“Good sword,” Bradwarden remarked, and then, with a single swing, his leg, too, was free.
“Go see to Elbryan,” Pony said. She was still kneeling beside the body of Pettibwa, but she resolutely straightened her back.
“I doubt that he needs any assistance,” the elf replied.
Pony took a deep breath. “Nor do I,” she said, and Juraviel understood that she wanted to be alone. He noted that her hand was again clutched about a stone in the pouch, and that was surely alarming, but in the end he knew that he had to trust in Pony. He kissed her gently on the top of the head, then moved back from her, out the door of the cell but no farther, keeping quiet guard in the torchlit corridor.
Pony tried hard to hold control. She put her hand to Pettibwa’s bloated cheek and stroked it gently, lovingly, and it seemed to her as if the dead woman settled easier, as if the pallid color of death was not so obvious.
Pony felt something then, a sensation, a rush, a tickle. Confused, wondering if, in her longing to reach out to Pettibwa, she had unintentionally slipped under the power of the soul stone she once more held tight in her hand. Following that course, Pony closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Then she saw them, or thought she did, a trio of spirits, one an old man, rushing through the room.
Three spirits: Pettibwa, Graevis, and Grady?
The notion startled Pony as much as it intrigued her, but still not understanding, she became afraid and wisely broke all connection to the soul stone. She opened her eyes and looked down at Pettibwato see the woman looking back at her!
“What magic might this be?” Pony muttered aloud. Had she subconsciously reached out so powerfully with the soul stone that she had grabbed Pettibwa’s disembodied spirit? Was such resurrection even possible?
She got her terrifying answer as Pettibwa’s eyes flared red with demonic flames and the woman’s face contorted, a guttural snarl coming from her opened mouth.
Pony rocked back, too confused, too overwhelmed, to immediately react, and her horror only grew as the corpse’s teeth elongated into pointed fangs. Up came the corpse to a sitting position, too suddenly, plump arms shooting out and clamping hard, with superhuman strength, about Pony’s throat. The horrified young woman thrashed violently, turning her hands into every possible angle to gain leverage but making no headway in dislodging the demon’s powerful grip.
But then Juraviel was there, his slender sword slashing hard against Pettibwa’s bloated forearm, opening it wide that the pus and gore could spill out.
Elbryan was just about to sever the last of Bradwarden’s chains when Pony’s cry reached his ears. He slashed hard with Tempest, spinning on his heel and taking several steps before the chain even fell to the floor, Jojonah close behind. He came around the bend in full speed, heard a tumult within the cell that held the body of Graevis, and kicked open the door.
And then he stopped, stunned, for the animated corpse had bitten right through its one chained wrist and now came toward him, its eyes flaring with red fires, its stump arm leading the way with a spray of blood.
Elbryan wanted to go to Ponyabove all else, he wanted to get by her sidebut he could not rush off, and took some comfort when Jojonah thundered past behind him on his way to Pettibwa’s cell. Out came Tempest and in charged the ranger, meeting the demon creature head-on, ignoring the spray of the bloody stump and slashing away viciously at the reaching arms.
“My mum,” Pony said repeatedly, falling back against the wall as Juraviel battled the creature. The woman knew rationally that she should go to Juraviel’s side, or that she should use the gemstones now, perhaps the soul stone to force this evil spirit from Pettibwa’s body. But she could not act, could not get past the horror at seeing Pettibwa, her adopted mother, in this state!
She forced herself to find a level of calm, told herself repeatedly that if she could get into the soul stone, she might learn the truth of this creature. Before she could begin the move, though, Juraviel thrust ahead powerfully, right between the reaching arms, stabbing his sword deep into the corpse’s heart, a sight that froze Pony in place.
The demon laughed wildly and batted the elf’s hand from the sword hilt, then swatted Juraviel with a backhand that launched him head over heels.
The elf accepted the blow, and was moving with it before it ever connected, diminishing much of the shock. Aflutter of his wings, a perfect twist in midair, landed him squarely on his feet, facing the demon creaturewhich still had the sword sticking from its chest.
Then another form came charging into the small cell, rushing past the elf. Without slowing, Jojonah slammed hard into the demon, burying it under his tremendous weight, taking it heavily into the back wall.
And then Bradwarden entered, and the cell was packed full of bodies!
“What is it about?” the centaur gasped.
With an unearthly roar, the demon launched Jojonah away, but Bradwarden found his answers quickly, and as the creature rushed forward, the centaur spun about and hit it with a double-kick that sent it careening back into the wall. Bradwarden moved right in on the creature, front hooves smashing away, fists pounding hard, a sudden and brutal beating that would not allow the demon to find any time to go on the offensive.
“Get her out of here,” Juraviel instructed Jojonah. As the monk scooped Pony into his arms, the elf leveled his bow and waited for an opening.
All the months of Bradwarden’s frustration came pouring out in the next seconds as the centaur rained blow after blow on the demon creature, battering it, tearing bloated flesh, smashing bone into pulp. Still, if he was truly harming the creature, it didn’t show it, just kept trying to find some way to grab at him.
But then an arrow popped into one of those red-glowing eyes, and how the demon howled!
“Oh, but ye didn’t like that one!” the centaur said, using the opportunity to spin about and drive his rear legs right into the demon face. With the head already pressed against the stone wall, the skull exploded in a shower of gore, but still the body fought on, arms flailing wildly.
Jojonah ushered Pony into the hall and set her down against the wall.
“Damned thing, lie down and die!” came Elbryan’s voice from the next cell.
The monk charged away to the door and then looked back, a disgusted expression on his face, waving for Pony to stay back.
Inside the cell, Elbryan slashed hard with Tempest, abandoning his normal thrusting style, for he had stabbed the creature several times, driving his sword tip deep into flesh and organs, with little effect. So he had gone to a more conventional style, taking up the mighty sword in both hands and swinging it in devastating, slashing motions. One of the demon’s arms was severed at the elbow, and a downstroke of Tempest took the other, right at the shoulder.
Still the creature came on, but a straight-across cut of Tempest stopped its momentum and gave the ranger time to level and line up his backswing.
Jojonah looked away, understanding, as the great sword flashed across, lopping the head off. When the monk looked back, his revulsion was even greater, for that head, lying to the side against the wall, was still biting at the air, fires still burning in the eyes! And the body continued to press the attack.
Elbryan punched out with his fist and knocked the body back, then took up Tempest in both hands, did a complete pivot, coming around with the sword low, taking off one leg. The corpse tumbled to the side, one stump thrashing, one leg kicking, and with the head, just a few inches away, snapping futilely at the air.
The fires in the eyes were diminishing, though, and Elbryan soon realized that the fight was over. He rushed back into the hall, past Jojonah, past Bradwarden and Juraviel as they exited the first cell, to grab up the hysterical Pony in his arms.
“Still kicking,” Bradwarden explained to Jojonah when the monk saw that Pettibwa’s body, the gory remains of its head flapping about its shoulders, was still flailing against the wall, tearing at the stone.
“But not for knowing which way to
turn,” the centaur added, closing the door.
Jojonah went to the ranger and the woman. Amazingly, Pony was fast composing herself.
“Demon spirits,” the monk explained, looking Pony right in the eye. “Those were not the souls of Graevis and Pettibwa.”
“I saw them,” Pony stuttered, gasping for breath, her teeth trembling. “I saw them come in, but there were three.”
“Three?”
“Two shadows and an old man,” she explained. “I thought it was Graevis, though I could not see clearly.”
“Markwart,” Jojonah breathed. “He brought them here. And if you saw them”
“Then he saw you,” Elbryan reasoned.
“We must be gone from this place, and quickly,” Jojonah cried. “Markwart is on his way, do not doubt, and with an army of brothers behind him!”
“Run on,” said Elbryan, pushing Jojonah toward the same ancient corridors that had brought them to this cursed place. He glanced back once at the side passage where they had put the guards, then took up the rear of the line, with Pony beside him. They moved as swiftly as the often tight and twisting corridors would allow, and soon came upon the dock doors of the abbey, closed and with the portcullis down, as they had left them.
Master Jojonah started for the crank, but Pony, steadier now and with a grim determination set upon her face, held him back. She took out the malachite once more and fell into its magic, and though she was weary and emotionally battered, she brought up a wall of rage and channeled it into the stone. With hardly an effort, it seemed, the portcullis slid up into the ceiling holes.
Elbryan went right to the great doors, lifting the locking bar and pulling one open. He moved to put the bar aside, but again Pony, still in the throes of the levitational magic, intervened.
“Hold the bar above the locking latch,” she instructed. “Quickly.”
They could hear the terrific strain in her voice, so Bradwarden ushered Jojonah out the open door, while Juraviel went behind Pony and gently eased her along, as well. As she passed the open door and Elbryan, Pony put her other hand, holding the magnetite, against the outside of the metallic door and fell into that magic as well.
The portcullis shifted dangerously over Elbryan’s head, but Jojonah, understanding what the clever woman meant to do, was at Pony’s side, easing the magnetite from her hand and strengthening the magnetic pull, through the door and onto the metal locking bar. Pony fell fully into the malachite once more, steadying the portcullis as Elbryan, too, came outside.
The ranger pulled the door closed, and Jojonah released his magnetic magic, then gave a satisfied sigh as the locking bar fell into place across the latches of the two doors. Then Pony gradually let go of her magic, easing the portcullis down, making it look as if these doors had not been breached.
She turned about and blinked in the glare, as did the others, the morning sun low in the sky before her, cutting shafts of light through the thick fog lifting from All Saints Bay. The tide was not in, but it was on the way, and so they set off immediately and at a swift pace, back down the beach and along the trail to their horses.
Snarling with rage, and despite the pretests of the two dozen brothers rushing about him, the Father Abbot was the first to crash through the doors to the dungeon area on the lower level.
There was the battered Francis, the hood still tight about his head, struggling to stand, being helped by one of the other guards Elbryan had overpowered. Farther along the corridor, just inside the doors of their cells, lay the destroyed bodies of the Chilichunks, Pettibwa’s still thrashing at the floor as the demon spirit struggled to the end.
Markwart was not surprised, of course, since he had seen the intruder, the woman kneeling over Pettibwa, on his escort of the demons, but the other monks could not have expected this grisly scene. Some cried and fell away, others fell to their knees in prayer.
“Our enemies brought demons against us,” Markwart cried, waving a hand at the plump woman’s body. “Well fought, Brother Francis!”
With some help from another young brother, Francis finally escaped the hood and his bonds. He started to explain that he had done little fighting, but stopped in the face of Markwart’s glare. Francis wasn’t certain what was going on here, hadn’t seen the Chilichunks’ animated corpses, and wasn’t sure exactly who had destroyed the demons. He had a fair idea, though, and that notion sent many things careening through his thoughts.
Elbryan grew ill at ease, even frightened, as he watched Pony make her way along the trails. Her grunts were not of weariness, though she surely must have been exhausted after her magical feats, but of anger, a primal rage. The ranger stayed close to her, put his hand on her whenever the trail allowed, but she hardly looked at him, just continually blinked away any hint of tears, her jaw set firmly, her gaze locked ahead.
At the horses, Pony methodically retrieved the rest of her gemstones.
Jojonah offered to use healing hematite on Bradwarden, if the woman would loan him one, but the centaur brushed away that idea before Pony could begin to answer. “I’m just needing a bit o’ food,” he insisted, and truly, he did look healthy enough, though quite a bit skinnier than the last time the others had seen him. He patted his arm, the red elven armband securely in place. “Good gift ye gave to me,” he said to Elbryan with a wink.
“Our road will be long and fast,” the ranger warned, but Bradwarden only patted his less than ample belly and laughed. “I’m running all the faster for me lack o’ belly,” he said cheerily.
“Then let us go,” said the ranger. “At once. Before the monks come out of their abbey to search for us. And let us deliver Master Jojonah to St. Precious on time.”
“Ride Greystone,” Pony bade the monk, handing him the reins.
Jojonah accepted them without protest, for it made sense that the lighter woman, and not he, should climb on the back of the centaur.
But Pony caught them all by surprise, turning not for Bradwarden, but back toward St.-Mere-Abelle, running full out, gemstones in hand.
Elbryan caught up to her twenty yards away and had to tackle her to stop her progress. Now she was indeed crying, shoulders bobbing with sobs, but she fought against him furiously, trying to get free, trying to get back to the abbey to exact some revenge.
“You cannot defeat them,” the ranger said to her, holding her tightly. “They are too many and too strong. Not now.”
Pony continued to fight, even unintentionally clawed Elbryan’s face.
“You cannot dishonor Avelyn like this,” Elbryan said to her, and that gave her pause. Gasping, tears streaming down her face, she looked at him skeptically.
“He gave you the stones to keep them safe,” Elbryan explained. “Yet if you go back to the abbey now, you will be defeated and the gemstones will fall into the hands of ourof Avelyn’senemies. They will be taken by the same one who brought such turmoil and pain to the Chilichunks. Would you give him that?”
All strength seemed to fall away from the woman then, and she slumped into her lover’s arms, burying her face in his chest. He led her gently back to the others and put her in place atop Bradwarden, with Juraviel behind her to keep her steady.
“Give me the sunstone,” he bade her, and when she did, he took it to Jojonah, explaining that they should put up some blocking magic to defeat any magical attempts to find them. Jojonah assured him that such a feat would be easy enough, so the ranger went to Symphony and took the lead as the group thundered away at full gallop, putting St.-Mere-Abelle far, far behind them before the sun climbed high in the eastern sky.
“Find them!” the Father Abbot fumed. “Search every passage and every room. All doors barred and guarded! Now! Now!”
The other monks scrambled, some heading back the way they had come to alert the rest of the library.
When the reports filtered back to Markwart that the back dock doors had apparently not been opened, the search within the library intensified, and by mid-morning nearly every corner of the gre
at structure had been scoured. The outraged Markwart set up a central reporting area in the abbey’s huge chapel, surrounded by the masters, each in command of a number of searching monks.
“They had to come in, and depart, through the dock doors,” one of the masters reasoned, a sentiment backed by many. His scouting leader had just returned to him to report that no other door in the abbey showed any sign of entry.
“But the doors were closed and barred, an impossible feat from outside the abbey,” another master reasoned.
“Unless they used magic,” someone offered.
“Or unless someone within the abbey was there to meet them, to open the doors for them, to close the doors behind them,” Markwart reasoned, and that thought drew an uncomfortable shift from every man in the room.
Soon after, when it was obvious that the enemies were indeed long gone from the abbey, Markwart ordered half the monks out in searching parties and another two dozen out magically, using quartz and hematite.
He knew the futility, though, for the Father Abbot was finally getting a true appreciation of the cunning and power of his real enemies. With that hopelessness came a pit of rage deeper than Markwart had ever known, one that he honestly believed would overwhelm him forever.
He found relief later that afternoon, though, when he interviewed Francis and the two monks who had been on guard near the cells, when he learned more about these intruders who had come to St.-Mere-Abelle, including one who was no stranger to the place.
Perhaps he wouldn’t need the centaur and the Chilichunks after all. Perhaps he could shift the blame, even of the original theft of the gemstones by Avelyn, by theorizing about a larger conspiracy within the Order. Now, he understood. Now, he had a scapegoat.
And Je’howith would be bringing a contingent of Allheart soldiers.
Markwart stood in his private quarters that night, staring out the window. “We shall see,” he said, a hint of a grin spreading on his face. “We shall see.”
DemonWars Saga Volume 1 Page 130
