The Eternal Darkness (The Jake Thomas Trilogy - Book 3)

by Steven A. Tolle

  Sharin’s soft laugh at something Moshanna said pulled his attention over to the couple. Free to pursue their love by the death of Darrius, they were now inseparable. While he was pleased for them, their behavior had only encouraged Taric and Halana to follow suit. He found himself grateful for the soldiers providing his escort. They granted him a welcome reprieve from all of the love-struck looks these otherwise reasonable adults engaged in.

  Of course, we are lucky to be alive, he thought as he turned forward. As he absently scratched at his wounds, his mind drifted back to the battle in the arena and its aftermath.

  …

  The sound, cries and curses of the fighting in the stands echoed all around them as he and Moshanna raced back towards the queen’s box. He could make out Anatan and Taric, glowing in power, standing near the queen and shielding the small group of defenders from the demons’ dark power. Halana was moving behind the soldiers on the line fighting, healing them as they were wounded. Farrious had organized them into a defensive ring around the queen, but he was badly outnumbered. He only had around twenty soldiers, but faced two to three times that amount. He needed assistance soon, or his defenses would be overcome.

  Quickly surveying the rest of the stands, he came to halt and grabbed Moshanna as he started to continue forward. “Sharin is with the queen, so she is safe for now,” he stated grimly. He could see the concern and fear written on the man’s dark face, but Moshanna eventually nodded. He was a soldier after all and could see their dilemma. The two of them, skilled as they were, could not hope to fight their way to the queen against so many. Moshanna looked the question to Dominic.

  “There,” Dominic said, pointing with his sword at a group of four soldiers fighting against a slightly larger group of attackers. There were several small pockets of soldiers battling in the stands. “We need to gather as many soldiers as we can, and then make the assault on those besieging the queen. If we can gather a dozen or more, we might be able to break through.”

  “I agree,” Moshanna said quickly.

  They started for the soldiers, who were standing shoulder to shoulder in a small semi-circle. The steps of the arena made fighting difficult, but the soldiers retained the elevation on their attackers. Dominic and Moshanna came up behind the attackers and killed several before their foes realized their danger and tried to turn and fight. Caught between the soldiers and two skilled swordsmen, the assailants found that they were exposed no matter which way they turned. The soldiers took advantage of the sudden disarray and drove into the attackers. The fighting was brutal, but short, as they finished off the remaining enemies.

  “Follow us,” Dominic said as he led them towards another group of soldiers.

  They rapidly overwhelmed the next group of attackers and gathered the soldiers. They continued clearing the small pockets of fighting as they moved towards the queen’s position, swelling their ranks.

  Dominic kept a watchful eye on the fighting at the queen’s box. With his line losing soldiers despite Halana’s best efforts, Farrious had joined the combat directly. He had placed himself near the center of his line, their enemies hesitant to push too hard, as his use of his warhammer had created a pile of bodies around him. Despite his heroic efforts, his men were slowly losing ground. Dominic determined that they had to launch an attack now to relieve the pressure or there would be no one left to rescue. He had ten soldiers plus Moshanna at his command.

  “Moshanna, take half the men higher and drive into the enemy near the end of Farrious’ line,” he called out. “I will take the rest lower to attack upward and attempt to squeeze them between us. If we succeed, we will join up with Farrious. Once the queen is secured, we can push against the rest.”

  Moshanna nodded, gathered his soldiers and climbed higher on the arena steps. “For Aletonia and the queen!” he called out as he charged forward. His men crashed into their foes, their swords slashing and stabbing. The attack sent the closest of the demons’ followers reeling back, like ripples on a pond. At the apex of that ripple was Moshanna, his face a mask and his sword flashing as he moved, carving into the enemy.

  “Stay together and watch each other’s backs,” Dominic said to the soldiers with him as they moved forward. “I will deal with any demons.” The men, their faces grim, nodded as he turned and led them into the mass of attackers.

  “Lord Demonhunter!” his men called out as they slammed into the milling enemy. The soldiers were disciplined as they fought, acting as a single unit, felling nearby foes.

  Dominic slid away slightly from his men, his sword and dagger moving, as he searched for any nearby demons while fighting their followers. The steps were tricky to fight on, the stone slick with blood, their narrowness not allowing great footing. The human followers turned to face him, their numbers great, but he refused to be daunted. He cut into the enemy as he pushed upwards, forcing his way towards Moshanna, his blades actuate and deadly. He trusted his armor to turn most blades, but his arms and legs were exposed, yet he did not hesitate.

  He parried a high sword thrust from the man in front of him, and then struck home his dagger, the man staggering back, clutching his chest. Before Dominic could recover, another sword thrust darted in. He attempted to spin away from it, but the steps limited his movement and the blade scored his arm, cutting deep. He ignored the pain and warm blood running down his arm as he completed his spin and brought his sword down on his attacker’s exposed head. The man dropped, but another took his place.

  It was a slow, bloody slough up the steps. Dominic saw the closest demons attempt to engage his men, but the clerics would react and blast the demons’ attacks out of the air. The screaming of men and the clash of magics filled the air with deafening noise, but his men reacted swiftly to his hand commands.

  After several minutes of brutal fighting, his group finally linked back up with Moshanna, who had reached the end of Farrious’ line. They had lost half of their soldiers, but they succeeded in driving the enemy back and relieving the pressure on Farrious. Dominic ordered the men to join the line and he and Moshanna slipped behind the soldiers to find Farrious.

  “Well met, Lord Demonhunter,” Farrious greeted him over the clash of steel and conflicting magics as Dominic slid into position next to the big man. “You have bought us some more time, but we are still outnumbered. If the queen were not here, I would charge into the midst of these traitors, but I am duty bound to protect her.”

  “We need to change the dynamics of this fight or we will be eventually ground down,” Dominic replied. “I will lead most of the men in an attack to try to clear a path. Keep several soldiers with you and move the queen if I am successful. If not, then today is as good a day to die as any other.”

  Farrious grimly laughed at that. “I hope that you are successful then, for I’m not quite ready to leave this world, my lord.”

  Moshanna had gone up to the queens’ box to speak quickly with the queen and Sharin, but now returned to join the line. Dominic explained the plan and Moshanna nodded. “It will be my honor to stand with you, Dominic,” he said. “Luck to us all”

  Word went down the line and, at Dominic’s signal, all of the soldiers attacked while Farrious and four soldiers fell back around the queen. Dominic and Moshanna took the center, pressing forward side-by-side, their enemies falling around them. It quickly became a blur of blood and steel. With Dominic’s forces having the advantage of elevation, as the enemy fell, it impeded their ability to reinforce their front.

  The demons attempted to press forward, but the three clerics filled the air with golden blasts of clerics’ fire, driving them back. One Imp, trying to get into a position to attack, made the error of getting within the reach of Dominic.

  His scarred face tight and bright eyes shining, Dominic threw himself forward and slammed into the human followers that stood in front of the demon. The impact scattered them and knocked one back into the demon, which caught its balance and flung the man away. But that slight delay was all the time that D
ominic needed. He drove his sword into the demon’s chest as he slashed at its neck with his dagger. The demon staggered back, trying to gather its dark power, but Dominic wrenched his sword free and continued to strike. The demon tired to turn and flee, but a flurry of blows dropped it to the ground, its dark blood staining the stone.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Dominic saw an enemy, sword raised, closing on him and spun to face him, knowing he would probably not make it in time. Before the man could strike, an arrow suddenly appeared in his chest, the arrowhead sticking out of his front, his sword tumbling from suddenly limp hands. As the man fell, Dominic saw Sergeant Stonebuilder leading a group of twenty soldiers up the steps from a nearby entrance. Several of the soldiers, armed with short bows, had climbed nearby steps and were sending arrows into the crowd of enemies.

  Stonebuilder’s men charged into the enemies’ rear, wreaking havoc. Dominic urged his forces forward as he cut into the suddenly panicked enemies. The demons, seeing their advantage dissipating, called out to their followers and retreated through the gap between Stonebuilder and Dominic. The clerics continued to strike at the demons, but once the demons cleared the soldiers, they turned and ran, their followers close behind. They slipped out of the arena through the same openings that they had entered.

  Stonebuilder sent half his force to harry the few remaining enemies still fighting in the arena, and then joined Dominic with the rest to make their way back to the queen’s box. Dominic saw that the queen was unharmed. The clerics looked tired as they healed the surviving soldiers. Halana came over to him, but he held up his hand before she could lay hands on him. “Save your strength for those who need it, cleric,” he told her. “None of my injuries are serious enough to worry about.”

  “Nonsense, Lord Dominic,” she replied. “I have strength enough to heal you.”

  “I said no,” Dominic growled. “I am done with healing.”

  Her face took on a stubborn expression, as if she was going to force her healing on him, but Taric appeared at her side. He placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Let me deal with Dominic, Halana,” he told her softly. “See to the other wounded.”

  She gave Dominic another frosty look, but nodded and walked away.

  “Are you sure I cannot entreat you to accept healing, Dominic?” Taric asked cautiously. “We do not know if the fighting is done.”

  “If you wish to help, you can sew up the deeper of my wounds,” Dominic told him. “But that can wait until I have spoken with the queen.” When Taric nodded, Dominic climbed up to the queen’s box. Stonebuilder was already there, giving his report to Farrious and the queen.

  “When I heard the horn sound the distress call, I gathered my platoon and headed to the arena, knowing that Her Majesty was here,” he said. He shook his head slowly in disbelief. “On our way here, we encountered a large group of soldiers wearing the emblem of the Oceansong family. Not knowing what was happening, I called on them to join us. They came over, but before we could react, attacked us. We fought a pitched battle in the street and eventually overcame them, but I had lost nearly half the platoon. Having just killed my own countrymen in the capital, I feared for the queen’s safety and ran the remnants of my platoon here. Thanks to the One that we arrived in time.”

  “You have my thanks, Sergeant Stonebuilder,” the queen told him. “When we have secured the city and put an end to this plot, I will speak with you about a suitable reward for your bravery and loyalty.”

  “That you are pleased is reward enough for me, My Queen,” Stonebuilder replied with a bow.

  “How is the rest of the city?” Farrious asked.

  “I heard the sounds of fighting in many places, Commander.” He glanced at Anatan. “I also saw smoke rising near the Temple, Sister. I’m sorry, but I do not know what has happened there.”

  “It will be as the One wills,” she replied, though Dominic saw the worry in her eyes.

  “What now?” Moshanna asked, standing nearby with his arm around Sharin. “Based on what Sergeant Stonebuilder just said, we do not have enough soldiers to attempt to return the queen to the palace.”

  “I will take a couple of men and seek out loyal soldiers to reinforce us here,” Farrious said as he hefted his warhammer. “A small group can move more quickly and attract less attention.”

  “I will go with you, Farrious,” Dominic said. “Just give me a couple of minutes to take care of my wounds.”

  “You honor me, Lord Dominic,” Farrious replied with a nod of his head. “We will leave when you are ready.”

  At Dominic’s request, Taric took out the needle and thread that Dominic carried with him and gently sewed up several injuries, the most serious being the wound on Dominic’s arm. Dominic endured the pain stoically and waited while Taric covered them with bandages. Once that was done, he took a long drink from a waterskin offered to him by one of Stonebuilder’s soldiers and rose.

  “If you are ready, Farrious,” Dominic said. He looked over at Taric. “I will try to not undo your handiwork, cleric.”

  Farrious chuckled at that. Leaving Moshanna to organize the queen’s defense, Dominic and Farrious left the arena and slipped into the city.

  He and Farrious had not gone far when they found a platoon of soldiers milling around, unsure of what was happening. Farrious sent them to the arena and they continued on. Finding more groups of soldiers, they had quickly assembled a force of over a hundred soldiers strong. They returned to the arena and used that force to escort the queen back to the palace. The Queen’s Guard at the palace had successfully defended it from several attacks. Now reinforced with the extra soldiers, they scoured the palace to ensure it was secure. Once Farrious was satisfied with the safety of the palace, Dominic and Moshanna had ventured into the city to assess the situation.

  They discovered that the demons’ had sent most of their forces to attack the Temple. While the clerics were able to defend against the demons and half-men, there were human followers with that force. Several dozen clerics and apprentices were killed before a nearby garrison was able to get its soldiers to the Temple.

  They also found much of the city in chaos, with fires burning across the city. It was clear that both soldiers and civilians were confused and panicked by what was happening. After they had spoken with several officers though, runners were sent to the various garrisons with instructions to arrest or kill Darrius’ men. Gradually, the army deployed in a systematic fashion and order was gradually restored.

  It had taken until the next day, but the demons’ attack and Darrius’ rebellion were finally put down. The few survivors of Darrius’ men were taken to the dungeons, but, except for some that had escaped in the confusion, all of the demons and their followers were destroyed.

  Once the army was in control of the city and the crisis died down, the queen asked them to meet with her. Dominic, along with Moshanna and Sharin, as well as Taric and Halana, gathered in the empty throne room. After a few moments, the queen entered with Farrious and Anatan at her side. She sat down on her throne and called them over

  “Lord Dominic, I cannot begin to thank you for your service to my kingdom,” she said humbly. “You have proven yourself a man of great honor over and again. I am in your debt. Is there nothing I can do for you?”

  “You once gave me the greatest gift I have ever known,” Dominic replied, giving her a courtly bow. “It is I who am in your debt.” He paused for a moment. “I would ask your permission to leave and return to Sanduas.”

  “You are free to leave whenever you like, Dominic Demonhunter,” she responded with a smile. “If you will consent to carry them, I have letters for your new queen and Brother Jonas.”

  “It would be my honor, Your Majesty.”

  She nodded and then turned to Moshanna. “Moshanna Deepwood, I have already cleared your name. You may stay in Aletonia and take your rightful place amongst your people. I would reward you for your actions.”

  Moshanna bowed to her, but replied, “You honor me, my queen,
but I am sworn to the service of Tomaris. I must return to him to fulfill my oath.”

  “Are you sure, Moshanna?” the queen asked gently. “Your family is here.”

  “I have seen my parents and spoken with them,” he replied. “They understand my decision.”

  He glanced at Sharin, who nodded. “I do ask one boon of you, Your Majesty,” he declared. “Grant Sharin permission to leave with me.”

  “Do you wish this, cousin?” the queen asked Sharin.

  “I do, Nenia,” she responded. “I have lived years in a joyless marriage to protect Moshanna, but he is here now and I do not wish to be separated from him ever again. If that means leaving, I will gladly do it.”

  The queen was silent for a few moments. “If that is your wish, Sharin, then you have my blessing.” She smiled widely. “I wish you nothing but happiness.”

  Halana looked over at Taric, who smiled nervously. She looked over at Sister Anatan, who nodded. Halana strode forward and knelt before the queen. “Majesty, I have spoken with Sister Anatan, but she has said that I must ask you,” she said softly. “I request permission to leave with Brother Taric when he returns to Sanduas.”

  “For what reason do you wish to leave, Sister?” the queen asked.

  “Taric and I have grown close, Majesty. We do not wish to be parted.” She paused for a moment. “Taric is a cleric of Sanduas, so we must also seek Chief Cleric Jonas’ blessing if we are to marry.”

  The queen looked over at Anatan. “I would normally not stand in the way of love, but we have suffered grievous losses in the attack. Are you sure that the Temple can afford to lose her?”