Sam felt a change in the air. Above her, Aliana’s face suddenly acquired an expression of surprise. She ceased her incantation and looked down as if Sam had done something. For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then Sam heard a soft sound, the sliding of steel against stone. Aliana slowly turned to look, and Sam saw something she never thought she would on her mother’s face--fear.
As Aliana shifted her attention away, Sam felt an easing of the force that held her. Slowly, she turned her head enough to see what was going on.
Thump stood up, snarling at Aliana as he lifted the battleaxe. His eyes bore a maddened gleam, a visible portion of the pure rage that radiated from him. The beast within Odif had been contained under a normal, reasoning soul. There was no such damper in Thump.
Aliana stood motionless for a second then shouted, “Kill him!”
Hoarcs rushed at him with their clubs. The first one slammed him hard on the back. He swung the axe, chopping it deep across the middle. He let out a bellow as he swung into the second then the third, chopping off its arm and a good potion of shoulder with it. The others backed up, looking for more substantial weapons.
Sam watched as Thump charged the hoarcs, swinging the axe in a blur. The last survivor picked up Scorpio’s sword and drove it into his stomach. He chopped off its arm then beheaded it.
“Lash! Kill him!” Aliana cried. There was fear in her voice.
Lash tossed Odif to one side. He threw the morning star at Thump then drew his sword. Thump stumbled as the ball of the weapon struck. Shifting his hate-filled gaze to Lash, he gritted his teeth and pulled the blade from his body.
“You’re a dead man,” he growled.
“You are weak and unarmored. We’ll see who’s dead!” Lash snapped. He moved and feinted. Thump parried the sword with the one he held then swung the axe into Lash’s side. It slashed through his armor, and Lash screamed.
Thump worked the axe free and kicked him to the ground. Lash rolled over and tried to crawl away. Thump stepped on his back then drove the axe deep between his shoulder blades.
Aliana ran around the altar to the far side. “Stop or I will tear your child apart and make you watch!” she screamed.
Thump started for the altar. His head was lowered slightly, and his eyes bore the look of madness. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me from killin’ you.”
Sam focused on her mother’s words. His child? This was her father? All the years he had been tortured now made sense. Aliana had kept him all this time to gloat over his failure. The tables were turning now, and she was going to do everything she could to help him.
“I still have magic,” Aliana snapped.
A bright flash of magic hit Thump and lit his body. He stumbled back a step then resumed coming at her. The glow died, and the wound in his stomach was gone.
“No!” Aliana screamed. “Lucifer, help me!”
Sam knew what was different now. The heavy feeling of evil was no longer so heavy. Lucifer’s presence was no longer here. Aliana was still holding her, but the bonds were very weak. Sam could ease out of them, but she had to be sure Aliana wasn’t paying any attention to her.
Thump ran up to the altar and swung across it, falling on her. He pushed her towards the edge as he got up and chased Aliana down one of the room’s arms. Sam obscured her presence and slipped to sit on the floor.
In the narrow tip of the room, Thump caught Aliana with a blow from the axe, slashing down the length of her back. Aliana pitched forward then turned and grabbed both his arms, screaming in terror. In an awkward dance, she worked her way around him. Before she could flee, he ran her through with his sword. She jerked loose and stumbled back. The axe fell again, slashing down her torso. She was thrown back and used her mind power to float away from him. The long cuts sealed.
Aliana let out a cackling laugh. “You can’t kill me!” She looked down at the floor and pointed to a chunk of black rock that had fallen. Whipping her arm towards Thump, she willed the rock to fly at him. He didn’t dodge it, and the chunk hit him square in the chest, knocking him backwards. She threw another at him, this time knocking his right leg from under him. He went down hard but sprang back up with a growl.
“I will roast your child alive and make you eat her!” Aliana screamed in triumph. She sent another rock at him, then another.
Thump began to smash the rocks aside with his weapons as he came on. Aliana drifted away. When she knocked him down again, she drifted in back of him. He rose and charged on a few steps before realizing she was no longer in front of him. She hit him from behind with a large flat rock, sending him sprawling.
Sam focused on her mother, using her will to hold her in place. She felt like she was grabbing at nothing. Focusing, she tried again then realized her mother was not in front of her. The form she saw was just something to let Aliana see and act. The essence of her mother wasn’t coming from the form, it was coming from under the altar. Searching the shelves there, she found her in a clay jar.
Thump staggered to his feet and snapped up his weapons. “I will kill you!”
Aliana spread her arms wide. “There is no way you can kill me, you fool!” she cried happily.
Sam held up the jar and spoke with both mind and voice. “Oh, yes, there is.” And as Aliana looked, she smashed the jar.
The form floating in the air convulsed as Aliana’s spirit slammed into the only vessel available. When she hit the floor, her body and spirit were once again fused together. Her mouth hung open in shock as she gaped at Sam.
Tears ran freely down Sam’s face. “Go back where you belong,” she whispered.
Aliana screwed her face up in anger. “Not without you!” she growled. Rising to her feet, she flung rocks at Thump as fast as she could. He knocked a few aside, keeping his axe near his head as he stumbled forward under the pounding.
Aliana concentrated on the ceiling, planning to bury him in stone. As the rock started to crack, she was suddenly pushed from the side. Ramming into the edge where two walls met, she spun as she fell. Regaining her feet, she looked to see who could have thrown her.
Sam stood by the altar, her hard gaze boring into Aliana. “No more,” she choked.
“Much more!” Aliana growled. Her attention was diverted from Sam as Thump charged her with a long, hard swing of his axe. She jerked back, and the blade slammed into the corner, taking out a sizable piece of wall. Knowing she could do nothing to him, she concentrated on his weapon and forced it away from her. He held on to it and sailed across the open area to hit the opposite wall. He slid to the floor, and this time he didn’t get up.
Aliana started towards Sam then stopped to inspect a new sensation. Her side stung where the axe had grazed her. When she touched the wound, her fingers came away bloody. She was bleeding!
“This is impossible,” she whispered. Only humans, people who could be killed, bled. She also felt other odd things. She was sore from her fall, and the arm that had hit the wall when Sam pushed her felt stiff. She had heard of these things happening to lesser demons. The pact was broken, and now her soul was bonded to her form. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Sam.
“You little bitch,” she spat.
Sam shook her head sadly. No matter how badly she hated her mother, she didn’t want to be the one to kill her. “It’s over. Let me collect my friends and go.”
Aliana advanced towards her, holding up a bloody hand for her to see. “You do this to me, and you think you can just walk away?”
Sam backed around the altar to keep her distance. “Please, I just want to leave this place!” she sobbed.
“No!” Aliana barked. “You will never leave!”
She ran around the altar, hands reaching to grab her daughter by the throat to choke her to death. Sam circled to the other side, keeping the altar between them. Aliana tried climbing over it, and Sam used her mind to keep her away.
Now in a fit of rage, Aliana summoned up the last of her power and shoved Sam with everything she had. Sam’s arm
s windmilled as she flew backwards through the air. Arcing down, she hit the floor on her back. The impact took her breath away. She gasped for air as she struggled up to her hands and knees. Casting a look towards the altar, she saw her mother picking up the ceremonial dagger.
“You will be sacrificed,” Aliana growled as she started towards her. “And it will not be a clean death!”
The arm of the room Sam backed into had no exit. Once again, she summoned her strength and lashed out with her mind at Aliana. Her mother was ready, and countered just enough to keep her pace.
Aliana started past the spot where Thump lay. He quietly crawled to his feet and swung his sword into the back of her knee. She stumbled and turned to see what had hit her. Growling, he leapt and drove his axe into her leg. Her agonized scream filled the chamber as she hit the floor. He struck again, this time driving his sword into her other leg.
Aliana pushed herself away, only to run into the wall. The lower part of one leg lay on the floor, the other was bleeding furiously. Eyes wide in terror, she cried, “Please don’t kill me! I’ll be your slave,” Turning her head to look at Sam, she cried, “Lucifer will eat my soul if I go back. Please don’t let him kill me!”
Seeing her own mother helpless and bleeding was something Sam had not prepared herself for. There was no evil in the demon’s eyes now, only the fear of death. Sam knew what it was to be afraid. She watched her mother’s pleading eyes as Thump lined himself up to take her head. Her mind raced to think of a way they could trust her and let her live. From everything Sam knew about her mother, there just wasn’t one. Sooner or later, she would find a way to wiggle or twist out of any pact she made.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thump lifted his axe high. Her own face melted into an emotionless mask. “Goodbye, Mother.”
Thump swung hard. Aliana’s head spun as it flew away from her body. Her limbs twitched then her body fell limp. A terrible wail rang out all through the room, fading away as the soul of Aliana was sucked back into the abyss.
Silence once again filled the chamber. Sam got up and started towards the lone man as he looked down on the corpse. Stopping across from it, she waited nervously until he looked up. “Did you hear what she said?”
Blank-faced, he focused on her. “What?”
“She threatened to tear me apart, remember?”
He gazed at her for a few seconds. “Umm, you mean she was talking about...you?”
Sam nodded, not knowing whether to cry or jump with joy. She began to ramble, spitting out everything she thought. “Long ago, she seduced you. When I was young I wished that you would come and save me. I’ve always wanted to meet you, and even if you go now and I never see you again, I will be happy. We are free, and we did it together.”
“You’re my kid?” he asked in disbelief.
Sam nodded as she wrung her hands. “I think so. I hope so.”
Gaping at her, he swallowed. He again heard the thing tell him it was going to rip apart his child, and Sam was the only one left, besides him. He remembered it had tried to seduce him. By what he saw, it had succeeded at least once. “Well, I, uhh, never back out on family. It ain’t right.”
A smile lit her face. “Thank you, Father.”
Many things about her bothered him. He wasn’t fond of her horns, or those wings; but there was one he could change. “And it ain’t right, you having a man’s name. How about if I call you...Samantha? That okay?”
She mouthed the word then smiled broadly. “That’s great. I like it.”
A moan got their attention. Shilo was holding his head as he lay propped up on one arm. Sam looked at him then turned to Odif lying on the floor. She still felt a trace of life in the druid, but it was very dim.
“Quick! Wake up Frieda--Odif is dying!”
She ran to Odif as Thump ran to Frieda. She fell to her knees and cradled her friend’s head. “Please, stay with us!” she begged.
Odif was very weak. Sam could feel the last bits of energy slipping away from her body. Thump was shaking Frieda’s shoulder and calling to her. With a desperate blast of mind energy, she snapped, “Frieda, wake up!”
Frieda groaned. Shilo stumbled up, holding his head. “We won?” he asked.
“Shilo, help Dad with Mother Frieda before it’s too late!”
“Dad? Wow, I must have missed something,” he huffed. He groaned again as he went to help Thump.
Thump and Shilo helped Frieda to her feet and steered her over to where Odif lay. Frieda, still groggy, laid her hands on the druid and started to pray. Sam kept contact with Odif’s mind, trying to keep her away from the brink. It was beginning to work--she felt energy coming back into the shattered body.
Odif’s eyes flew open, and she sucked in a long breath. Shaking, she struggled briefly until she noticed who was around her. “What happened?” she asked weakly.
Sam looked at Thump and smiled. “We sent her back to the abyss. It’s over.”
Thump returned Sam‘s smile. “We did,” he agreed. Looking down on Odif, he patted her hair. “You all right?”
Odif winced as she tried to move. “I feel like I’ve been beaten by a dozen hoarcs,” she groaned. She was still heavily bruised, and one eye was swollen partway shut.
“You were,” Sam told her.
Frieda looked at the others lying on the floor. “Let’s go see who else is still alive.”
Scorpio came around, and they were able to wake Jo-Jo and Theo. Helping Frieda heal everyone so they could walk and fight tapped all of Odif's energy. They said a prayer for Gloredaniel, Entaurus, Hutch and the remaining elf. They found Lura was still alive; and despite Mother Frieda’s opinion, they didn’t kill her.
Mother Frieda said a prayer as she poured holy water over the altar then Aliana’s remains. Except some rising wisps of vapor, the altar didn’t look any different. The body melted away with a hiss, leaving nothing but a skeleton.
The door they had used to enter was jammed shut. Sam knew of the stairs that went directly from the temple up into the palace above. Straining her memory, she led them down one of the arms and found the stone to push that opened up the stairwell.
Thump led with Shilo as Scorpio and Sam helped Odif along. Mother Frieda stayed beside Theo as he shed tears for his lifelong friend.
They emerged into an underground storeroom where guards milled about. Thump ran ahead with Shilo, killing the few who didn’t flee. They got to the steps the remaining guards had fled up and stopped.
Shilo waved his sword at the fleeing men. “Why would guards be down here?”
Shrugging, Thump said, “Don’t know. Maybe they were coming to help the demon.”
Looking at the tattered man, Shilo gave him a pat on the back. “That was good work down there, Thump. You saved our asses.”
“Name’s Eric,” he said, not appreciating Shilo’s form of affection.
Shilo grinned. “Eric, as in Eric Redman?”
“Some people called me that. What of it?”
By the look on his face, Shilo concluded that Eric didn’t have a very good sense of humor. Looking back at Odif, Shilo had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. “Wow,” he croaked.
“That’s funny?” Eric asked, scowling at him.
Shilo shook his head and started up the stairs. “Better scout ahead,” he said tightly.
He took the stairs in twos and threes. Wait until Zit found out about this!
***
The tunnel of light Tayan was floating in opened up suddenly. Seeing who was waiting for him, his soul cried with glee. In the bright woodland, his mother stood beside Lucinthia. Willy, his best friend until a pilgyn axe killed him, stood behind them, as did many others he recognized. Ellie smiled brightly at him, waving to him with the hand she had lost in life. He opened his arms and hugged his mother and his dead wife. Never had he felt so much joy and peace.
“I’ve missed you so much,” he sighed.
“We’ve missed you, too,” Lucinthia said lovingly. The ess
ence of her soul caressed him softly.
His mother pulled back and smiled. “I am so proud of you. And I am sorry, but you have to go back.”
“I can’t go back,” he said firmly. “I belong here with you.”
“Helena is right, my love,” Lucinthia moved away, her face more beautiful than he ever remembered. “I know you will always love me, as I will always love you. We will be here waiting for you.”
He shook his head. This was his reward; all his battles were over. “I want to stay with you.”
Helena touched his face with the gentleness only a mother could manage. “Your work is not done yet, my son. Know that we love you, and will always be with you.”
Lucinthia touched her soul to his. “Until you return, I don’t want you to be alone.”
He wanted to tell her no, he wasn’t leaving. Then, as quickly as he had come up the tunnel, he was racing backwards down it. The last vision he saw was Lucinthia’s face. Her thought echoed in his mind. I don’t want you to be alone.
Tayan gasped for breath as he woke up; his chest felt like fire. He was cradled by Amber, who was crying as she prayed. When he moved, she opened her eyes and hugged him, still sobbing.
They were in the command shack, or what was left of it. Partially buckled, it held loose planks and stones that had once been a building. His arms went around her automatically. He remembered the wagon ramming into the buildings and reaching for the door. Everything after that seemed fuzzy.
“I’d thought I lost you,” she sobbed.
Holding her close, he felt like something had just happened to him. He didn’t know what it was, but a latent feeling of joy stayed with him. It was with complete conviction he told her, “It’s going to be all right.”
He didn’t worry about where they were, or what was going on around them. He just enjoyed the feel of her in his arms.
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