The Jake Thomas Trilogy: Book 02 - Sword of Light

by Steven A. Tolle

  She immediately targeted the nearest Imps, her power cutting through them. Jake, limping and gritting his teeth against the pain, moved up next to her, still attacking with his magic. They stood together in the middle of the Temple, resolute against the demons, the radiance of their powers blending into a greenish halo of light. Working in tandem, they brought the Light back into the Temple. They were able to sweep away the demons’ power, quickly defeating the Imps. As the remaining demons turned to flee, without anything being said, they immediately pursued, catching them and cutting them down.

  When they reached the far side of the Temple, they stopped and Jake sheathed his sword. As they turned to look at each other, Hailyn reached over and quickly healed Jake. Relief spread over his face as his wounds closed.

  “I was so afraid I would not reach you in time, Hailyn.” Jake said, voice cracking slightly, as he took her hand. He looked down at her, concern and relief clear in his eyes. She was surprised when he pulled her into a hug, holding her tight. “I saw the light of your battle. I rode as fast as Dontas could move. I was sure that you would be killed before I could get here to help you.”

  She was moved by his admission, happy that he was expressing these feelings towards her. He held her for a few more moments, then released her, looking somewhat embarrassed by his unexpected display.

  “We need to stay together from now on.” He stated quietly, his cheeks red, looking at everything but her.

  “I agree, Jake.” Hailyn replied, face neutral, but smiling inside.

  He blew out his breath. “We need to make sure that we’ve destroyed all of the demons. We can’t leave any behind or have any escape to report that we were here.”

  “It may be best for us to clear the Temple grounds first, then move back into the city.” Hailyn suggested.

  His form brightened as he drew in more power. He looked at her, his blue eyes shining, and gently took her hand, holding it tenderly. She gave him a smile, which he returned. He released her hand, his smile turning grim. “Let’s do this.”

  …

  When Jake finally woke up, it was late afternoon. He looked over at Hailyn in the bed across the room, sleeping contently. He smiled as he watched her sleep. A thought drifted in his consciousness. She’s pretty even when she sleeps. He shook his head, grimacing. Don’t be a perv.

  He got up quietly, trying not to disturb her, and moved to look out the window. He saw that the city residents had gathered in the streets, the sound of their jubilation echoing throughout the city. He was sure that they would be caught up in that when they went outside.

  They had spent the rest of the night fighting and moving. They had cleared the Temple, finding and destroying several Imps that were hiding. Once they did that, they worked their way towards the Library. They did not encounter any resistance as they descended the hill.

  When they reached the courtyard, they found out why. On the far side of the courtyard were the remaining ten demons and their followers, at least two hundred men. Jake knew that if there were non-altered men in that group, they would simply overwhelm and kill them, as their power could not harm them. However, they could not turn back as there was no place to run to that would make much of a difference.

  Looking for options, Jake saw a ladder leading to the roof of a nearby two-story stone building. Jake pulled Hailyn over to it, getting her to climb as the demons unleashed their forces against them. Jake sent a blast of power into the charging men, destroying the half-men in the group. Jake provided cover for Hailyn as she quickly climbed the ladder, deflecting the demons’ fire while still sending bursts of magic into the charging men.

  Once Hailyn reached the roof and began attacking the demons, Jake scrambled up the ladder. He reached the roof just as the men reached the bottom of the ladder. Jake sent another blast down the ladder, but nothing happened as the first men were not half-men. From the roof, Hailyn was sending wave after wave of clerics’ fire into the demons and crowded men, illuminating the sky as if it was in the middle of a lightning storm. Under her fire, the half-men in the mass of fighters exploded in ash, decimating their ranks. But at least one in five of the men were not under the demons’ influence and twenty of them quickly gathered at the base of the ladder. Jake drew his sword as he continued to attack the half-men, ready to strike down any who reached the roof. This is like the freaking Alamo. He thought bitterly.

  Watching the men begin to ascend the ladder, Jake knew that he had to keep them off the roof or that would be the end. Trusting Hailyn to deal with the demons, he stood at the top of the ladder, his sword ready. He was relieved that the men did not seem to have bows, so he did not have to trust in his armor to give him protection. He waited, gripping his sword tightly, and unleashing his magic into the crowd of men, hoping that more of them were half-men as they drew close.

  As the first man neared the top of the ladder, Jake brought his sword back over his shoulder and struck. The man fell, screaming, knocking off the other men on the ladder in his descent. Before they could start back up the ladder, the air was suddenly filled with the sound of horns. From behind the demons’ force, the local soldiers appeared, pikes and swords at the ready, charging into the fight. The demons tried to turn their forces to engage this new threat. Several soldiers were killed as the forces collided, burned by the demons’ fire, before Hailyn directed her power at the demons. The men below the ladder tried to resist, then flee, as the soldiers swarmed over them.

  Freed from having to defend against the men, Jake joined Hailyn in attacking the demons. With both of them concentrating their power, they were able to rapidly destroy them. Once the demons were gone, they laid waste to the remaining half-men while the soldiers fought with the other demon followers.

  More quickly than Jake would have thought, the battle was done. He and Hailyn climbed down, greeted with cheers from the assembled soldiers. The captain who had been at the gate came up and formally saluted them. While Hailyn moved to heal the wounded soldiers, he spoke to Jake.

  “When we saw the flashes of light from the Temple, we knew that something important was happening. Yet we were afraid to do anything.” He looked down, embarrassed. “Please understand. We have been living in fear since the demons took control.” He paused for a moment, and then continued. “It was when we saw the demons’ followers gathering and moving towards the courtyard, something they had never done before, that we knew we had to act. With all of them together in one place, we decided it was our only chance to possibly rid ourselves of them. If we failed, at least we would die fighting like soldiers, not cowering in fright.”

  When Hailyn finished healing the wounded, she and Jake accompanied the soldiers as they systematically swept the city to make sure it was clear. The people appeared stunned as they opened their doors and saw Jake and Hailyn shining brightly in the midst of the soldiers. Many of the local men grabbed whatever weapon they could find and joined the soldiers.

  It was slightly before dawn before it was decided that all of the demons and their followers were destroyed. With both of them weary from the continuous use of magic, they were given the best room at the Smiling Lady Inn to rest. Captain Janue, the leader of the soldiers, assured them that they would be undisturbed.

  “What is going on, Jake?” Hailyn’s sleepy voice called over to him. He turned and saw her slowly sitting up and stretching.

  “Looks like a party.” He said with a smile. “I can see a lot of tankards in people’s hands.”

  “Should we join them?” She asked coyly.

  “I doubt we will have a choice once we go outside.” Jake responded, laughing.

  He went over and sat on the corner of her bed. “Are you feeling rested?” He inquired. “You did most of the work last night.”

  “I’m fine, Jake; thank you for asking.” She replied, smiling. “I could use something to eat, though.”

  “When you are ready, we can go down and get a bite, then head to the Library to see if we can find out what the runes mean.�
�� He said. He stood and went over to start putting on his armor. “We need to get moving before word of this spreads.”

  The innkeeper, a thin and officious man, had dinner served to them in a private room. Once they were finished, they went outside and headed for the Library.

  Along the way, they were greeted with well wishes and tankards of ale. Jake politely took some drinks from the tankards shoved into his hands while Hailyn simply responded with blessings. It took them some time to make it through the revealers and reach the Library. Once inside, they found the man who had been there the night before, cleaning up the area that had been destroyed by Jake’s fight with the Imp.

  “Greetings, young master.” The man welcomed Jake as they came up to him. “I have heard of the deeds you did last night and extend my thanks.” He looked over at Hailyn. “To you as well, Sister. Can I help you in some way?”

  “Call me Jake.” Jake replied, figuring that after last night, his cover was already blown. “Actually, I could not find what I needed to about the runes before the demon appeared.” He pulled out the parchment with the runes. “Could you help us find out what these mean?”

  “It would be my pleasure, Jake.” The man said as he took the parchment. “My name is Jolas. I am the chief librarian.” He looked at the runes, scratching his beard. “Please sit down and I will see if I can bring the proper scrolls.”

  Jake and Hailyn settled at one of the tables while Jolas rummaged through the library. He returned shortly with two scrolls, both looking old and fragile. Pulling over a chair, he sat down and gently unrolled the first scroll. He studied it in silence, finally shaking his head, then set it aside and opened the second scroll. After a few minutes of reading, he stopped, looking back and forth between the parchment and scroll. Nodding to himself, he motioned Jake and Hailyn to come closer. They came and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.

  “You can see that these runes appear to match the runes listed in the scroll.” He stated, pointing to a section of the scroll. “This scroll is over six hundred years old and comes from the north. The closest translation seems to be ‘Island of Nor’. While I cannot be absolutely sure, I think that it is referring to Nordern Lake. It is a large lake, about a week’s ride to the north. It has an island near the center of the lake. I do know that the runes are not referring to an island in the Inland Sea, so that has to be it.”

  “Can you give us directions to this lake?” Hailyn asked.

  “I believe that I have a map that I can give you.” Jolas said.

  He rose and went back into the shelves. He came back out with a small scroll, which he unrolled and laid on the table. Jake could see that it was a map that covered the western part of Beragan, from the Inland Sea to the Crescent Hills and north to the Northern Wastes. To the northwest of the city, almost centered between the Sea, Hills and Waste, he saw a large blue area that had to represent Nordern Lake.

  “Can you tell us anything about the lake?” Jake asked.

  “It is in a sparsely populated area, the people mostly farmers and cattle grazers.” Jolas responded. “They are a strange people, superstitious and wary of strangers. There are some who live along the shore of the lake, fishing its depths, but many have left the area over the years.” He paused. “I can do more research, if you wish, but that is about all I know.”

  “That will not be necessary, Master Jolas.” Hailyn said. “The map is sufficient for our needs.”

  It was turning dark as they left the Library, working their way through the crowd back to the inn. When they arrived, they found Captain Janue waiting in the main hall. He greeted them and directed them to the private room. Once they were inside and the door closed, he spoke.

  “Did you find what you needed?” He asked politely.

  “We did.” Jake stated. “Why do you ask?”

  “You had mentioned that you were looking for something in the Library, so I had hoped that you were not successful and would be in the city for a little while longer.” He sighed. “The city elders have asked me to see if you are willing to stay until the capital can send us clerics to replace the ones killed by the demons.”

  “We can’t stay, Janue.” Jake said after sharing a look with Hailyn. “It won’t be long before word gets out about what happened here. I can’t tell you what we are doing, but it is very important. We need to accomplish it before our enemies find out what we are doing.”

  “We have no hold on you.” He said quickly. “I will explain it to the elders. We will keep the gate secured and hope for the best.”

  “There may be a cleric named Wilham arriving sometime within the next week or so.” Jake said to reassure him. “He was accompanying us, but had to investigate something. He said he would follow as soon as he was able. He’s a warrior cleric, so he should be able to help you.”

  Janue nodded. “If you are leaving, is there anything we can do for you? I can send some soldiers along to protect you, if you wish.”

  “Thanks, but the soldiers might attract too much attention.” Jake said, declining the offer. “I think all we need is some extra food and water.”

  “When will you leave?” Janue asked.

  “First thing in the morning.” Jake said, glancing at Hailyn, who nodded.

  “I will have extra rations prepared and waiting for you.” Janue responded. “I will depart now so you can prepare to leave. Your horses will be saddled and ready to travel by first light.” With a slight bow, he left the room.

  They went back to their room to organize and pack. A light meal was brought up for them. After getting everything together and doing some planning while eating, Jake was surprised that he felt the need to sleep. Deciding not to fight it, he crawled into bed. Hailyn followed his example, blowing out the candles and climbing into her bed. Jake tossed for a bit, finally falling asleep.

  It was still dark when he woke and found Hailyn already up. They gathered their belongings and went down to the main hall. The innkeeper was away, but the cook quickly prepared a hot breakfast for them. Once they finished, they went outside to find Janue waiting for them with their horses saddled and ready to go.

  The temperature was cool, almost cold, as they rode slowly to the city gate. The eastern sky was lightening, the promise of dawn written in the sky. When they arrived at the gate, they found soldiers lining both sides of the road. At Janue’s command, they snapped to attention and saluted with their weapons.

  “I pray that you find what you are looking for.” Janue said to them quietly. “Know that you will always be welcomed here.”

  “Thank you.” Jake replied.

  “May the blessings of the One shine on you and your city, Captain.” Hailyn added.

  “And you as well, Sister.” Janue said with a nod of his head. “Safe travels.”

  When Jake and Hailyn rode towards the gate, Janue stood in his saddle and shouted. “Hail to the servants of the One and our saviors! Hail!”

  “HAIL!” The soldiers shouted in unison, shaking the weapons as they rode past. “HAIL!”

  With the sound of the soldiers’ cheers echoing behind them, Jake and Hailyn turned their horses north and rode away in the dawn of a new day.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dominic stood next to Shadow, gently stoking the horse’s neck, hidden from any passerby’s sight by the overhanging branches of the forest. They had stopped to rest the horses again, the uneven ground under the trees making the travel slow and tiring for their mounts. Behind him, he could hear the soft conversation between Moshanna and Taric as the cleric examined their horses.

  Dominic was gazing across the gently sloping ground towards the main north-south highway, the way he would have preferred to travel. The forest ended abruptly, its edge clearly defined from logging and the animal grazing that had occurred over the long years. It formed the western border of the great valley that ran the greater part of Aletonia, stretching between the Gray Ridges and the costal mountains. It was the main farming area of the country; mostly ope
n fields with little villages dotting the valley floor, many near the main road.

  After they had left the Keep and crossed the Gray Ridges, following a little-used mountain pass, Moshanna had been adamant that they should stay in the forest. He argued that it was better to travel unseen, albeit slower, than have to explain their purpose to every passing patrol. While Dominic was not convinced of the logic, this was Moshanna’s country, so he had deferred to his judgment.

  There is something that he is keeping to himself. Dominic thought. While he trusted the man, he could sense a deeper reason was behind Moshanna’s reluctance to travel openly.

  He glanced back at the two, the contrast in personalities striking. Moshanna was dressed in his armor, with a rough hooded cloak hanging from his shoulders, while Taric was back in his brown cleric’s robe, his chainmail hidden beneath. Moshanna, his dark face serious and alert, was listening politely as Taric, a broad smile across his face, was attempting to get Moshanna to laugh at his jokes.

  Shaking his head, Dominic returned to his study of the road. As he gazed out at the valley, his left hand coming to rest lightly on his swordhilt, the touch seemed to direct his thoughts back to the short time that they spent at the Keep.

  They had passed though the Keep’s main gate in the late afternoon of the second day following Jake and Hailyn’s departure. After a short report from the guards, they rode directly into the main chamber of the Keep, the carriage carrying Tomaris and Taric stopping next to the stairs. Several of Moshanna’s soldiers arrived and took the horses to the stables while he, Moshanna and Taric had joined Tomaris in his dining hall. Dinner was brought and after they had finished eating, Tomaris spoke.

  “With Jake and young Hailyn searching the northern prospect, you will go south.” The old man had said. “There are clues that indicate that a possible location of the sword is in the far south of Aletonia, near the Southern Wilds. There was a word that was repeated in several of the clues - Parshis. It took me some time, but I finally determined that this is a reference to the ancient ruins currently known as Parshalthia. These ruins of a long-lost city are located deep in the rocky hills that border the Wilds.”