis cried out in unified agony.
“Now Spitemorta, had we the time we need to do a proper job of this, I'd have snipped the phalangeal bone which I just broke, using side cutters instead. The panic they have at the sight of their spurting blood always seems to enhance the effect, and I do believe they experience every bit as much usable pain. Once again, we must make do with our vexing lack of time.”
“Pity,” said Spitemorta with bright eyes. “I would indeed enjoy an extended lesson.”
Demonica heaved a sigh as she turned back and adroitly snapped another of Itis's fingers, triggering another wailing duet of agony. She gave a look of long-suffering and waited for the screams to subside. “Abbreviated and lacking as this session may be, my dear,” she said, as though she had suggested mint julep, “I expect it will liven up when we skin him.”
“Skin him? My, you led me to believe that this was going to be unforgivably dull. But, do you have a use for his awful blue hide once you've removed it?”
“Not at the moment, dear, but I'll think of something. That is of course, unless you want it.”
“Well, yes, actually,” said Spitemorta. “With all its tattoos, I was thinking what a charming vest and belt it would make for James.”
“So. You do care for your handsome husband. I'd wondered. Say no more,” said Demonica, raising a staying hand. “It's yours.”
Devi was beyond endurance. He had never in his entire existence felt the tiniest discomfort and now he was being subjected to this agonizing torment. He fled to the far recesses where Itis jerked and writhed in terror. Using his skills, he forced Itis's consciousness aside and took its place. Being tied down, he certainly didn't need to be pilot any longer. He'd still feel the awful pain, but at least now Itis would be first in line to receive it.
“I just don't have the tools. Tell me, dear, do you happen to have a knife?”
“Well no, since I've had the Great Staff I've not had much of a need. Wait. Let me use the Staff to shrink Devi's nice big claymore.”
As Demonica waited, she caught a ripple in the air. Her other Cias. She had completely forgotten them.
“Mistress!” said Oana urgently. “You must come quickly. Your captives are at the marsh and they've decided to stay in the Peppermint and go to the Chokewood Forest.”
Demonica suddenly went purple with rage. “Free him!” she snarled.
“What?” stammered Spitemorta. “But this is all his fault.”
“I said, free him. We'll need him to enter the fool woman and discover what she's done with the Heart.”
“But didn't you intend to kill him?”
“Are you daft?” barked Demonica. “I had no intention of killing Devi! He needed to be taught. I was going to have you release him just before the idiot Beak died. He's far too valuable to destroy. Don't be stupid. Without my Cias, we just might fail, no matter how powerful you think the Staff makes you. Anyway, there's no more time for lessons, so release Devi right now.”
“As you say, Demonica,” said Spitemorta through her teeth as she thought: “But once the Heart's on the Staff, you'd better mind your tongue, dear Grandmother, or I might just remove it.” And with that, she raised the Staff and mumbled a thing or two, releasing Devi.
Devi shot from Itis's head in a dense shimmering fury to hover with Oana and Mael where he fought to get control of himself.
“I've no time to coddle you, Devi,” said Demonica with strained patience. “You're lucky that I find you valuable enough not to alert the Exalted Council of Thought to your whereabouts. You've tempted me. They'll try you and erase you for all time.”
Devi struggled with his rage. It was nearly impossible after what they'd just put him through. He wanted to strike them down, make them hurt, as they had him. “No,” he thought. “They deserve to be dead. Had I only the power of... Wait! Yes! The Heart of the
Staff could make them pay. Oh yes! The Heart of the Staff will make them pay...into little pieces and flecks of guts. And I know where it is. And he's probably weakened enough that I just might. Oh, I just will! Tenfold to you Demonica. I'll play your game for a little while and then I'll get you, get you, get you!”
“Mistress!” he called out. “Please forgive my deplorable stupidity. I humble myself before you and ask only that you allow me to do your bidding.”
Demonica stared at Devi, tapping her finger on her cheek in a feigned pose of deep contemplation. “Very well!” she barked out suddenly. “I accept your apology. This time. But you have a great lot to make up for. And do not expect to be given another chance.”
“No, Mistress,” said Devi solemnly “I'd never expect that.”
Demonica raised an eyebrow. “Good then,” she said as if jostled out of a daydream. “Follow Mael and Oana to the Chokewoods and pick up the trail of those hoc'hed lous.”
“As you say, Mistress, so it shall be,” said Devi. And he shot off after Oana and Mael.
Chapter 73
The day had chosen to be hot in sp
ite of its being early fall, as the companions pressed urgently north through the Peppermint Forest. The land under the trees was growing increasingly rolling and in places where the canopy of leaves overhead thinned the sun shone through mercilessly. By now it was well past noon and they had spent the entire day traveling with scarcely a pause, expecting to be waylaid by Demonica and
Spitemorta at any moment. Great crested flycatchers gave their ringing declarations from the treetops in the still air. Woodpeckers hammered.
Tors was exhausted, panting through his dry mouth, fueling the fire in his chest as he kept up with the diatrymas. In his weariness he had long since given up watching the ground, so that little surprises were causing him to stumble more and more. “Oh, my!
Sorry Lukus,” he said as he caught himself on his shoulder, skidding in the leaves. “Do you suppose you could holler at them? I've got to have a minute or two.”
“Hey up there!” shouted Lukus. “Dragon down!”
Directly Arwr came back, jogging to a halt with Fuzz and Razzmorten as Lladdwr and Ceidwad came back into view.
“Forgive me,” said Tors between pants, “I'm just a bit winded, but I'll be on my feet again in two shakes.”
Arwr dropped to his keel as Fuzz rolled off into the leaves, dragging Razzmorten after him. “I think we need more than two shakes,” he said. “My legs have gone to sleep and I just now noticed that I have more than one arm.”
“I'm really worried about Grandfather and Mary,” said Rose with a quaver in her voice as Ceidwad plumped into the leaves beside Arwr, followed by Lladdwr settling beside her with Myrtlebell and Mary.
“I know, Rose,” said Fuzz as he stretched and flexed an arm. “I'm getting concerned, too. I'd 'ave thought they'd be awake by now.”
“Still out?” said Hubba Hubba, as he, Pebbles and Taflu found heads to settle on.
“Lukus, Grandfather's been teaching you some healing magicks, hasn't he? And haven't you been learning some from the Elves as well?”
“Well yes Rose, but I've only just started. I can only reliably manage little stuff like cuts and bruises.”
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 79
