FIREFANGED: Demon in Exile

by Rory Surtain

  Well, almost everything.

  Chapter 18

  Connections restored

  We caught the sun setting off to our right as we entered the town of Berykholt. The journey’s end raised our spirits and hastened our final strides. Our first stop was the recruit barracks to drop off Hicks and Gunner and to check in with Masterson. I had vowed to return the recruits in one-piece and wanted to get a receipt.

  “Well, look who’s back!” The Sergeant crowed. “And with all their limbs attached as promised. Recruits, you look like Hell. Please return to your bunks after a long, soap-filled experience in the bathhouse.”

  “Sergeant, could I brief you later on the events of the past fortnight and the honorable actions of your two recruits?” I asked with an uneven tone. I was completely spent.

  I got the impression that Masterson was quite happy and relieved at our survival and return. He let me off with only one question.

  “Who’s the dark elf girl?” he asked.

  “My bodyguard,” I said as we hurried out the door.

  Yseria stuck to me like glue amid all the unfamiliarity of Berykholt. As we reached the castle gate, we were met by Captain Glenn and Doctor Loeb.

  “Ara, so good to see you made it back safely.” Glenn had obviously been waiting just for us.

  “I wouldn’t say safely, Glenn,” said Loeb, wearing his doctor’s hat. “You can see he’s a bit bent, tilted even, and he also has a slight limp, and if I’m not mistaken, a tinge of blood on his breath.”

  “He has just hiked a hundred miles through the Everest range with a couple broken ribs and fresh stitching up the back of his calve,” said Yseria. “The blood you smell, well, my best guess is that one of his lungs is also a bit damaged.”

  “Gentlemen, this is my new bodyguard, Yseria Warric, from the City-State of Bastian in Everest. She’s also my part-time doctor and full-time friend,” I huffed, hoping that satisfied their curiosity.

  “Yseria, this is Captain Glenn, and I am Doctor Loeb of the Order of the Vigil, attached to Vigil Snow. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Doctor, I will be visiting you later tonight for your services before briefing Vigil Snow. It was a rough but successful trip.”

  “That’s great to hear, Ara. Welcome back,” Loeb replied.

  “Any idea where Raven and Andarion might be at the moment?” I asked.

  It was dinner time at the keep. I didn’t want to walk in filthy from the long journey, wearing dried demon’s blood, but was told that Snow was expecting our imminent arrival in the dining hall. It seems that the Scouts were keeping an eye out for us and had sent a runner over here as soon as we reached the outskirts of Berykholt.

  “Good evening, all,” said Glenn, leading us into the dining room. I scanned the room and quickly found Vigil Snow and Lynda. Everyone was dressed in their fine dinner clothes. A beautiful young woman wearing an elegant blue dress stood up next to Lynda. Her eyes were shiny gray as they met mine. Her dark-toned complexion highlighted her deep red lips.

  “Rae,” I said, almost speechless.

  Making a real effort not to stumble, I walked quickly around the dining table to reach her. I was filthy and in pain, so I gently took her hand. Andarion stood next to her. Where had he come from?

  “You are well recovered,” I said.

  The scent of Rae’s exhaustion was gone, replaced with the exotic combination of roses and myrrh. She smelled like a princess. She nodded, tears rolling down her healthy cheeks.

  “You are beautiful,” I continued, half-wits be damned.

  She blushed.

  “I’m sorry for being out of sorts. It’s only been two days since I last slept. I have a letter for you,” I said, reaching into my pack. “From your father.”

  “Thank you,” she said.

  Her eyes wouldn’t leave mine, her face a mask of concern.

  “I would like to introduce Yseria Warric, my new bodyguard and friend,” I said to all present. “Andy, would you please make sure she feels at home here. It is good to be home. Now, please excuse me while I get cleaned up and changed into some decent clothes.”

  “Ara, welcome back,” said Vigil Snow. “We have given you the entire second floor in the keep next door. We hope you find it to your liking.”

  Andarion led us out, with Lynda and Raven following. Across a small courtyard, we entered the keep for visiting dignitaries. It was larger than the Vigil’s own. Then up a flight of stairs and into a spacious living room with five doors on either side of the common living area.

  “We moved all your remaining gear and clothes into here,” Andy said, indicating the first door on the right. “Rae is in here, first door on the left, and I’m in the room next to her.”

  My bedroom was similar but even grander than the last. I still had a great view of the courtyard.

  “This is great. I would like Yseria to have the room next to mine. Lynda,” I said, turning to meet her warm green eyes and worried expression. “It is so good to see you. Would you please make sure that Yseria has everything that she needs tonight? Right now, I need some help out of my armor and a good bath.”

  I may have been swaying a bit by then.

  Andy and Yser helped get me free of my armor and weapons. Andy walked me into one of the two shared bathrooms and got me sorted in a new tub of water. He was soon back with a fresh set of clothes and a rough towel.

  “You’ve had a rough trip,” he said as I dried off.

  I nodded. “I’ve got some things to show you when we get a chance.”

  “You’ve shown me plenty already,” he quipped with a sympathetic look, unmasking his feelings of shock.

  With a flinch, I realized what I had done in my stupor.

  “Lock the door, please,” I said as I quickly pulled on my shirt.

  The soft gray cotton felt great after days in chaffing armor and rough wool but did little to relieve the discomfort that I harbored at that moment. I finished getting dressed, eyes unable to look anywhere but the floor.

  Finally, I looked at Andy with a grimace. “I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to see all that. Please keep it to yourself. Orders of Vigil Snow and all.”

  “Well, feth it, Ara,” Andy replied, having a bit of trouble as things sank in.

  By this point, so was I, my head beginning to spin, and my eyesight running darker than normal.

  “I better see Doctor Loeb now. Would you ask him to meet me in my room?”

  Loeb arrived shortly, carrying a tray of food for Yseria and me. Yser had made use of the other bath. She wore a simple, clean shift while her leathers and underclothes were being washed. I asked Loeb to drop the food on a table in the living room, and then we went into my room and closed the door.

  I pulled off my shirt and showed him the rib damage. He applied his own smellier version of ointment and handed me back my shirt. Then he smeared another medicine on the back of my calf and wrapped it.

  “You’re exhausted,” he said. “Eat and then lie down. Don’t get out of bed tomorrow. We’ll have your food sent up.”

  I didn’t have the strength to disagree.

  I awoke early the next morning with plenty on my mind. The gentle snoring of Andarion rolled from a large chair near my bed. A tepid dawn light showed through my window, and a cool morning breeze stirred the air of the room.

  My thanks to Zephyr for waking me from the dead.

  My head ached, but my brain seemed to be working again. I nudged Andy, giving him the sign for food and water. He left and returned quietly, with a tray and Vigil Snow. Another early riser, Snow was already up for breakfast.

  “Thank you, Andy, and please stay,” I said. “There is much for you to hear too.”

  Andarion remained standing by the door.

  “Vigil Snow, please forgive me if I don’t get up, but Doctor Loeb’s orders.”

  I spent the next hour eating and relaying what I found in and around Bastian and our success in closing the demon portal there. I gave a brief recount of th
e contributions of Hicks and Gunner and the status of Yseria as my bodyguard. Andarion knew her well and gave me a questioning look when I brought her up.

  “It appears that certain realms have begun to use the Hellspawn as a weapon to meet their political goals. That is the first I have ever heard of a demon portal being planted in a neighboring realm. It’s an evil way to declare and fight a war,” said Snow.

  “King Ylamil said much the same to me. The dark elves in Bastian are still investigating and considering their response,” I replied.

  I left out the details of my visits with Palypsos, wanting to understand better and digest what I had learned. I reached into my travel pack and pulled out some slightly moldy looking feathers.

  “I took these off a raptor demon that I killed about thirty miles north of here. It didn’t have any ears.”

  “You will be given credit and compensated for all of your kills as will Hicks and Gunner. It will make a nice promotion ceremony gift for the two of them,” declared Snow. “The service that you provided to Bastian, and the knowledge that you brought back with you is invaluable. I must send a report to the King in Maidenhall informing him of the new potential threat.”

  “Please make sure that Raven and Yser have access to my funds, and please ask Lynda to stop by when she gets a chance.”

  After Snow left, I asked Andy to close the door.

  “Last night, I passed out before I got to talk with Raven about how things turned out. The King rescinded her Exile. She is welcome home in Bastian. She will be safe there,” I said.

  Andy nodded, “The King’s letter explained the situation fully. We are forever indebted to you for what you have done, Ara.”

  From my travel pack, I removed a single black talisman and handed it back to Andarion. “Thank you for lending me this. It made a great difference for us, and I don’t think that Sentinel Gunner will ever get over being called ‘the goat.’”

  “It was the least that I could do, Ara,” he said as he looped it around his neck. He seemed anxious before, but now he relaxed.

  “Your connection to your family is restored?”

  “Yes, you could tell?” he answered.

  “I could feel the difference when you placed it around your neck.”

  I then pulled out the two golden disc talismans that were given to me by King Ylamil. Andy’s eyes went wide in surprise.

  “What are these?” I asked. “And why did the King present them to me?”

  “Why is simple. You helped save our city and ended a tremendous threat to his line. What they are is not so easy to explain,” he replied. “The silver amulet that you wear is a shamanic device of protection for the House of Ylamil that connects you to Raven and the rest of us. It provides all of us that wear it a faint connection, as well as the subtle cloaking effect that you have experienced first-hand. While the talismans that most of us wear are black, the silver color of yours indicates a gift from the King and thus can be used to seal a betrothal.

  “These golden discs are relics of an older age. On one-level, they seal a permanent bond that lasts until one of the bearers dies. They have been worn by the Kings of Ylamil for dozens of generations. King Ylamil and his wives shared this set, but now that he is a widower, the devices await a new pairing. The fact that he has given them away means he has no plans for extending the line himself. Honestly, part of me is shocked by his action.”

  “So, House Ylamil just lost a relic of huge importance?” I asked.

  “Good question. Another significant effect of the pair is to magically bind upon the wearer permanent indisputable status as a member of House Ylamil. That way, if a King died before his Queen, she would remain as the undisputed head of the House for her remaining years. The avarice and scheming of our kind were thus abated.”

  “You’re saying that I would become Ara Ylamil if wore one of these?” I asked with surprise.

  “Only if paired with another person. And both would then be considered Ylamil without question. A House for the houseless.”

  “Thank you for explaining,” I said, my mouth going dry at the thought of such a huge commitment. “I think that I would prefer to create my own House first before joining another.”

  Andarion nodded, watching me wrap and place the talismans safely into my chest in the corner.

  The sun was up now.

  “Do you think that Raven is awake?” I asked.

  “She was up half the night sitting in this most uncomfortable chair before I sent her to bed,” he answered with a smile.

  “Andarion, about my scars,” I said. “I’ve shown them to Rae, but no one else. I feel ashamed and embarrassed by the stigma, but after my trip to Bastian, I think that I have a better understanding of the Vigil’s intent.”

  Rolling carefully out of bed, I headed for my weapon rack.

  “This is Exile,” I said, holding out my ancient broadsword. “Notice the runes pressed into the blade. They signify a soul trapped within the weapon. A great and vile soul. Am I such a weapon?”

  And here he smiled warmly, “You have such tremendous decisions to make and foes to conquer in the days ahead.”

  Yseria relieved Andarion of his bodyguard duties a short while later. She was clean, smelling of amber and the polished, rugged leather that she wore. I would see to finding her some more comfortable clothes. I offered the chair by my bed after she checked my bandages.

  “Did you get enough rest last night?” I asked. “I bet Hicks and Gunner are still out cold in their beds today.”

  “Are you speaking as my bodyguard or as my friend?” she said.

  I could feel her anxiety as she tried to sort her situation and surroundings, and her new friend.

  “Both,” I replied. “And please let me know if you need anything at all.”

  “I will, and I did, sleep well, that is,” she finally answered. “It seems safe enough around here. Are you sure that you need a bodyguard?”

  “Do I ever look like I can take care of myself?” I said with a grin.

  “Point taken,” she smiled. It was a pretty smile. Her bedside manner alone made me grateful for her decision to accompany me to Colivar.

  “You’ve spoken with Andarion? How did it go?” I asked.

  I sensed a flicker of pain, and her smile fled.

  “Sorry,” I said. Crap.

  “No need to be sorry, Ara. It has been a long time; long enough that Andy and I should both be over the pain. We need to move on with our lives.”

  From what I gathered, these dark elves held terribly strong attachments. Well, sometimes, you must break the bone for it to heal. I hoped that Yser’s new path would allow that healing to happen.

  I finally dozed off, napping until Lynda and Raven walked in later that morning.

  Their effect on me was immediate. I quickly climbed out of bed, ignoring the pain in my side. There’s something about the sight of two beautiful women that bolsters one’s strength or at least one’s dignity. I was still leaning a bit, favoring my side, and fighting off some vertigo for getting up to fast, but tried to offer a brave face as I gave them both a gentle hug and maybe held Raven a bit longer than necessary.

  She looked great, wearing her black leather outfit. Her dark hair was shiny and pulled back with a pale clip. The color of health had returned to her face, and I could see the leather thong of her silver talisman around her neck.

  “I’m sorry for not talking with you last night. It seems the journey home from Bastian took more out of me than I thought,” I said, while still holding her hand.

  “You left us without saying goodbye,” she whispered.

  Underneath her beautiful and hale appearance, I could still sense the broken heart that she carried. Another heart slow to heal. This one, I wouldn’t break any further.

  “You were with me the whole way,” I offered, weakly, touching where the amulet rested against my chest.

  And here, Lynda helped me again, changing the subject, “The promotion ceremony is the day af
ter tomorrow. Let’s all plan to visit a tailor or two, so we have something presentable to wear for the occasion. Dignitaries will be arriving today and tomorrow to attend the ceremony.”

  “Like who?” I asked.

  “Well, the Duke of Stonnberg and his escort will be riding in later today. My brother Meryl will be among them. They’ll all be staying on the floor above you. This keep is mainly reserved for visiting dignitaries.”

  “I wonder if a Colivarian Duke outranks a Bastian Princess,” I said, eyeing Raven. “And speaking of which, your family sends their respects. Your sister Lorna was badly hurt during the fight at the demon gate, but she made it a point to pass along her love for you before we left. And your father, well I think he wants to see you again soon. You read his letter and his decrees?”

  Raven nodded, looking over my shoulder at Yser with suspicion.

  “You seem to be awfully familiar with your new bodyguard,” she said.

  “Well, after our days together on the road, she is also my friend,” I replied, seeing Lynda’s eyes go wide with a slight shake of her head.

  I suddenly yearned for the days when I only had to worry about the whims of an eleven-year-old girl in Lockrun.

  Lynda cut in again, “My father said that Vigil Thorn would be arriving tomorrow. Thorn’s usually too busy fighting in the East to pay attention to training or promotion ceremonies, so this is a big event. She’ll be up on the fourth floor of this keep with her Sentinel escort.”

  “Any idea why she’s suddenly turning up?” I asked. The thought of yet another Vigil being around left me more than a bit uneasy.

  “She may be short on men and looking to recruit some alpha-level fighters,” Lynda guessed.

  “Or maybe some seasoned Sentinel Scouts?” I asked.

  The thought of hunting demons in the mountains or the jungles of Colivar held a tempting simplicity for me.

  “Maybe,” she said with a look of uncertainty.

  “Sounds like the next couple days will be quite interesting. Let’s meet tomorrow after breakfast, then head into town,” I said, to much agreement.

  I looked to my bodyguard, “Yser, please track down Andarion. With all the extra guards coming into town, I feel that he could use some work on his blade skills.”