Dark Territory

by A. C. Cobble

  Jasper trailed off with a shrug. Ben understood, any port in a storm.

  The mage drew his dagger. Before Amelie could object, he scratched a series of hasty runes into the wooden oval. The tip of his dragger left bright red marks behind. They quickly faded to black as Ben watched.

  “Not as pretty as the original script,” mumbled the mage, “but it should work.” He pushed the device back to Amelie. “When you activate this device, press your thumb on the new script and you can reach me. Press it against here,” he said, show her some of the original markings, “and you will reach the paired device, which I assume Lady Towaal is carrying.”

  Amelie nodded. “There’s a problem,” she said. “There’s another mage, Lady Eldred, who Towaal believes may be able to intercept the communications. There’s something unnatural about her. She spoke in our minds. Is it possible she could hear us?”

  Jasper frowned. “I thought this knowledge was lost to the Sanctuary, but yes, it is possible. If the thoughts are sent undirected, then she could hear them as easily as the intended recipient. Assuming she is actively listening, of course.”

  “Could she find us that way?” asked Amelie.

  Shifting in his seat, Jasper paused before answering. “Many things are possible. With enough study, I believe I could locate someone through a thought meld. Does a mage of the Sanctuary have that talent? I wouldn’t think so, but it’s never wise to underestimate an opponent’s knowledge. It would be easier to locate the sender of a thought and very difficult to locate the receiver.”

  “If you contact us, then you will be in danger,” surmised Amelie.

  Jasper smiled and cracked his knuckles. “I will not be in danger from a single mage of the Sanctuary. I welcome them to challenge that. You would be in danger, though. Let us consider this another item in your toolkit. You should avoid using it, but if you have need of me, you can reach me. When you find the Purple, contact me. I will come help you. Until then, I will try to delay the advance of the demons.”

  The mage stood and stuck his hand out. Ben rose as well and gripped the man’s forearm, clasping it tightly.

  “Remember,” advised the mage, “keep your senses open at all times. You may not be skilled at extending your will, but you are strong enough to harden it. Anything is possible with sufficient will. Believe it, live it, and a mage will have difficultly defeating you.”

  Ben smiled at the man.

  Amelie circled the table to wrap her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  When she released him, Jasper smiled at her. “You’re a natural talent. It’s unfortunate we don’t have more time to train. Keep in mind if you face a mage, you have two advantages if you’re not afraid to use them. One, proximity can increase your power. If you are bold, you can use it before your opponent. Two, because you are not as strong, you are forced to be creative. Use tricks like the prism to gain an advantage. The Sanctuary’s mages are too literal. They will underestimate you. Surprise them, and you have a chance.”

  The mage stepped back and offered a small bow.

  “This world is growing to be a dark place,” he said. “Someone has to stand against that darkness. I regret that I wasn’t the first to stand, that I lacked the courage and the foresight to be in front, but I am happy to stand with you now. Know that you are not alone in this fight.”

  Before they could comment, Jasper turned and strode out the door.

  Amelie and Ben turned and looked at each other.

  “What do we do now?” they asked at the same time.

  Behind Enemy Lines

  They spent one night in Cormender, stocked up supplies the next morning, and left. Aside from the drunken gambler, the town was friendly, but neither of them could shake the feeling that somehow, they were being watched. Since they left the City, the Coalition had been searching for them. Now, they were right on its doorstep. Any mistakes and they would be finished.

  Supplies in hand, they headed for the eastern gate. The road there would lead them deeper into dark territory, and eventually all of the way to Irrefort.

  “It’s just like the western side of town,” muttered Amelie.

  Ben nodded. They were passing row after row of identical three-story apartments. They looked like the ones they’d passed when they entered the city. The same dispirited residents loitered on the streets. The same blank-faced merchants unenthusiastically hawked wares.

  Ahead of them, Ben saw a squad of grey-clad soldiers. The sergeant was standing on a wooden crate with his men around him. He was addressing a small crowd of citizens and anyone else on the street who could hear. Ben gripped Amelie’s arm but they kept walking, hoping to not draw attention to themselves. As they drew closer, they heard the sergeant shouting out. His voiced carried clearly in the quiet street.

  “Recruitment drive! Sign up today,” called the man. “Two silver signing bonus and five copper a day. Everything’s taken care of on the march.”

  A few heads turned at the offer, but no one moved toward the military man.

  “Come on, you lazy bastards,” growled the sergeant. “Sign up now or sign up when the assignment center forces you. It makes no difference to me. No bonus if you join through the assignment center.”

  A gaunt-looking man raised a hand, his frayed sleeve falling back to show a pock-marked arm.

  “Where ya going?” he asked the sergeant.

  “This ain’t the diplomatic corps,” snorted the sergeant. “You don’t get to pick.”

  The man’s hand dropped.

  The sergeant, perhaps desperate to meet a quota, added, “Probably Issen if you hurry. The city’s about to fall, I’m told. Sign up today and you’ll get there in time for the looting. You won’t even have to bloody your sword. The place is dripping with gold and silver, I hear. Beautiful women too. Find yourself a girl, get her pregnant, and marry her. Or get her pregnant and cut her throat. Doesn’t make no difference.”

  That elicited a snicker from the men crowded around the soldier.

  Amelie was white as new fallen snow. Ben hooked an arm around hers and gently pulled her along. He didn’t want her trying any of her new tricks on these men. They wouldn’t make it out of town if she did.

  “That’s what they said when they talked me into marching here,” complained the potential recruit.

  “You didn’t find any women?” asked the sergeant.

  “Not any beautiful ones.”

  “Aye, they got you there,” replied the sergeant sympathetically. “No beautiful women in the north, but this is Issen we’re talking about. Get out of this shit hole, and I’ll promise you’ll find more women there than you can handle. I’ll tell you what. Since you’re a veteran, I’ll give a three silver signing bonus.”

  Ben heard several more men claiming veteran status and clamoring for the bonus. He and Amelie moved out of earshot and didn’t speak.

  ***

  The dirt road outside of Cormender was broad and well maintained. In the winter, it was frozen over and made for easy travel.

  The forest that covered most of the north faded away east of Cormender. Long, rolling hills spread out as far as they could see. In the shadows of the hills, snow clung tenaciously to the ground, but on top of them and on the road, it had been blown clear or been trampled into the frozen mud. Tough grasses broke through anywhere the snow was less than ankle deep and waved in the unobstructed wind. Compared to the Wilds, it was mild, but just the same, Ben pulled his hood up and his cloak tight.

  The wide-open space unnerved him. The closet thing he could compare it to was the passage across the Blood Bay or the journey through Sineook Valley. At least then, they’d had the mast of the ship to look up to or were surrounded by agriculture. East of Cormender, it was barren.

  “Reminds me of home,” remarked Amelie.

  “Really?” asked Ben. “Everyone always describes Issen a fertile. I pictured it lusher than this.”

  “It is,” responded Amelie, “but only because it’s se
t on a river. The river floods every spring and brings sediment with it. The farmers say that helps the crops. People have been farming there for as long as we’ve kept records. Away from the river valley, it is unbroken plains and grassy hills just like this. I’d go riding in those hills for bells. I spent a lot of my childhood in places just like this.”

  Ben looked around, trying to do so with newfound appreciation, but it was still desolate to him.

  “Issen is only one-hundred, maybe one-hundred-fifty leagues southwest of here,” remarked Amelie.

  Ben looked at her. They could walk that in less than two weeks. Amelie’s eyes stayed ahead. She didn’t comment further.

  The road was empty aside from the occasional merchant and the hills were gentle. They made good time. When the sun began to set, they hiked fifty paces off the road and settled behind a hill that would block the worst of the wind.

  Ben searched through his pack and frowned, glancing around them.

  “What?” asked Amelie.

  “We have no wood,” he grumbled. “Cold food and an even colder night.”

  “Snuggle close and keep me warm,” suggested Amelie with a twinkle in her eye.

  Ben’s heart leapt into his throat. It quickly fell when Amelie pulled an extra tunic and britches out of her pack. That was hardly romantic.

  “Mind going around to see the other side of this hill?” she asked.

  Ben sighed and walked into the twilight, giving the lady her privacy.

  ***

  Ben slept fitfully. Pressed against Amelie, half of his body was able to retain some warmth, but the other side faced cold wind that blew around the hill they’d camped behind. With no wood, they had no fire to combat the chill. When dawn finally broke above the horizon, they both moved stiffly. They decided to eat a quick meal of bread and cheese while walking. There was no reason to stay at the camp.

  Back on the road, they crested a hill and Ben grimaced. For leagues ahead of them, all he could see was the dirt road snaking its way around and over the rolling plains. No civilization, no trees.

  “To think,” muttered Ben, “the Alliance and the Coalition are fighting a war over this.”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” challenged Amelie.

  Ben shrugged and they kept walking.

  By midmorning, they stumbled across something different. Just off the road, they found the remains of a large campsite. The grass was trampled where people had slept. A latrine had been dug two dozen paces away.

  “No wheel marks,” said Ben, eyeing the grass around the camp and the road.

  “Soldiers, not merchants,” guessed Amelie.

  Ben nodded. An awful stench, different from the latrine, drew his interest. He walked around the abandoned campsite. At the far side, hidden behind a high tuft of plains grass, he found the body of a man. He was dressed in a cheaply made steel grey tunic. There were no obvious injuries, but the condition of the corpse told Ben he hadn’t eaten well in weeks or longer. His hair and beard were roughly shorn close to his scalp. His boots were missing.

  “What is it?” asked Amelie.

  “New recruit for the Coalition,” answered Ben.

  Later that day, they found the man’s companions. Ninety-nine men were marching in a loose column behind a chainmail-wearing figure who must be the captain. Beside him was a burly man who pounded a drum that hung from his shoulders. He was keeping time for a march, but none of the men shuffling along seemed to notice.

  Ben and Amelie veered around the column and hiked through the tall grasses. It wasn’t difficult to pass the column. The men weren’t in a hurry. The captain’s clenched jaw spoke to his frustration at their pace. Two days into their journey and he was obviously ready to be off the road already.

  The captain turned and his gaze followed them for a few paces. Ben pretended he hadn’t been watching the man. He reached up a hand to pull his hood forward but then realized that was about the most suspicious thing he could possibly do.

  With a gesture from the captain, the drummer cut short his marching beat.

  “Where are you headed?” called the captain.

  “Boggytown,” answered Ben.

  “That place was a hell hole twenty years ago when I last saw it. It probably still is,” barked the man. “What’s there for you?”

  “Family, friends, a safe roof to sleep under,” replied Ben. Despite the cold wind on his face, droplets of sweat were forming and sliding down his back. He didn’t know the first thing about Boggytown. Jasper had mentioned the place. Aside from Irrefort, it was the only name of a city in the east that Ben knew.

  The captain snorted. “Not good family if they live down there.”

  Ben shrugged.

  The captain’s gaze dropped to Ben’s sword. “Why don’t you join us, son? You wear that thing like you know how to use it. For a man like you, there are riches to be had.”

  “Where are you marching?” inquired Amelie.

  “Issen. Land of plenty, lass. We have an opening in the ranks.” The captain gestured behind him. “Join us on the march and I’ll see your man gets the full signing bonus. Maybe I’ll double it if he shows me he knows his way around that sword. Plenty of work if you want to come with us too. Cooking, washing, mending, there’s always something we can use a delicate set of hands for. With you watching, you can make sure your man spends his time looting and not raping. These others’ll go for the girls first. Do it right, and you’ll have gold in your pockets.”

  “I, uh,” Amelie stammered, unsure how to respond.

  “She’s in the family way,” said Ben. “Her folks are in Boggytown.”

  “Ah,” responded the captain. He eyed Amelie appreciatively. “I don’t blame you, lad. If I had a girl like that, I wouldn’t want to march off to war either. You think about it though, when you get there. Boggytown’ll have recruiters too. Leave her with the family. You go off and make your fortune. She’ll be waiting for you with the little one when you get back.”

  Ben sketched a quick bow to the captain. Then he and Amelie lengthened their strides. They weren’t running, but they weren’t far from it. Behind them, the steady beat of the drums picked back up.

  ***

  For three more days, they hiked across the rolling plains east of Cormender. The undulating hills spread out in front of them, unbroken except for the occasional traveler. Most were headed east, away from the growing threat of the demons.

  On the fourth day outside of town, they found a visceral reminder of what that threat entailed. Blood stained the road and extended fifty paces into the tough plains grass. A large family had been attacked, at least three generations with a score of children. Their wagon sat motionless in the middle of the road. The donkey that had been pulling it lay dead in the harness. The back of the wagon was empty, likely looted by passersby.

  “A swarm?” speculated Amelie.

  Ben shrugged. The family appeared lightly armed. Their weapons could have been looted as well, but just as likely, they weren’t warriors and didn’t have the skill to protect themselves.

  “Back in Farview, a posse of sixty of us faced a lone demon,” answered Ben. “Two men died. The rest of us fled across a fast-moving creek to safety. We would have lost more, including me, if that creek wasn’t there. The demon thrived until Saala found it. Out here,” Ben said, gesturing to the open plains, “it would have been worse. Against untrained farmers and craftsmen, a lone demon could kill dozens before they stopped it, if they even could. Those children just ran and died.”

  “This must be happening all over now,” stated Amelie.

  Ben nodded. “We’re doing the right thing.”

  Amelie stared straight ahead, ignoring the rest of the grisly scene as they passed through the carnage. Ben glanced at her then looked ahead as well. He ignored the glistening tear forming in the corner of her eye. Those people were Coalition. In some ways, they were supporting the war against Amelie’s father and her home. But the children hadn’t chos
en that. They were innocent. Maybe the adults were too. None of them deserved to die, screaming under the claws and teeth of a demon.

  “I didn’t see a body of the demon,” mumbled Amelie when they finally cleared the area.

  “It’s out here somewhere,” agreed Ben.

  A league further, they heard it. A bestial shriek carried to them on the wind. In a heartbeat, Ben swept his sword out. Amelie drew her blades a breath behind him. The wind whistled through the grass. Nothing moved nearby.

  “I don’t see it,” muttered Amelie nervously.

  “It sensed someone,” guessed Ben, “someone else.”

  “No one was behind us for at least a quarter league,” remarked Amelie.

  Ben kept scanning the hills around them, seeing nothing.

  “It had to be ahead of us.”

  “What should we do?” asked Amelie.

  “It could be another family,” answered Ben.

  Amelie nodded and they both started to trot down the road. The shrieks of the demon continued. Whatever had drawn its interest wasn’t dead yet. In the open plain, with the wind, it was difficult to tell how far the sound was coming from, but someone needed help.

  A brisk jog brought Ben and Amelie over two hills before they found the source of the sound. They stood on the crest of the road and looked down. A huge man-height demon was smashing a clawed fist into the side of a carriage. Over and over, the creature unleashed its berserk rage against the vehicle. At each blow, the carriage rocked up on two wheels then crashed back down. Miraculously, the door was holding up to the onslaught.

  Ben looked at Amelie and caught her fearful wince. This demon was big. Not quite an arch-demon, but it had been feasting. At Ben’s height, it would be three times his weight, all muscle and bone.

  “Any useful tricks in that pouch Jasper gave you?” inquired Ben.