by Avell Kro
Raphael pushed his fingers through his short hair, making it stand on end.
“We could poison the tips of the branches, but I don’t think it will matter,” he replied. “Our swords
barely pierced the demons’ hides. I think we would be better off creating snares and traps to slow
them down, so we aren’t fighting all of them at once.”
“Good point. Coordinate with the men to see what you can come up with. They are hunters. I
imagine they’l have a few ideas of how to trap a large animal.”
Mikel looked towards the open canopy where several of Adalina’s men gathered, and Raphael
fol owed his gaze. The warriors helped each other strap on their many layers of armor with an
ease that would only come from repetition.
“We’re lucky they’re here,” Raphael said.
“I don’t think luck had anything to do with it.”
Mikel left Raphael to his task and walked towards the half-armored men.
“Mikel.” Adalina nodded at him as he approached. “What are the plans for defense?”
“Raphael is working with several of the men to create traps to slow the demons,” Mikel replied.
“How effective were your weapons against them?”
“Not good enough,” she replied with a scowl. “It took three of us, against one of them to overpower
it.” She looked around at her warriors. “If it were not for our strength, our blades would have been
worthless.”
Mikel stood in silence for several moments. He felt the weight of responsibility settle on his
shoulders. His sword of light easily cut through their scaled bodies, ending their lives.
“Hopefully, Raphael’s traps will slow them, but we need to lead them into a situation where we
only have to fight a few at a time.” He turned slowly, taking in the layout of the village. “I think I
have a plan. Magdelin, is there someplace the villagers can hide? Not here, but out in the jungle.”
“There is a cave not far from here that the elder uses to meditate. I think we could fit the entire village there,” she replied. “But, if the demons found them, they would be slaughtered. There is only
one way in or out.”
“The demons will come to us,” Mike said with certainty. “They will be intent on exacting revenge
against those who killed their brethren.”
“You’re certain?” Magdelin asked doubtfully.
“Mikel is correct,” Adalina replied. “We followed the demons for the last several weeks until they
split up about a day’s walk from here. The group we killed yesterday was not as large as the one
that went north.”
“Why were you following them?” Mikel asked with surprise. “And now that we’re on the subject,
why are you in South America?”
She looked at Mark, who always seemed to be at her side. A strange look passed between them and
Adalina sighed.
“We’ve been tracking the Csökkent for years,” she began. “They are more prevalent in Europe, but
we recently discovered they also have a devoted group here in South America. We didn’t realize
they could summon demons. The groups in Europe practiced dark magics, but never
summonings.”
Mikel looked at her quizzically. It explained her presence but led to even more questions.
“It seems we were destined to be here at the same time,” Mikel said under his breath.
Resentment crawled beneath his skin. They were all being manipulated into this position
regardless of what they wanted.
Adalina must have guessed his thoughts.
“I’ve seen what the Csökkent are capable of,” she said pulling his attention towards her. “They are
evil, even without these demons. Human life means nothing to them, only the worship of their
master. Those who are given the strength to fight against them, must accept that responsibility.”
She looked at Mark again and grinned. “Even if we don’t want to.”
Her companion smiled back at her, and Mikel thought he caught a glimpse of something else.
There was clearly a long history between Adalina and her second in command.
“Magdelin, can you convince the villagers to move to this cave?” Mikel asked.
“Yes, I believe so,” she replied quietly. “Yesterday’s events terrified most of them. They have no
desire to fight against these demons.”
“Once the villagers are on their way, we will begin our preparations.”
Chapter 26
Mikel
Mikel stood inside the chapel with Adalina and six of her warriors. Two more hid on the roof with
longbows. The chapel was the largest building in the village, but it would never be considered
sizeable. Four benches faced the dais, filling the small space. Mark and two other warriors busied
themselves moving the benches against the walls. Their fight would be difficult enough without
tripping over unnecessary obstacles.
“Will Raphael be able to outrun the demons and lead them here?” Adalina asked, standing next to
Mikel.
“He is very quick and quite agile,” Mikel replied. “I think he’l avoid them long enough to get here.”
Mikel turned towards the men gathered with him. Each was tall and muscular, carrying a large
sword and shield, their bodies covered in battle armor. They did not appear anxious or fearful, only
determined and resigned to the coming fight. He was grateful for their presence and hoped they
all survived.
The setting sun cast long shadows throughout the room and a slight breeze drifted through the
open windows. A strange feeling crept along Mikel’s skin, making the hairs on his arms stand.
“One of the Csökkent is with them,” Adalina said. “I can feel him using his magic.”
The door suddenly burst open and Raphael tumbled through. The left side of his shirt smoldered.
“They’re coming and there is a man with them,” Raphael said in a rushed voice. “He tried to burn
me alive.” He ran to the back of the room and crouched behind a large, wooden cabinet.
Two demons took his place in the doorway. Their burning, red eyes drifted across the room. They
raisedtheir massive axes and rested the handles against their broad shoulders. A man in a long
robe filled the space between them. Mikel stared in wonder at the black hood covering the man’s
face, flowing over his shoulders and puddling on the floor. Patterns moved along the fabric, making
it appear alive. The demons towering over the human stirred, but it was obvious that this man
commanded them.
“We cannot allow him to speak, nor can we let anyone else through the door,” Adalina said.
“Agreed,” Mikel replied, drawing his focus away from the magic emanating from the man’s clothing.
Adalina nodded and a sharp twang echoed in the silent hall. Within seconds, an arrow with red
fletching pierced the Csökkent’s throat. He slumped to the ground, grasping at the arrow’s shaft
and unable to speak. The demons reacted immediately and chaos fol owed them.
Mikel jumped at the demon on the left, summoning his sword of light, while Adalina and Mark
surged towards the other. Mikel’s foe fel immediately. He turned towards Adalina as the towering
demon’s axe raced towards her head. She ducked, then countered with a swipe of her own axe. The
creature leaned back, avoiding her attack and giving Mikel the opportunity to pierce its chest.
As he pulled his blade free, another demon stepped over the one he had just killed. He heard an
arrow whistle by his head
and watched it skim the neck of the approaching demon. It growled and
raised a sword as tall as Mikel. He pushed back his fear and faced the demon as two more pushed
through the door with arrows protruding from their arms and shoulders.
Mikel forced himself to focus, dodging the overhead blow and bringing his own sword across his
opponent’s chest. Black blood oozed from the deep cut, but it didn’t stop the demon from lunging
forward. Mikel twisted to the side, narrowly missing the dual edged sword. He swept his own blade
upwards, slicing the demon’s neck. Its blood sprayed across his face, but he didn’t have time to care
as another monster took its place.
“We’re becoming overrun, Mikel!” He heard Adalina shout next to him.
She and Mark took turns blocking blows and cutting gouges into the demon they faced. Three more
of her warriors stood on his opposite side doing the same. Six dead bodies blocked the doorway in
front of them, but the pile of death didn’t stop another of the creatures from joining the fight.
“How many more are there?” Mikel yelled back.
“I’m a little too busy to run outside and look!”
A shattering of wood exploded behind them, and Mikel turned to see ademon’s motionless
bodyamongst the broken shutters of one of the windows.
The distraction was enough for the creature in front of him to land a clawed fist in Mikel’s
stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath. His sword vanished as he struggled to draw air into
his lungs. He heard several arrows cut through the air over him and watched them land in the
center of its chest. The demon fell backwards into its brethren, sending them both through the
door.
“There are four more outside,” one of the archers called out as he climbed through the broken
shutters. “We decided to come in when we emptied our quivers.”
“Here, take another.” A tall warrior with a long scar down his face tossed each archer a quiver of
arrows, which they caught with ease.
Mikel rose on shaking legs and summoned his sword once more. He looked to his right just in time
to see Adalina and Mark finish off the creature they battled. The warriors on his left struggled
against their foe and Mikel jumped in to assist.
When it fel , the group turned back to the door. The remaining demons pulled their fallen into the
street, clearing the path into the chapel. The archers did not wait for orders and started slinging
arrows at the demons still left alive. The number of arrows protruding from their bodies surprised Mikel, yet they still fought to clear the entrance.
“Ready yourselves,” Adalina commanded. “We will have to fight all four of them at once.”
Her warriors rolled their shoulders and necks, loosening their tense muscles. Mikel stiffened with
anticipation, unable to calm his nerves. After what felt like hours, but was only a minute or so, the
four demons charged into the chapel.
The three archers abandoned their bows, unsheathed their swords and jumped into the fight. The
demons tried to focus their attack on Mikel, but the warriors drew two of them away. Mikel
struggled to dodge the attacks of both monsters. They worked in tandem against him, keeping him
constantly moving away. He managed to slice through the leg of one his pursuers, slowing it
enough for him to impale the other. He spun around too late, unable to block the demon’s blade. It
raked down his thigh, and Mikel cried out in pain. The demon grinned in triumph, but it quickly
turned to shock as sharpened steel emerged from its throat. It gurgled and fell to the ground.
Raphael rolled from its back and offered his hand to help Mikel stand.
“Thank you.”
Raphael nodded and they both turned towards the two remaining demons, which were losing their
fight against Adalina and her men.
When the last one fell, the group looked at one another, each with similar expressions: satisfaction,
exhaustion and gratitude that they were still alive.
“Is everyone ok?” Mikel asked, leaning heavily on his uninjured leg.
Numerous nods throughout the room indicated there were no major injuries.
“Did any of them flee, or did we kill all of them?” Adalina asked looking at the archers.
“Four of them left just before we abandoned the roof,” one replied. “We showered them with
arrows, but they didn’t stop.”
“The Csökkent will send more, unless we find them first.” Mikel shook his head in disappointment.
“I can track them,” Raphael offered. “It would better than using this village as a battleground yet
again.”
“I agree,” Mikel said, collapsing onto the nearest bench. “We can’t let them keep coming back. They
will continue to pursue us, and we cannot allow these villagers to be in constant danger because of
our presence.”
“The Csökkent will use caution when they hear of the demon’s defeat,” Adalina said looking at
Mikel with concern. “We should have time to heal and prepare.” She turned her gaze to Raphael.
“Go get Magdelin. I believe Mikel’s injury is worse than he’s letting on.”
Raphael nodded and sprinted out the door.
Adalina talked quietly with Mark, who left as well. Then she knelt next to Mikel.
“You and I are destined to fight against this evil,” she said. “I’ve always suspected the Csökkent served a greater master. Their summoning of these demons proves my suspicions. Your God’s
story last night revealed even more. We must find their master, this Overlord. He cannot be al owed
to fulfill his desire.”
“You will tell me what you know of these men,” he winced as he shifted weight on the bench. “As
soon as I can focus past the pain.”
A mischievous smile formed on her lips, but her comments were cut short by the arrival of Mark.
He handed her a leather bag, which she opened and removed several long strips of cloth. She
wrapped them tightly around his leg and stood. Mark handed him a flask, which he accepted. The
bitter liquid burned down his throat, forcing him to cough.
“That tastes terrible,” he exclaimed.
“Of course, it does,” Adalina said with a chuckle. “But it will ease your pain while we wait for
Magdelin to arrive.
Chapter 27
Mikel
The moon hung low in the eastern sky when the villagers returned. Adalina’s warriors moved the
dead as far from the village as possible, before burning the bodies, but the acrid smell of scorched
flesh still hung in the air.
Magdelin hovered around the wounded, magically healing the worst injuries, then traditionally
treating the rest. Apparently, their injuries were worse than they admitted to after the battle. Mikel
shook his head as he watched her tiny, exhausted frame move from one man to the next. Raphael
approached her with a wooden plate full of food and a clay cup of water. She smiled at him and
accepted it. He grinned back at her, his cheeks flushing. Mikel chuckled at his embarrassed
expression.
She accepted her new gift willingly. Mikel suspected it gave her a great deal of satisfaction that she
had yet to find in her life.
Of course, God would know that, wouldn’t he? Mikel thought to himself.
“What are you smiling about?” Adalina asked, sitting down next to him.
“Nothing,” he replied, unsure how to put his thoughts into words or if he even wanted to.
&nbs
p; “So, what is our plan? Will we follow the demons to their summoners?”
He twisted his torso to look at her, only to find the same mischievous grin that graced her face
earlier.
“What makes you think I have a plan?” he asked warily.
“You are the leader of this mismatched group.”
“No, I don’t believe I am,” he replied, shaking his head in denial.
“Of course, you are. You are the one blessed by God. He has chosen you to lead us into battle.”
“I believe all of us received His gift,” Mikel stated. “I have never overseen anything, I hardly see
myself as a capable leader.” He looked directly at her and continued. “Your men follow you willingly,
without hesitation or fear. If anyone can lead us into war against these demons, it should be you.”
She rubbed her temples, then pushed her blond hair from her face.
“My men fol ow me willingly because of my gift,” she explained. “But it doesn’t work on everyone.
For instance, you are not affected and neither is Raphael. I think you would follow me out of
obligation, but eventually you would grow frustrated with my boisterous disposition.”
Mikel looked at her with confusion.
“You have been nothing but a true warrior and supporter of your men, surely you jest.”
A stifled laugh erupted from the group of men nearby. Adalina pretended to glare at them, but it
turned into a smile.
“What’s so funny?” Raphael asked as he and Magdelin approached. They sat on another bench
across from Mikel and looked at him expectantly.
“I have no idea,” Mikel replied.
“Mikel is going to tell us his plan for pursuing the demons,” Adalina said, still grinning.
“So, we are agreed? We will pursue them and find the men responsible for their summoning.”
Raphael asked.
Raphael looked hopefully at the group, and Mikel sighed in resignation. His new friends would not
allow him to avoid his destiny.
He shook his head. How did I go from an English merchant to the leader of warriors destined to
defeat an army of demons? Life is very cruel.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
“Adalina, do you know where the Csökkent are hiding?” he asked.
