Angels and Elves- Act I

by William Collins

  He blew out a stream of purple smoke as he slammed his book on the table and picked up another from the pile. He was looking into the secrets of the five castles, for any secret passage or door he may not have heard of. If he could find a secret route in and out of the Fortress the information would be invaluable to Velkarath. It wasn’t something Lok had researched before, and he knew his chances of finding anything were slim. All he’d read so far today was about the secret passage of Jerry the genie and how Castle Coterie was a honeycomb of hidden tunnels, but he knew all that already.

  A sudden polite cough from behind startled him. He dropped the book and turned to see Arantay behind him. Ushk, this glarqing guy again?

  He hadn’t heard Arantay at all, or even notice he’d been watching him.

  Ushk! What if he’s done this before? Has he caught me talking to those I’ve converted? If the Elfpire had overheard the things Lok had told the Venators he’d turned into budding Rakarn, it would be all over for him. So no, Arantay would’ve ratted him out to the Masters at once. He was still only suspicious, Tay had nothing on him…yet.

  “I asked Tarensen if I could accompany on your next mission.”

  “What, why?”

  “To help you,” he replied kindly. “After what happened. It’s a marvel you haven’t’ suffered from any post-traumatic stress disorder already. But this is your first mission after Tyrell. I know the Masters have purposefully kept you off assignments until now.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he chuckled nervously. “What are the chances I’ll be attacked by Rakarn two missions in a row?”

  “True, but you seem to defy the odds, Lok.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I remember seeing something odd in our last mission together. Do you remember the battle in the warehouse with the Moonlight Races?”

  “Of course, demented lycans are pretty hard to forget.” Lok forced his tone to be casual, but he was screaming inside. He remembered that battle, how he’d purposefully avoided killing any Rakarn and also quietly communicated with the couple of familiar faces he saw.

  “Well, moments before I faced my brother, I saw you on the ground, a Dark-Venator standing over you. His sword was raised high, and you had been unarmed. He should’ve brought his sword down to strike you, but then I saw you say something. I couldn’t hear, due to the sounds of battle, but suddenly the Rakarn froze, and then a vampire struck him from behind. My attention returned to Falawn a second later and I forgot all about the strange exchange.”

  Lok swallowed, hard. “Oh yeah,” he said, as if casting his mind back. “I think I know what you’re talking about. One of the damned Rakarn did manage to disarm me. Before he could stab me, I shouted, ‘stop’. Silly thing to say really, but you don’t really think when your life is in danger. Something in my shout made the guy freeze. Maybe he was a relatively new Rakarn and not yet a hardened killer. Maybe killing an unarmed guy lying on the ground was a step too far and made him develop a conscience for a second.”

  “But as it happened,” said Tay. “I’ve just been given a mission that I must depart for shortly.”

  “Oh, right.” Good. That’ll stop you asking questions. “Where are you off too then?”

  “Myself, and two Mid-Realmers, Iris and Porgree are being sent to the Satyr realm, Capralt. A large band of goblins are killing all the wildlife in the satyr forest you see, and…”

  Lok drowned out the rest of Tay’s words, feeling a leap of joy. This was his chance, and it couldn’t be more perfect having one of his turncoats on Tay’s assignment.

  “Well, good luck.”

  As Arantay walked away he knew what he had to do. Arantay was starting to figure things out. What if he alerted one of the Masters about his suspicions. Lok would have to take care of him, make sure that never happened. Once Arantay was far away from Veneseron, Lok could strike.

  He pulled out his Holophone and started dialling a number. Due to one of Arantay’s companions on his mission, Lok would know his exact location, when the time came.

  He’d have to do to Arantay what he’d done to Tyrell.

  Part Two

  The Republic

  Chapter 11- Torn Apart

  It was almost light by the time Damen and Ria reached their current home. They’d walked the dirt-track roads after an hour of running across the city roofs. They hadn’t been travelling for too long, but nights only lasted around seven hours on the world of Ilexi.

  They’d been living in this world for a few months now, finding a safe place after a hectic journey through the demon realms. Blanaco had almost caught them the last time. They’d been in Lykorian realm then, staying at an extravagant pyramid on the beach. Both of them had been on a string of fantastic jobs, using the money to stay in utter comfort. Blanaco and his troupe had come for them, however. If Damen hadn’t got up in the night to get a drink, and happened to peer out the window, he wouldn’t have seen them scaling the pyramid and Blanaco would’ve finally got them. Luckily, Ria kept their Rambrace near her at all times.

  After a merry jaunt through a dozen demonic worlds, where a tribe of men with the heads of elephants had been determined to eat them and one realm where pebbles rained from the sky, they’d managed to lose Blanaco again. He shouldn’t be able to find them for a long while, hopefully never.

  Damen was bone-weary. He barely had enough energy to continue putting one foot in front of the other. He wished they had enough sorcery left to use the zoom spell all the way home.

  “Do we have any food in, sis?”

  “Only Popri powder,” Ria barely grunted, likely as exhausted as he was. “But with tonight’s haul we can go shopping tomorrow.”

  Damen grinned then, looking forward to the feast he’d have for tomorrow’s dinner.

  They were near their current home now, coming up to the vast cliff face, honeycombed with caves. As they started up the slope he looked behind him instinctually, just to make sure they weren’t being followed. A habit he had, but not without reason.

  “Which cave is ours again?”

  “Every time,” Ria shook her head, “your memory is so bad.”

  “It’s not that,” said Damen, “they all look the same.”

  Although the cave mouths were naturally hewn and thus not identical, the circular doors set into the cave mouths were all red wood with brass door knobs, the only difference was the numbers in the middle. Damen could never recall exactly what house number they were; it was seven digits after all.

  “It’s this one,” said Ria as she stepped up to unlock a door that looked just like the rest. “Number 365, 5549. Not hard to remember.”

  “For you,” he muttered, following her in.

  Living in houses carved out of cave was the norm for the Ilexi people, the realm was dominated by rock and mountains. The inner-city, where the Nymph Night’s club had been, was one of the only man-made places Damen had seen.

  Their home was large and warm, heated naturally by volcanic rock far beneath them. It was still rather bare, however. He and Ria each had their own bedrooms and there was a bathroom, complete with a hot spring, but the main room was a kitchen and living area combined. As soon as he stepped through the door Damen headed for food, he was ravenous.

  “Oi, you didn’t wipe your feet,” Ria called after him.

  “Are you serious? The floor is rock.”

  He ignored her as he buried his head in the cupboard, grabbing a sachet of Popri powder. He then hurried over to their wooden table, ripping the sachet as he went.

  Popri powder transformed as soon as it became exposed to air. As he poured the sachet into his bowl, it began expanding into a cake made out of herbs and nutrients. He tucked in with his bare hands.

  “Eurgh, you’re such a pig,” Ria cringed as she got her own Popri powder.

  “Sorry.” He grinned round a mouthful. “It’s how I was raised.”

  They’d been born on a realm named Falgar. Damen’s earliest memories were living on the streets of
Moonton city with Ria, a city where the ground was full of craters and dust, whilst the sky full of flying vehicles and tall towers.

  Every day, they’d spent hours trying to catch the food and drink people threw out of their Air-cars above. Nine out of ten times they’d miss and the food would splatter on the ground. The Air-car owners often chucked away food that was only half-eaten. Damen remembered getting so angry whenever he didn’t catch the litter in time. Usually they got so hungry that they’d scoop the remains off the ground and devour what they could.

  Ria had saved them from starvation when she started stealing from the crater mines. That had been the start to their career of thievery. It had also been the first time Ria had ever used magic. It had been when he was sick. Damen often suffered from seizures where his skin went red and his veins black. Neither of them had any idea why. After each seizure he’d suffer a terrible fever for days. This particular fever had been the worst one yet.

  Ria had left him alone in their hovel. She hadn’t wanted too, but he’d badly needed medicine. Ria told him afterwards that she expected to return to find him dead. The hospitals on Falgar only served those who could pay, no matter how dire the situation. She’d set out to get money somehow, or try to break into the hospital where she would be put in prison if caught. By chance Ria had noticed the jewels glinting in one of the crater mines as she passed by. It was late at night and the mines closed. She’d snuck in, only a young girl she hadn’t realised the stones were embedded in the walls and you couldn’t simply pull them out. Ria had been so desperate, so panicked that her brother was dying or might already be dead. She’d made her hands bloody trying to claw out the precious stones. As tears streamed down her face and sobs wracked her body, her hands had suddenly melted into the rock walls and she found she could scoop out several jewels. She’d hurried to the underground market, where they knew people who’d buy what wasn’t strictly legal. In less than an hour she’d raised enough money to pay the hospital to treat him and save his life.

  Ria had realised she’d performed magic that night, like the battlemages from the movies that played on the big screens. The two of them had crept into the big screen houses to watch the movies many a time. Ria told him she thought her mind must’ve played tricks on her that night, but then she started using sorcery again, accidentally at first.

  Damen had been terribly jealous, he wasn’t afraid to admit it. He was so weak and she so strong. It wasn’t fair.

  From what little Damen knew of magic it was that it usually got passed down from blood. Back then he’d thought maybe Ria was the daughter of a real-life battlemage and he was a homeless boy she’d found, and they just happened to look alike. But then Damen discovered his own magic.

  They’d been on an Airbus when the pirates attacked. Moonton city was regularly terrorised by pirate gangs, but this was the first time Damen had encountered them. They were going to kill everyone on board. Ria had stupidly tried to stop them and almost got herself killed for it. Damen had just reacted when one pirate put his blade at her throat, and suddenly a torrent of black mist was spewing from his hand.

  They’d had to leave Moonton city after that, regardless of whether they’d saved civilians the guards still wanted Damen for murder.

  He and Ria fled to the city of Morke where they used their magic to steal things. They needed to steal, to survive. Damen didn’t think there was spells to create money or food out of thin air. Although neither of them really knew what they were doing, so there could be.

  They hadn’t been in Morke city long before they first met Blanaco.

  “We’ll need to leave now,” Ria remarked as they ate. “We should travel to a whole new realm, just in case.”

  “Are you sure? I like Ilexi, couldn’t we just lie low for a bit?”

  Ria shook her head sadly. “People will talk about the kind of sorcery that sucks the souls from its victims.”

  “But I didn’t, not this time,” he protested. “Orax didn’t die, you said so yourself.”

  “I know,” said Ria, “but there were witnesses. Not only is magic outlawed in Ilexi, but someone might recognise what you did as demon magic.”

  “Hey, we don’t know if it’s demon magic. Just because your books describe something similar doesn’t make it fact.”

  She sighed heavily. “I won’t argue with you. But you know it’s too risky to stay now. If we don’t leave Ilexi entirely Blanaco could find us again.”

  Their unique way of stealing in the city of Morke had quickly attracted the attention of Blanaco. It had been Blanaco who told them all about demons and that other worlds existed. He was a hedge wizard himself, so recognised their unique talent. They had joined his guild of thieves and thugs, a rag-tag group of magic-users. It was the first time Damen felt like he had a home. But then it had all gone wrong. Now Blanaco hunted them.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” he grumbled. “I suppose you’ll want to leave right away.”

  “Tomorrow,” she nodded.

  “Damn, I guess I’ll have to break up with Ureen then. Let me say goodbye to her first and then we’ll go.” He pulled a desperately sad expression at her.

  “Oh please, Damen. Don’t pretend you’re serious about her, she’s just one of many for you. Besides, didn’t you just meet her two weeks ago?”

  “Hey, I respect females of all races and species. I just like sampling all different kinds.” He joked, “But yeah, Ureen is different. I’ll tell her I’ll visit her again, once all this has died down. And yes, I mean it this time.”

  Ria raised her eyebrows, “Sure. Ureen has an unfortunate name by the way.”

  Damen chuckled. “I know, she’s a Jelnorfi alien though, so it’s lost on her.”

  “She’s an alien?” Ria narrowed her eyes. “Tell me you aren’t dating her because she has an extra set of breasts or something?”

  Damen roared with laughter. “No, other than the purple skin and tentacle hair, she could pass as human. Anyway, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

  “Yeah, I’ve met some of your other girlfriends don’t forget, they all have one, or should say two, things in common. You’re right about one thing, brother. You don’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter if she’s black, white, green or blue, has scales, pointed ears or… hair like tentacles now, apparently.”

  “That’s right,” said Damen, “I’ll be dating an ogre next.”

  *

  Ria could tell early evening had claimed the day when a chill seeped into their cave. The stove was still pleasantly warm, however, and Ria stirred the pan’s contents happily. She was looking forward to eating a meal of proper food for the first time in ages. She’d not long returned from the shopping mall where she’d brought a haunch of harpy meat and a variety of vegetables. As well as all the supplies they’d need for their latest journey through multiple worlds.

  Damen was a better cook than her, but Ria thought she’d treat him with dinner when he got back, he didn’t want to leave so maybe it would ease the blow. Damen always became too attached wherever they travelled. He made friends easy, and girlfriends easier. She was always the one having to convince him to move on before Blanaco found them.

  He hadn’t returned yet from wherever Ureen lived. Ria hoped he wasn’t too much longer she wanted to leave tonight, just to be on the safe side.

  She looked round curiously as the door creaked open slowly.

  “Who’s there? Oi, are you trying to be funny again? Damen?”

  A tall man stepped briskly into their house. Ria looked at him in surprise, about to ask what the hell he was doing in their home, when she realised he wasn’t a man at all.

  He wore a brown tunic and dark hooded cloak, the clothes typical of this realm. As he pulled back his hood however she saw his face and felt terror race through her veins.

  The top of his head was pink and smooth, but the lower half was covered in coarse black hair and twitching mandibles. A total of five eyes stared back at her. Two of them were oversized a
nd in the normal place, whilst three beetle black eyes lay where a nose should be.

  “Good afternoon child. I am Lord Hynd.” He spoke in a surprisingly normal voice, except for the mandibles that clicked with every other word.

  Ria had to have seen close to a thousand different races and creatures throughout her life flitting between worlds. She’d fought many monsters and killed demons. But she had never encountered a being who emanated as much power and iniquity as the thing before her.

  “What are you doing?” She asked, already gathering her sorcery in one hand and feeling the dagger at her belt. “Get out of our home.”

  “Tssk, relax little demon-spawn. I mean you no harm.” Hynd crossed his arms casually. Both his hands were the same pink as his head, except for the green fingertips.

  “What did you call me?” She rasped. Why would he call me the spawn of a demon?

  “I will explain shortly,” Hynd replied. “Where is your brother?”

  How does he know about Damen? Ria unsheathed her dagger and thrust out her other hand in warning. She’d never heard a demon talk before, let alone so eloquently. By now she could guess Hynd was one of the Dread Lord beings she’d read about. If the stories were true, she was in serious danger.

  “I said, get out!”

  Four more monsters followed Hynd inside. She recognised them as Onlekks, bald goblin-like creatures with green-brown skin, piggish snouts and extra sets of eyes on the side of their heads.

  “Not possible,” Hynd’s grotesque mouth opened in a semblance of a smile. “I’m afraid you must come with me now. Incapacitate her boys.”

  The Onlekks raised their stubby black metal swords and charged her, but Ria was ready for them. She threw a lightning bolt and sent two Onlekks flying back. She then seized the boiling pan on the stove and smashed it into the nearest monster. As he keeled in agony, Ria slid her dagger into his stomach. She yanked it out fast to parry the Onlekk on her other side. The sound of blades clashing echoed around the cave for several moments until she broke his guard and slashed the Onlekk’s throat. By now the two she’d struck down simultaneously were getting to their feet. Ria chucked her dagger onto the table however, she’d need two hands for this.