Reckoning

by David Adams

  Darius answered in as steady a voice as he could muster, speaking out so that all could hear him. “Only words. Perhaps that is all this one has to fight with. They will be of no avail against Gabriel.” He lifted the sword, and even in its bright light his face was fell and grim. Any mortal would have quailed at the sight of it.

  “Oh, but there you are wrong,” Kaelesh said. He spoke a word in his native tongue, a harsh sound almost like the bark of a great dog. The sword flew from Darius’ hand, spinning end over end until it slammed into the tower wall, where it sunk in to the hilts. The tower shuddered, a single violent shake that nearly knocked the companions from their feet.

  The short quake burst only caused the slightest hesitation on Xanar’s part. As soon as the command word had left Kaelesh’s mouth he readied his bow, and the instant the shudder passed and his aim was true he let the arrow go. Kaelesh, who had his gaze fixed on Darius, did not turn his head, but still he was able to flash a hand up to catch the arrow. He paused an instant and flicked a knowing glance at Xanar, and there was an expectation among all in the party that he would snap the arrow, a symbolic gesture of strength and disdain. But instead the ice arrow somehow turned to ash and fell away to nothing, and he grinned as it did so, pleased with himself and with the reaction he read on his opponents’ faces.

  “I hope that wasn’t your best shot,” Kaelesh said, laughing at his own jest. “I’ve so waited for this moment.”

  Darius slowly backed away, feeling exposed without a weapon, feeling like a coward abandoning his friends at the moment when battle would be joined. But he needed to get Gabriel, knew the sword was his best hope to bring this demon down.

  “Your brother, Orgoth, had similar feelings,” Uesra said. It wasn’t like her to try to bait an opponent, and she didn’t think Kaelesh could be so easily put off balance mentally, but she felt he had taken Adrianna, Darius, and Xanar out of the fight, at least for the moment, and she wanted to buy some time.

  “Perhaps he did. But it was for his sake and Praad’s that I waited here on this pathetic little world, even when it was well past its usefulness to me. Revenge is my sole purpose now.”

  “Then come and exact it,” she said, brandishing her scimitars, “if you can.”

  “As you wish,” he answered in a low tone. He rose slowly from the stone chair, deliberately, stretching his muscles as if he had been sitting still for an age. “Some more room might do. I wouldn’t want anything to come between us.” With one hand he grabbed the heavy chair. He lifted it easily and tossed it so that it thudded against the far wall of the tower some thirty feet above the floor. The chair shattered upon impact, and chunks of stone small and large rained down, some nearly falling on Adrianna, who remained prone and nearly senseless near the door. Again the tower shuddered once and then stilled.

  Xanar tried his luck with his bow a second time while Kaelesh was showing off his physical prowess. This time the demon-lord swatted the arrow aside. “Still too slow,” he chided.

  “But closer,” Xanar replied, trying to maintain a confident façade.

  Kaelesh shrugged. “Close won’t be good enough in this fight.” He spread his arms wide and addressed the whole group. “One last thing, my friends, before I end this. A gift given only to you among all those who dwell upon this world. I shall take my true form. That way, when you see me in the abyss, you will know me. What is about to happen to you here will seem a delight compared to the eternal torment I will have inflicted upon you there.”

  The transformation was sudden, accomplished in the blink of an eye. In his demonic form Kaelesh was as a great wolf in shape, one far larger than any man. His flesh was a pallid grey, and he had no fur to speak of, but short, thick growths sprouted from his skin, thin tentacles that rippled and waved as they sensed all that was happening around him. Bone spurs grew through his flesh at all of his many joints, jagged and sharp. But by far the most disconcerting thing about his appearance to the company were the hundreds of lidless eyes that covered his body from snout to paw, fixing any and all things near Kaelesh with a ceaseless stare.

  There was an instant when they simply regarded one another, foes ready to join a long-expected battle. Then as if on cue everyone moved at once.

  Xanar, almost stubbornly, fired his bow, hoping somehow that Kaelesh’s lack of hands might be his undoing. The eyes gave him a multitude of inviting targets, and his aim was true, but Kaelesh was even faster in his natural form. When he leaped to launch his own attack he was clear of the streaking arrow’s path well before it reached him.

  Silas, like Xanar, had decided to start with a projectile. He hurled one of the three remaining vials of holy water, and regretted it almost immediately, seeing Kaelesh’s speed would move him well out of danger before the vial even reached the peak of its arc of flight. It smashed harmlessly on the stone floor, leaving a pool of glass shards and blessed water.

  Darius turned and broke for his sword, and was reaching for it just as Kaelesh hit him. The sheer weight of the demon was enough of a shock, and the speed and power behind it made the impact seem even more terrible. Darius would never have suspected that Kaelesh could reach him so swiftly, else he never would have turned his back on the demon-lord. Kaelesh drove him hard and face-first into the unforgiving floor, and the air rushed from Darius’ lungs. He knew instinctively that he was pinned, and could feel Kaelesh’s hot breath as he lowered his great maw to tear at the back of Darius’ neck.

  Uesra flashed Ashtalon forward, forcing Kaelesh to fend off the sword or feel its sting. Kaelesh did so with a paw, and Uesra, expecting the move, followed with a kick at his head. She connected, only a glancing blow but enough to get him off of Darius.

  He faced her for only an instant, fixing her with the eyes above his snout, the “real” eyes if that were the case and the only ones on his body with eyelids. But rather than charging at her as she thought he would, he bounded to one side, spun, and then took a great leap toward the center of the room, in the general direction of Silas and Xanar. He then swung to the right, reached the wall, and raced around the periphery of the room with blinding speed.

  Silas had started moving as soon as Kaelesh did, and although no match for the demon in speed, his path was the shorter one. He wasn’t surprised Kaelesh had gone for Darius first—Gabriel had to be seen as a threat by the demon, regardless of his air of supreme confidence, and the young man who wielded it was currently defenseless, one of two easy targets. Once Kaelesh had met some resistance, Silas correctly guessed he would strike at the other seemingly defenseless member of the party.

  Adrianna could see the demon coming for her, could see Silas racing to meet him. The cleric would be a step late she thought, not that she was convinced Silas could win the day simply by interposing himself between her and the demon. A shot of adrenaline coursed through her, giving her the strength to push herself away from the wall at the last instant.

  Adrianna’s lunge would have done nothing to save her, as Kaelesh easily adjusted his course, except she now moved within the reach of Silas’ staff. The cleric had no chance to land a solid blow—Kaelesh could see the three of them intersecting as well—but he was able to ward the demon off.

  Another element came into the same near-collision. Xanar guessed where Kaelesh would be and let fly another arrow. It glanced off the demon’s shoulder, a hard clicking noise indicating it had struck one of the bone spurs. The shot hadn’t done any damage, but perhaps it added to the things Kaelesh had to worry about. Individually none of the companions could hope to stand against him. But together, if they could keep him off balance, maybe they had a chance.

  Darius had managed to gain his feet if not his breath. He grabbed Gabriel by the handle and pulled, and to his dismay felt no movement at all. He looked closer and saw the sword’s hilts themselves had actually become embedded in the wall—or else the wall had enveloped them—and he faced a more difficult problem than the blade being wedged fast. Some internal alarm went off, and he gave one l
ast futile tug before turning to see where Kaelesh was.

  Kaelesh had missed on his first two attempts at quick, decisive strikes, but he was far from frustrated. He had his enemies moving, on the defensive and unable to mount a coordinated attack. The first moments of the battle had already revealed much of how his opponents would fight, and only the holy sword concerned him greatly. He saw Darius trying to pull it free, smiled inwardly as he was reassured by Darius’ failure that the tower’s grip on it was firm. He sprang at Darius as the young man turned to face him, and for a second time sent him sprawling violently to the floor. This time he wheeled away before any of the others came to Darius’s aid. He had forced him back from the sword, and now would try someone else. Perhaps one who had a weapon and stood somewhat apart. As before, he raced away and then arced back, taking in the full view of the room while deciding on his next move.

  Xanar sensed he would be the next target before Kaelesh’s main eyes even fell upon him. He took a firm stance and aimed deliberately, and as Kaelesh raced toward him he stood as if planning to wait to the last instant to fire, as if he thought a simple arrow fired at close range could stop the powerful beast bearing down on him.

  Kaelesh kept his paws to the floor as he charged, ready to adjust course as soon as the Ice Elf released the arrow. The gap between them vanished quickly, and he had to fight off the urge to close on Xanar in one final, great leap. Once airborne he would become a much easier target. He roared as he covered the last few feet.

  Xanar never fired, had never intended to. Rather he spun to one side, pulling the arrow from his bow as he did so and thrusting it forward like a thin dagger as Kaelesh, borne forward by his momentum, flashed past. But Xanar was clipped hard on his trailing leg, accelerating his spin and making him hit a random spot rather than one of the eyes as Xanar had wished. The arrow hit Kaelesh’s grey flesh but did not penetrate it. Xanar’s spin eventually threw him to the ground, where he glanced at the broken shaft of ice he still held. With a grimace he tossed it aside.

  Silas hesitated, knowing as he did so how perilous that could be. He was torn, feeling the need to attack Kaelesh and at the same time to protect his friends. Kaelesh’s speed was the issue. Anywhere Silas chose to go—or anyone he chose to stand beside—would put him beyond the ability to help the others. He felt an internal pull to run toward Xanar as he fell, but knew that would expose Adrianna once more. He saw Uesra moving in to help her brother, solving that dilemma for the moment. What Silas really wanted to act upon was Gabriel, which he sensed Kaelesh feared, and rightfully so based on what it had done to Orgoth. Darius had tried to retrieve the sword once and failed, and was now trying to gain his feet after having been cast down a second time by Kaelesh. Silas was less than thirty yards from Darius, but it may as well have been miles. If he left Adrianna alone…

  The solution was inelegant, but effective, if he could only have a few seconds to act. He picked Adrianna up with one powerful arm, whispered, “Sorry about this,” and then ran toward Darius with her draped over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

  Kaelesh turned as quickly as he could and launched himself back at Xanar. The elf’s trick hadn’t hurt him, but it had been close enough to earn him Kaelesh’s special ire. He prepared to spring after he was moving in the right direction, seeing that Xanar hadn’t had time to reload, but as he ended a stride and gathered himself for the leap he made a swift decision and changed course.

  Uesra was coming in fast, seeing her brother prone and defenseless. He tried to rise, winced in pain…something was wrong with his knee. She saw the demon’s leaping attack, was only able to register at the last instant that he was now coming for her. She dropped and held Thellas up defensively near her head. Kaelesh’s body arced down upon her like a descending shadow.

  Even as Kaelesh let his weight fall on the Ice Elf he was disappointed. She had managed to get clear of his claws and teeth at the last second, and even though the force of him falling upon her might stun her, he doubted it. She seemed a skilled opponent, and he guessed she would try to bring her swords to bear if he tried to create the space needed to bite at her. Still, one sting from her blades he did not fear so much…

  He started to rise, ready to trade blows, ready to take the bite of the sword if by doing so he could claim her life. He glanced to the right just before he moved, always wary of the holy sword, saw that the cleric was now moving toward it. He emitted a short, low growl, finally feeling the first bit of frustration. He couldn’t take the chance they could free the sword. As he readied himself to charge Silas a weight fell upon him, not heavy but enough to make him lose his footing for an instant. He shrugged the weight off, saw to no surprise that it was Xanar, and gave him strong swat with a forepaw.

  Silas laid Adrianna down as gently as his need for great speed allowed, and met Darius at the sword. “Let me try,” he said, thinking his greater physical strength might make the difference. He dropped his staff and then pulled twice upon the sword with all his might, his muscles taut with the strain, but the sword would not budge.

  “The wall’s grown over it,” Darius pointed out. “Like vines over a fence. It’s holding it fast.”

  “No argument there,” Silas replied, shaking his arms to keep his muscles from cramping.

  Suddenly Darius grabbed Silas’ staff and thrust it out. Kaelesh slammed into him and Silas, and the three of them tumbled to the ground in a messy pile. When they stopped Kaelesh was bearing down on Darius, his mouth clamped onto Silas’ staff, his teeth slowly penetrating the hardened wood. Silas leapt upon the demon’s back and tried to wrap an arm around his throat, thinking that if he could get a strong hold and squeeze he might strangle him. But Kaelesh’s neck was thick and corded with muscle, and when he suddenly flipped his head back he tossed Silas off and tore the staff from Darius’ hands.

  A searing pain suddenly blossomed in Kaelesh’s side, sharp and surprising. He roared and turned, saw the sorceress’ smile and knew she had done something. He looked at his side and saw the flesh there bubble and fester, saw the broken glass and the wetness on the floor, and realized she had tossed a container of holy water at him. Hardly fatal in such a small quantity, but annoyingly painful and likely to leave scars. He saw her reaching into the sack that lay near her.

  With a quick lunge he separated her from Silas’ pack. He swung a forepaw with all the force of his anger behind it, and the flesh of her face was torn asunder. Her head hit the stone floor hard and she lay still, a pool of her own blood forming about her.

  Everything that made Silas who he was wanted to go to her, but he went to his pack instead. Kaelesh came for him next, swift but not swift enough to keep Silas from closing his hand on the last vial of holy water. He had to take the hit and did so, his grip on the bottle so tight he thought it might shatter in his hand. He felt the air rush from his lungs as he was driven into the wall, and then Kaelesh bared his teeth, and for a frozen instant they regarded one another. Silas might have broken the vial then on the demon’s face, hoping to blind him, but would ruining the eyes on his face even matter, given those covering the rest of his body? It was only a fleeting thought…the cleric had other plans.

  Kaelesh’s head flashed down, going for Silas’ throat. The demon felt a quick, sharp pain, and one of the eyes on his hindquarters winked out. An arrow, most likely, but he would not turn to see, not at this moment. The pain was trivial and would pass, the eye could be re-grown.

  Silas got his left arm up in time to keep his throat from being torn out. Kaelesh’s teeth bit deep, and he had to fight off the urge to cry out. He saw Darius rise up behind the demon and bring the staff down hard on his head, which didn't bother Kaelesh in the least but increased the pain in Silas’ arm three-fold as the teeth were driven further through flesh and into bone. He managed to catch Darius’ eye by holding the vial out to him, and he was able to force a single word out through his gritted teeth. “Sword.”

  For a terrible second Silas thought Darius hadn’t heard or
didn’t understand, thought he’d use the holy water on Kaelesh, hurting the demon but possibly sealing the companions’ doom. But when the young man wheeled about, Silas, despite the pain, nearly smiled.

  Darius uncorked the bottle and sloshed the liquid in two large doses onto the places where the wall covered the hilts of his sword. An acrid smoke started to pour from the areas where the holy water contacted the wall, and the tower shook once more, this time a long, sustained tremor that forced everyone to the ground. All eyes went above, fearful that the tower itself would come crashing down upon them. Darius heard a loud rattle of metal on stone, and saw that Gabriel had been freed. As the smoke cleared the wall was left with a deep, pitted hole, which looked every bit a bad flesh wound. As Darius grabbed Gabriel he glanced up in time to see Kaelesh look at him, the demon’s main eyes dark with hate and the desire to kill, Silas’s blood dripping fresh and bright red from his sharp teeth. Darius put both hands on the sword, expecting Kaelesh to try to pry it from his grasp again. He wasn’t sure it would matter how tightly he tried to hold on…it wasn’t a lack of strength that had caused the sword to be ripped away from him the first time.

  “Charge him,” said a barely audible voice.

  Darius spared Adrianna a glance, winced at how badly her face had been mangled. He had thought her dead, but didn’t rejoice too much in finding that he was wrong. It seemed only a matter of time until she gave up her spirit.

  Silas, still prone on his back, grabbed Kaelesh by a foreleg, trying to hold him. With his wounded arm it was a futile gesture. Kaelesh kicked with one of his rear legs and freed himself, sending the cleric spinning a few feet away. Silas’ blood left a swirling red smear upon the floor.

  Xanar and Uesra had righted themselves after the quake. Xanar’s knee was becoming more of a problem with each passing second, and he almost fell when he tried to put his weight on it.