by Dale Britton
"What is that thing?" Ian's voice was filled with disgust. "It's floating!"
It looked like a black jellyfish with hundreds of tentacles writhing in a twisted mass.
Johnny grabbed his bow from where he wore it slung across his back the way that Lylor had taught him. He pulled an arrow from his quiver, notched it, aimed, and let it fly. The arrow flew through the shimmering curtain with a red flash, then soared directly into the demon, hitting it at a point right in the middle of a knot of tentacles. The creature squealed like a pig and collapsed to the ground. The black shape writhed for several minutes before going still.
"One less demon," Ian said. "Nice shot."
"I wish I could take credit," Johnny said. "But the bow's doing all the work. It's like the arrows know exactly where to hit to do the most damage."
"They probably do," Lylor said. "This is very powerful magic. Now, just be careful to keep some arrows in reserve. You will not be able to collect them until morning."
Johnny nodded.
They killed twelve demons that night, each party member holding the bow during their watch. After that, the creatures finally learned to keep their distance. With only four members in the party, the watches were longer, but with fewer attempts to break through the ward, everyone was able to sleep without interruption.
The morning dawned much colder than the previous day. Johnny could see his breath when he crawled out of his blankets. He shivered as he packed up.
"Is this normal?" he asked. "I thought it was summer here."
Lylor stared off into the north. "No. This coldness is unnatural. This is the demon's work. And it will only get worse until he is stopped."
"What is he up to?" Ian asked.
"You already know, don't you?" Johnny said. "I mean, we've read all of the stories a hundred times."
Ian nodded in understanding. "Yeah. He's already starting to remake the world. He wants to turn it into a dark dimension, just like his own."
Jordan shivered. "I wish Ollie were here."
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Ollie stared at the map. "I don't understand. We're going the right way, but there should be a small river near here."
Yrabelle nodded. "Yes. The Rhistel flows southward from the hills of the north. It is a beautiful stream."
"Not anymore. Look." George pointed at a shallow trench about four feet wide that stretched out into the distance several feet to their right. Small puddles of water glistened at the bottom. Dead fish lay scattered on the ground.
"No!" Yrabelle exclaimed. Tears formed in her eyes. "This cannot be! My family has spent many a happy hour by the shores of this river. Who has done this?"
"It's the demon lord," Ollie said. "and I'm afraid that we're going to see a lot worse than this as long as he's in this world."
"It's alright, Yrabelle," Sarah said. "We'll fix it. You'll see." She glanced at Ollie hopefully, as if asking him if she were telling the truth.
"We're going to do our best," Ollie said. "There's always a way to win."
"You keep speaking as if this is all just some kind of contest," Yrabelle said. The tears were falling now. "But it is not. This is our lives. My brother was killed by undead monsters. My father has nearly died countless times."
Ollie suddenly felt ashamed. This world was so much like the game that they had played for so long, and he realized that he was having a hard time separating the two. But the people here were real. They had fears and emotions. They had their own lives to live. Many of them were sick or suffering... or dying. And they didn't have another world they could escape to when their campaign was over.
"I'm sorry, Yrabelle. I know this must be horrible for you. I promise we'll do everything we can to help you." Please let it be enough.
Their path led them along the empty riverbed for several miles before branching off into hilly country. Trees were sparse now, replaced by scattered brush and grass. The hills went on for miles, but not forever. Ollie could see a large range of towering mountains several miles in the distance to the north.
"What are those mountains?" he asked. "They're not on The Map, are they George?"
"No," George answered. "That's off of the edge. We haven't built anything in that direction."
Off the edge of The Map. It was like the end of the world.
"Those are the Athtarai," Yrabelle said. "We never travel near them. There are stories..."
"Athtarai," George said. "That means 'cold heart'"
"How is it that you know our ancient language?" Yrabelle asked. "It was my impression that there are no elves in your world."
"George invented the language for our game," Ollie said. "He's the only one who knows it, though, the rest of us aren't as..." He paused, looking for the right word. "As passionate about elves as George."
"But how can that be?" Yrabelle asked. "Our people have used the ancient tongue for countless centuries. How could you have simply invented the same language on your own? It defies logic."
"Everything about this defies logic," Ollie said. "We shouldn't even be here."
Yrabelle shook her head, then smiled. "However it came to be, I am glad. You may not see it, but you are heroes, every one of you."
An hour later they stopped in a small grove of trees to eat and to rest the horses. George kept looking over at Yrabelle as if he couldn't believe she was actually there. Ollie could understand. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was dreaming. Here they were, sitting together on a blanket under a tree in the wilderness of a fantasy world with a beautiful elf girl as a companion, on a quest to defeat a demon lord. How on earth did this happen?
"Something's out there," Sarah said suddenly. She reached instinctively for her dagger, which lay at her side. Ollie gathered energy for a spell.
There was a rustling in the brush, and something covered with thick brown fur rushed out from the cover of the bushes.
"Oh, it's just a raccoon." Sarah lowered her dagger.
There was a streak of glittering silver, and suddenly the animal squealed as the handle of a knife appeared in its side.
"I don't know what this 'raccoon' is that you speak of," Yrabelle said, "but that creature is a devilmunk. If you were to allow it to reach you, it would latch on and feed on your very soul."
"Oh," Sarah said. "That is literally the most deranged thing I've ever heard."
"That was some pretty nice knife work," Ollie said.
"I said that I was not untrained."
George was staring at Yrabelle with a strange expression on his face, maybe seeing her in a new light.
"Close your mouth, George," Sarah said.
George shook his head to clear it. "Sorry. That was pretty awesome, Yrabelle."
"Thank you." She walked over to the dead animal to retrieve her throwing knife. "These creatures have been the death of many an unsuspecting traveler."
"It just goes to show that you always need to be on your guard here," Ollie said. "Many monsters are able to disguise themselves so they can catch people by surprise."
"Now that's a comforting thought," Sarah said. "It's lucky we have a local with us."
Chapter Sixty-Nine
The party rode without trouble for the rest of the day. They decided to stop for the night at the top of a small rise. From this vantage point, they could see for miles around. The great forest spread out behind them to the south as far as they could see. Before them to the north, the great mountains rose unbelievably high into the sky.
"Too bad our cell phones don't work here," George said. "I'd really like to know how everyone else is doing."
"Cell phones?" Yrabelle asked. "What is that?”
"Something from our world," Ollie said. "A device that allows people to communicate over great distances. Everyone has one."
"Like a crystal ball?" Yrabelle asked.
"You have crystal balls here?" Sarah asked.
"Yes," Yrabelle said. "But they are extremely rare. I've never seen one, though my father has."
"Anyway," George said. "I hope they're okay."
"They're with Lylor," Ollie said. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
Once everyone was ready, Ollie activated the ward. The magic users had supplied the group with several weeks’ worth of the talismans, which should be more than enough for their journey.
"Okay," Ollie said. "I'll take the first watch. I want to practice my shield spell. I'm having trouble bringing it up fast enough to be useful."
"You're getting really good with the fire, though," George said. "That stuff's pretty crazy."
The demons began to appear outside of the boundaries of the ward, but they couldn't penetrate the magic barrier. Ollie studied the ward, trying to figure out how the magic worked, but it was way beyond his current understanding. It was rare for him to be in a position where something was too complicated to understand, but that was the case here. Where the spells he had already learned were algebra, the warding cube was quantum mechanics.
After the others had lain down to sleep Ollie spent his time practicing. He gathered energy and weaved the shield spell over and over, trying to make different shapes and improve his speed. He got better as he practiced, but he still felt like it took way too long to form the spell. It wouldn't be very useful in a battle, where death could come in an instant.
He was interrupted when a demon that looked like a large misshapen pig slammed into the ward close to the place where the horses were tethered. The barrier repelled the attack easily, and the scent of bacon arose from the shower of sparks that surrounded the creature. The horses whinnied in panic and pulled at the tethers.
And suddenly, with a snapping sound, one of the horses broke its tether and was loose. Before Ollie had a chance to react, the horse bolted.
It ran right through the boundary of the ward.
There was a flicker from all around, like a dome made of lightning, and the ward disappeared. Ollie could actually feel the energy dissipate. They were completely unprotected.
"Wake up!" Ollie yelled. "Everyone up! Hurry!" He ran toward the spot where his friends were sleeping.
"What is it?" Sarah asked, pulling herself out of her blankets.
"The ward is down. The demons are coming!"
Chapter Seventy
It took a few moments for the demons to realize that the ward was down, but then they came in force. Ollie actually had enough time to form his shield, and the first wave of demons hit the magical weave and was thrust back from the party. Sarah, George, and Yrabelle were able to get off the ground and scramble for their weapons.
"What happened?" Sarah searched the darkness for more demons. "Where's the ward?"
"A horse got loose." Ollie's voice was strained. "Guys, we're in trouble. I can't hold this shield for much longer. I'm already tired from practicing."
A huge ape-like demon charged. It hit Ollie's shield and actually pushed him back several feet. Ollie gasped from the effort of holding the shield. He could feel the energy starting to unravel.
"I can't hold it!"
George advanced on the ape demon, holding his sword above his head. "Let it go on three."
Ollie nodded, his teeth clenched with effort.
"One... two..." The demon was concentrating on the barrier and didn't notice George's approach. "Three," George screamed, swinging with all of his strength.
The shield disappeared, and George's sword took the demon's head clear off its body. Yrabelle threw one of her knives, and another approaching demon fell to the ground. But there were dozens more, and they kept coming.
"What can we do?" George asked. "There are too many of them."
"I'll slow them down," Sarah said. "Ollie, you think."
"What are you going to..." Yrabelle started, but Sarah was already gone.
"We'll explain later," George said to her shocked expression.
"There's a way out of this," Ollie said. There was a shriek as a demon fell to Sarah's attack and then another an instant later, but even with her speed, Sarah wouldn't nearly be able to stop all of them. Besides, she couldn't use the ring for very long and risk putting herself in a coma again.
"We have to flee," Yrabelle said. "We cannot prevail against these monsters."
Ollie sent a ball of fire into a group of imps that were closing in from behind. The creatures scattered from the flames. George rushed a boar-like demon, grabbed it around the neck, and threw it into another approaching black shape. Yrabelle threw knife after knife at the beasts, and most found their marks.
But still, the demons pressed closer. The teens were being slowly driven toward the edge of the rise. The darkness was filled with grunts, howls, and other more terrifying sounds. The demons knew their prey could not escape.
"We're surrounded," George shouted. "We have to try to break through their ranks!"
"No, wait," Ollie said. "I'm so stupid!" There was a shriek of pain from the right, and Ollie turned in that direction. "Sarah! Get back inside the ward!"
"But there is no ward," George said.
"There will be," Ollie said. "I can invoke another one."
"Of course," Yrabelle murmured.
Sarah appeared at Ollie's side, panting heavily and teetering on her feet. Ollie couldn't spare any time to check on her. He rushed over to the warding cube that he had placed on the ground earlier that evening. He carefully turned it so that a different face was pointing upward.
"Here goes. There may be demons trapped inside the ward when I invoke it, so be ready."
"What about the horse?" George asked.
"There's nothing we can do about it," Ollie said. "Maybe it will survive until morning." He didn't feel very hopeful, though. He spoke a word and the cube activated again. There was a flicker, and a dozen demons howled in pain as the ward pushed them past the boundary with a shower of red sparks. The party waited for several minutes, watching and listening to the darkness, but the battle was over. The demons were once again trapped outside.
"Whoa," George said. "Well, that was terrifying. I wish you'd thought of that sooner."
"No doubt," Sarah said. "But I feel really bad about losing the horse."
"Why don't you take the next watch, George," Ollie said. "Sarah's going to need to rest now."
"Sure," George said. "No problem."
"And while you're at it, check the tethers on the other horses. We don't want to go through that again."
Chapter Seventy-One
"You see," Lylor said, "it is as I said."
The party stood near the shore of a great lake, so big that the far side could barely be seen. It had taken the group nearly three days to arrive at this point, which was one of the locations marked on the map. The voyage had not been without danger. They had faced a pack of zombies, a large troll, and a small group of goblins. Between Lylor's experience, Ian's sword, and Johnny's bow, however, they had conquered their attackers while remaining mostly unscathed.
Before them sat some of the ruins Lylor remembered. It looked like the remains of a small village that had once stood here. Johnny could imagine a hoard of demons descending from the hills onto this place, destroying everything in their path. He felt a chill.
"I don't think that lake is on The Map," Ian said.
"It's not," Johnny said. "A lake this large would take up a quarter of a table all by itself. We're at the western edge."
"So, the world doesn't just end here, huh?" Jordan said.
Lylor was listening with amusement. "No, I assure you, you would need to travel westward for many leagues before reaching the Cliffs of Oblivion at the true end of the world."
"The Cliffs of Oblivion?" Johnny said. "You mean the world really does have an edge?"
Lylor laughed. "No. I jest. If you continue west, you will eventually reach the Great Western Sea. Beyond that nobody knows. This lake before us is named the Sea of Nualla. Before the last demon war, this was a region of great commerce in fishing and mining, but now it is mostly the home of monsters and ruins like those below us."
"Well, w
hat we're looking for has to be here somewhere," Ian said.
"Did you have any idea at all what we were supposed to find?" Johnny asked.
"Well, an object or clue that would either lead you to the demon lord or give you a way to beat him."
"That's amazingly vague," Jordan said.
"I said I hadn't finished planning it out."
"We will just have to search," Lylor said. "But let us remain together. Who can know what creatures may have made this place their home?"
The group moved into the ruined town and began their search. Most of the buildings were homes where people had once lived their lives until the demons had come to kill them or to drive them away.
"Who lived here?" Johnny asked after they had searched four such houses without luck. "Were they human? Or elves?"
"They were human, I believe," Lylor said. "Before the demon war, there were many such villages. Most of the people fled the demons–those who survived."
"Where would you put a clue in a place like this?" Johnny asked Ian.
"Is there a central building?" Ian asked. "That seems like a likely place."
After a few minutes, they found it. It was larger than the other buildings, with a wide entryway and several rooms that looked like offices.
"It has to be here somewhere," Ian said. "This place feels right."
The first several rooms contained nothing but broken furniture and piles of dust, but in the back, they found a large windowless room lined with shelves. It was some kind of a storeroom, or maybe a study. The shelves were mostly empty.
"Look everywhere," Ian said. "Whatever we're looking for, it's got to be here."
The group obediently spread out to search the room. They spent half an hour pulling dusty items off shelves and inspecting them, searching for hidden panels or compartments, and looking underneath anything that would move.
"I think I found it," Jordan called excitedly from the back corner of the room. She held up a tattered book. "This was shoved to the back of the top shelf." She handed the book to Lylor, who opened it carefully and began to read. His eyes brightened as he inspected the writing on the pages in the dim light from the doorway.
