by R W Foster
The Snebbli sat up straighter. “Indeed,” she said. “Ready for the next?”
“Yes’m.”
“More valued than gold, more precious than silk, pouring like wine, flowing like milk. A count’s evening feast, an offering of war, a pact is now sealed, forever more.”
This time the answer was within the riddle: flowing and ‘count’s evening feast.’
“Blood, Ma’am.”
“Indeed. Are you ready for the last one?”
“Yes’m,” I replied.
“It prods a man’s hand and it robs him of sleep. It makes him climb mountains and travel the deep. It makes him go wander down deep in a cave, and do almost anything, stupid, or brave. The longer denied, the greater it grows. It makes a man learn until he thinks he knows.”
I grinned. I had had this riddle as the only question on one of my physics professor’s infamous pop quizzes. “Curiosity, Ma’am.”
The wizard leaped from her chair and clapped her hands.
“Congratulations, my boy! You have answered all my riddles! No one has ever done that before!”
Keeper Dearbhaile rose on tiptoe and kissed me on my cheek as a crowd of people cheered my success.
“Now, what will your wish be?” the wizard asked.
“May my companion ask for the wish instead?”
The wizard blinked in surprise. “Are you sure, my boy? Once granted, I will grant no other for you.”
“I’m certain, Ma’am.”
“Alright,” she turned to Keeper Dearbhaile. “What would your wish be, dear girl?”
She took a deep breath, ready to answer when the wizard stopped her with an outstretched palm.
“Don’t you wish to think about it? I will reiterate what I told your man: I will grant no other wish for you after this one.”
“Thank ye, Wizard Cora, but I know for sure what I be wishin’ for.”
“Alright. What is it?”
“Th’ young mother that be here before us; I wish ye would cure her wee bairn.”
Wizard Cora’s eyes widened in surprise. “Done.” She turned to one of the guards. “Go and fetch Goodwife Millicent and her baby.”
Minutes later, Goodwife Millicent and her crying baby were before us.
“What’s going on?” She asked, nervous. “Th’ guard wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“The young man answered my riddles,” the wizard began. “He passed his wish to his woman and she wished for your child to be cured of what ails her.”
“Oh my! Is this a dream?”
“You are awake.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” Goodwife Millicent cried, throwing her free arm around Keeper Dearbhaile.
The wizard placed her hand on the baby’s forehead and then her face went white. She snapped her fingers and we were in an opulent room.
5
Torches burned in brackets on stone walls. Rich tapestries hung here and there. I looked down and saw we stood on the thickest rug I had ever encountered. The wizard, her eyes blazing and no longer welcoming, stood on the stone floor. I noticed we, Keeper Dearbhaile, Goodwife Millicent and I, were the only ones on the rug. The wizard bent and flipped a corner of the rug up, showing us an arcane sigil carved into the stone beneath it.
“Now,” she said her voice cold. “Who are you, and why are you here?”
“Wizard Cora —” began the Goodwife.
“Silence, woman,” the wizard barked.
The young woman and her crying baby went silent. I noticed the baby was still squirming with her mouth open. ‘A spell of silence. Cool.’
“I say again — ” started the wizard.
“Wizard Cora,” I interrupted, “My name is Carter Blake. My companion is named Keeper Dearbhaile Galonadriel. We came here because it looked like a festival was going on. I figured we could use a break from the events of the past few days. We had no idea you were here. We just heard a wizard was going to give someone a wish if they could answer your riddles. I was going to use the wish to restore my companion’s memory. We met the young woman with the crying baby while standing in your line and Keeper Dearbhaile used the wish to help the child.”
“How did your companion lose her memory?” The suspicious wizard asked.
The weariness of the last few days caught up with me at last, so I sat down. I looked at the floor as I answered.
“She lost her memory because of me,” I said, my voice low . “I ended a Stop-Time spell early and the backlash wiped her memory.”
I looked up and was surprised to see the Snebbli wizard had a crossbow pointed at me. It had a wicked-looking green arrow nocked.
“I’ll ask only once. If you do not answer, I will kill you where you are,” she said with menace. “What are you?”
I sighed and rubbed my eyes with my fingers. “A Vaush-Tauric said I was a Walker of Worlds.”
I opened my eyes to one of the oddest sights I’ve had since arriving in this world: the once angry little wizard prostrating herself before me, the crossbow dropped, and forgotten.
“Forgive me, Great One,” she was saying. “I did not know.”
“Of course not. I didn’t tell you until now. I’d wager you thought I was a demonic assassin, yes? And please get up, Ma’am.”
She rose to her feet. “Are you sure you won’t strike me dead for the affront?” she said, voice tremulous.
“What affront?” I asked.
“I dared point a weapon at you.”
“I would have done the same were our positions reversed. Now, on to more important things: what’s wrong with the baby?”
“It doesn’t have a soul, Milord.”
I reached up and tugged Keeper Dearbhaile down to sit. Somehow, she wound up on my lap. My exhaustion made me not care.
“Would you free Goodwife Millicent and explain to all of us what that means?”
“Of course, Milord.”
She snapped her fingers again and we were all in a lavish sitting room. Innumerable books lined the shelves. Ivory inlaid teak end tables were at either side of thick cushioned chairs. A harpsichord stood near one of the windows. Goodwife Millicent and her baby were in one of the chairs as was Wizard Cora. I was stretched out on a couch with Keeper Dearbhaile sitting across my lap as if she were riding a horse sidesaddle.
“Goodwife, your baby is crying nonstop because she is without her soul.”
“What?” the Goodwife wailed, “How can this be?”
“My guess would be someone close to you,” I said. “Most likely a brother or sister, of your baby, or much worse, her father, sold her soul.” All eyes locked on me. “I… studied Demonology where I’m from. It was a hobby, to try… Never mind.”
“Can we get my baby’s soul back?”
Cora said, “I do not know how to even learn what demon even holds it.”
“I do,” I said.
I drew the white blade from its sheath. This time, the coldness raced up my arm and part way down my thighs before halting. I shivered, and laid the sword on my lap when Keeper Dearbhaile rose.
“Nae. It be too dangerous for ye.”
“We cannot allow a child to suffer when we can alleviate it.” I could not reveal my entire plan to her. She would never have agreed to it.
She sighed. “Yer right. We can nae.”
Goodwife Millicent looked back and forth between me and her, confusion written on her face. I ignored her and glanced to Wizard Cora while sheathing the white blade.
“Can you do it?”
“If you are certain.”
I looked up at Keeper Dearbhaile once more. She nodded and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Be careful, Carter.”
“I will.” I laid the sword beside the chair. “I am ready, Wizard Cora.”
She nodded and snapped her fingers. The two of us were back in the room where we started. I stood once more on the carpet. The wizard began the summoning spell. Ten minutes later, a column of crimson light shot up from the floor. From within, a large, powerful loo
king humanoid appeared. It had black, scaled skin, sharp looking claws and fangs, a pair of forward-growing horns above its eyes and short horns growing upward from its forehead. Its large eyes glowed red and it smelled of sulfur and hot tar.
“Hello again, Belial,” I said.
6
“Carter Blake,” the half-demon said in his sick bullfrog voice. “Your daring is impressive.”
“I know.”
“What do you want?”
“Do you know where you are?”
“I’m within a summoning circle.”
“Which is within a binding circle,” I finished.
“What?”
I nodded to Wizard Cora. She flipped up the edge of the rug, revealing the truth that I spoke. He glared at me.
“Yes,” I said to his unanswered question. “I have a task for you.” I tipped my head. “Well, two of them.”
“What are they?”
“There is a child nearby.”
“What of it?”
“I want her soul restored to her.”
“And the other task?”
“I want Keeper Dearbhaile’s memory restored.”
“What is your offer?”
I told him. His crimson eyes gleamed with greed. “Done!”
“I want proof, first.”
Wizard Cora disappeared for a moment then returned. She wasn’t alone.
“Carter, damn ye! Do nae do this! We can find another way! We can get Angriz to aid us, or the Vaush-Tauric! Rishka!”
“Satisfied?” The half-demon asked. I hate rhetorical questions.
“I’m sorry, Dearbhaile. I could think of no other way.”
I strode into the column of light and everything went black.
Chapter 8
1
I came to in a small dim lit cell and sat up, clutching my skull because a hundred little men with sledgehammers tried to escape from my head. Soon, I pushed the pain away and looked around the place. The early morning sunlight reflected from the walls. The entire place, with the exception of the bars at the front, was carved from solid granite. I stood up from the ground and walked over to the bars which took four steps. I gripped the barricade and peered out. A narrow corridor was bored out of the same granite as my cell. About fifteen point twenty-four meters from my cell, to the left, was a lot more sunlight. I could not quite make out a sand field and what appeared to be stands rising above. To the right, more cells headed back along the hallway.
Based on the position of the sun, I put the time at about mid-morning and the temperature at about twenty-six degrees centigrade. Keep in mind, this was in the shade; I had a feeling the heat would be hellish out on the sand. I caught sight of sinuous movement approaching my cell. Soon, the light revealed what had come for me.
The creature appeared to be a stunning, beautiful, statuesque and nude woman with flawless milky skin and raven hair. Her tempting form had an otherworldly side. Large bat wings unfurled from her shoulders as she walked and a slender black tail curled and uncurled around her legs as she moved. Her red eyes glowed with some sinister desire. She wielded a gleaming, acid green longsword and had a red longbow strapped across her back. I detected the odor of spoiled vanilla. Before she even spoke, I knew this was a L’Arc demon, one of Lucien’s tempter spawn.
“Greetings, Carter Blake,” she purred. “Are you ready to be a gladiator?”
I studied the demon, choosing to remain silent. After a few seconds, she shrugged her shoulders. She unlocked the door to my cell and gestured for me to exit. I paused, debating whether to make a grab for her weapon, or just go with the flow. She watched with a growing, evil smile. The demon shook her head and reached a long, slender finger out and tapped something around my neck with an ebony claw. I reached up and touched a metal collar around my neck. My eyes must have widened in surprise because the demon gave a harsh cawing laugh.
“Shock collar.” She grinned. “Displease Master Belial, or try to escape, and you get a shock. Of course, any of the Master’s officers can give you a shock at will. Like this.”
A lightning bolt raced around my neck and down my body. My muscles felt like they were being shredded, and the nerves jumped and jangled as my body spasmed in agony. I wasn’t even aware I had dropped to the ground until I opened my eyes after the shocks had vanished and discovered I stared at the ceiling. I vowed to do as commanded until I could figure out a way to escape. I already knew I didn’t want a repeat performance of the shock collar.
“Get up, worm,” the L’Arc ordered.
I got to my feet as swift as I could; my trembling muscles didn’t want to cooperate, but I forced them to obey me. I stood for a second with my head hanging, and then lifted it. A sudden caw of laughter caused me to flinch. I hated both of us for that: myself for flinching, and the demon for putting the fear of the shock collar in me.
“Aww,” she said in mock sympathy, “Look, the little worm wet itself.”
She burst out with another round of mocking laughter. Rage and humiliation welled up within me. The raw emotions made me forget my few seconds old vow. Forcing as much malice and ice into my voice as I could, I spoke. “I will take your head.”
“Ooh, scary,” the L’Arc mocked.
I found myself on the ground once more, a burning ring around my neck. It took longer this time before my muscles stopped twitching and jumping. At last, I rose once more, my knees shaky, not wanting to hold me upright. This time, I didn’t even glance at her.
I was guided down the short corridor and pushed out onto the sandy field. The glare of the hot sun blinded me for a moment. Like I had expected, the temperature was worse out here than back in my cell; almost thirty-eight degrees centigrade. A wave of sound crashed over me as I stumbled out. About ten minutes later, my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I observed my surroundings and found myself on the floor of a huge coliseum. Straight across from me, a titanic wooden fence flexed like a wooden heart as something pushed on the other side. Moments later, a familiar, and growing to be hated, voice boomed out.
“Welcome, all!” Belial thundered; his new bullfrog-with-laryngitis voice amplified somehow. I must have damaged his larynx so bad magic couldn’t repair it. “We have before us a special treat! A human from another world has joined us in the arena! Watch as he wins your adulation and brings glory to my house, or dies to the sounds of your jeering voices! Either way, Carter Blake, you will entertain us!”
The crowd roared its approval. I decided to piss the half-demon off. Opening and closing my right hand at a rapid clip, in the old mime for someone talking too much, I hollered back to him.
“HEY BELIAL! THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE DOING!” I stopped flapping my hand. “THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO!!”
“KILL HIM!!” He screamed.
I cackled like a mad man, and then stopped when I detected the wooden gate sinking into the ground. First, I spotted four large, sharp looking horns. Next, an iridescent jade green exoskeleton appeared. Then, the creature’s eight scarlet eyes and slavering jaws which opened and closed ninety degrees from normal hove into view. The gate finished sinking into the ground and the monster stalked out. The beast’s movements were as sinuous as a tiger’s. The size of a rhino, the monster had six legs which resembled a beetle’s. I swallowed, hard. ‘Holy shit. I’m gonna die. Uh-huh.’ The creature launched into a run right at me. I screamed and almost didn’t leap out of the way of its massive claws in time.
I hunted around for something to use as a weapon feeling frantic, and without thinking, used the roars of the crowd to keep tabs on the monster. Every time the beast charged at me, they cheered like crazy. Every time I dodged, they groaned in disappointment. I turned to find out why the crowd had gotten quiet. To my surprise, the flipping thing was stalking me on the wall! When the creature realized I had spotted it, it pounced. I started to whirl and run, which would have ended in my death, but my foot slid on the sand and I fell on my side. The monster, having figured I would run away again, leaped to intercep
t me. Instead, because of my slipping, the monster went right over me. Imagine my surprise when I heard some of the crowd cheering because the creature had missed me!
At last, I spotted what I was looking for: the arena floor was surrounded by demons with wicked looking halberds. I began yelling and taunting the monster. As I hoped, the beast yelled in rage and charged me once more. I turned, feet planted firm this time, and ran full out at one of the halberd wielding demons. As I anticipated, he lowered his weapon and stepped away from the wall, trying to get me to impale myself on the halberd. I waited until almost the last second, feeling the monster’s hot breath on my neck as I ran. I dropped to my side as baseball players do when they are sliding into base. I went under the outstretched halberd and between the demon’s legs. He watched me slide, forgetting all about the charging monster. I rolled in a hurry to my left as multiple tonnes of behemoth slammed into the point of the demon wielded halberd. The mass and momentum of the creature caused it to slam right through the demon, bearing him under itself and crashing into the wall. The butt of the spear hit the wall first, skewering the monster like a bug. I bellowed, throwing my arms up in triumph. It never occurred to me not to.
The crowd roared its approval and I basked in its adulation with the hot sun beating down on me. Belial’s screaming voice soon made itself heard over the tumult of the crowd.
“…out here now!” He yelled.
The huge wooden gate, which I hadn’t seen rise again, sank into the ground once more. A pair of L’Arcs charged out wielding long swords. I waited for them, knowing somehow what they would do. One was going to try to stab my chest while the other was going to try to split me in half by sliding between my legs and swinging upwards. Sure enough, one raced ahead of the other and dove towards the ground in a near identical way to what I had done to the demon with the halberd. I cartwheeled to my right, something I had never been able to do before. When I was upright once more, I stuck my thumbs in my ears, wiggled my fingers and gave the L’Arcs a Bronx cheer. That did it. The demons came at me straight on, all sense of theatrics gone. I grinned like a fool and tried to figure out what to do next.
