The Twisted Gate

by Matt Glicksman

  Sonojj tilted his head. "Hmm, sounds like we're here."

  Erynion noticed the crowd of fray along the shore. Some of the imps were splashing about in the water.

  "I wonder what we're doing here," Flinch muttered.

  "And where's here?" Alejjir asked.

  Flinch tapped his lips. "Well, this river leads to Lake Ivorus. But, we rounded the bend only a few hours ago. There's no way we're anywhere near there. I'd guess we're close to Malarekita."

  "Malarekita? I thought we were going to Alovajj," Erynion said.

  "Well, technically, it's on the way. There's no way we'd reach the lake before dusk, but I don't know why we're stopping so close to a town."

  "You're here. Good!" Maligus emerged from the group of fray. "Well, well, if it isn't Alejjir. I'll be damned."

  The Marksman tipped his hat. "Aren't we all, though?"

  Maligus narrowed his eyes. "Clever. Thought you'd run off to hide from the scary demon lord."

  "I don't think we've ever met," Alejjir said. "You must be Maligus. You're just as pleasant as Flinch and Sonojj described."

  "Some of us have to maintain order," the ogre demon grumbled. "We can't all hide in the back like cowards."

  "Indeed."

  As the two demons bickered, Erynion marveled at Alejjir's calm in the face of insults, and it was Maligus who grew more agitated.

  The ogre caught his stare. "What are you looking at?"

  Erynion was quiet. He didn't fear the overly aggressive demon, but he was unsure how to respond. Maligus snarled and produced a large machete that matched his size.

  "That's enough, Maligus," came the soothing voice of their leader.

  Both Erynion and the ogre refused to break eye contact. Maligus menacingly lifted the machete. But even as he felt the demon's blade rest against his neck, Erynion didn't look away. He didn't fear death.

  "Are you listening? Put it away, dear." Sereyna delicately squeezed the ogre's shoulder. As he lowered the weapon to his side, the machete vanished into thin air.

  "Damn puppet." Maligus stormed off into the crowd of fray.

  Sereyna rolled her eyes and smiled sweetly at Erynion. "Forget him. He's threatened by greatness."

  "Me? I'm just one of them."

  "Even among lesser iymed, there are varying degrees of power. This is why it's important you learn to control yours. Come, the sun will be down soon, and we have a lot to cover. The rest of you, play nice with Maligus. Oh, and welcome back to the Surface, Alejjir."

  "Thank you. Sereyna, is it now?"

  "Yes, it will do you good to remember it," she shot back with a wink. "Will you stay on as one of my officers?"

  "I suppose I don't see the harm in it. Yet."

  As the three lieutenants joined the camp, Sereyna journeyed into the woods. Trailing behind her, Erynion admired her features, from the long black hair down to the small of her back. Wrapped around her waist was a strange belt that appeared to be woven out of a thin rope. He was so captivated by her figure he didn't notice she had slowed her pace and was observing him over her shoulder.

  "Like what you see?" she asked.

  Erynion looked away.

  Before long, the pair arrived on a hilltop overlooking a small village, and Sereyna found rest on the trunk of a fallen tree.

  Erynion watched as the lanterns in the town lit up to compensate for the setting sun. "Why did you bring me here?"

  "Patience, my love. You, my sweet Erynion, have two problems you must resolve sooner than later. The most important is your identity. Were you able to remember anything at the gate?"

  "Some. I remembered that I was alive during the Assault. I remembered arrows raining down. I remembered hearing your name. I think I was a teenager at the time. And I was with another boy who was about my age."

  "Interesting. But no name?"

  "No. What's the other problem I have to resolve?"

  "Isn't it obvious? The agony, of course."

  "How? Where does it come from?"

  Sereyna crossed her legs and adjusted her dress. "It comes from you. From your own strength. Let me give you an example. Imagine your body is a leather pouch. Your energy is like water. When the sun dies each day, the pouch begins to fill with water. The stronger you are, the bigger your pouch and the faster it fills. When you use your energy, like for fighting or healing, it's like pouring out some of the water. The stronger the attack, the more water is lost. Make sense so far?"

  Erynion nodded.

  "Good. If you don't use your energy, then naturally your pouch fills with water. But just because it's full, doesn't mean the water stops. For demons like the fray, the rate of energy they receive is so slow and weak that they feel nothing when their pouch is full. They don't experience the agony at all. But as an iymed, the pressure is stronger, stretching your pouch, forcing it to expand. That stretching is the pain you feel. As a demon gets stronger, the agony only gets worse. Until finally, it's unbearable, and your pouch breaks, releasing all that water."

  Erynion folded his arms across his chest. "That release of energy. That's the purge."

  "That's right. It manifests in different forms depending on the demon."

  "I see. The first night I was here, I felt the agony from the moment I emerged. When I scratched my chest and my face, it went away for a bit."

  "You wounded yourself, and your energy healed you," Sereyna explained.

  "And later on, I was urged to kill a priest in the town. When I attacked him, there was a flash. Spikes of light were sticking out of my chest. There was a searing pain, but again, the agony subsided. Was I using my energy to counter the attack?"

  "Something like that. Light and dark naturally negate each other. His attack drained some of your energy."

  Erynion paced back and forth. "But the agony always returned."

  "It's a never-ending struggle."

  "The next time it hit me, I tried to fight it, but I…well, I don't really remember what happened."

  Sereyna patted the log, inviting him to sit beside her. "Fatigue. Your body released its energy, and you passed out. The same thing happens to any demon that purges."

  Erynion sat down, keeping some distance. "When I awoke the next morning, I found myself in the middle of a huge black field. Alejjir called it the oasis in the black desert. He said the demon lord caused that. Does that mean I—?"

  "No, no, no. I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, you're not the demon lord that everyone's talking about. I could see how you would think so, waking up in the middle of the demon lord's purge, but that's just not true. Trust me. If you were the demon lord, do you really think you could just walk into Nolka without being detected? I had to use the Brotherhood and sacrifice one of my lieutenants just to get in, and you think you're stronger than me?"

  Erynion could tell her question wasn't serious but still felt the need to explain. "No, it's not that, it's just—"

  Sereyna giggled. "It's fine. Look. The reason you've felt so much pain is because you have practically no control over your energy. Flinch, Sonojj, Reaper, Maligus. None of them experience the agony anymore."

  "You're stronger than all of them. What about you?"

  "It's rare. Nothing quite like the first time, though."

  "So, I just need to use my energy, and the agony won't bother me?" Erynion asked.

  "That's where your first problem comes into play. Your identity is the key to unlocking everything. Without it, you have very limited access to your power, and your pouch will always fill faster than you can empty it. There's no easy way to tell you this, but you need a lot of help. And I'm willing to offer you my assistance because you could become my strongest lieutenant. I can't simply let you go without your identity. You would just end up hurting yourself."

  "So, what do I have to do?"

  "Patience, love." Sereyna stood and offered him her hand. "You're in good hands. The two of us are going to take a walk. I'll keep your energy in check, so don't worry about that."

 
Erynion cautiously placed his hand in hers, and she helped him up. The last rays of sunlight dwindled, and the stars made their debut for the night. Erynion winced as the energy flowed into him. It was the same discomfort from the previous nights.

  Sereyna rubbed his back. "How are you doing?"

  "I can feel it there. It's small now, but it'll just get worse. Should I try to do something?"

  "No, just relax."

  Her voice calmed him as he closed his eye and followed her instructions. Something crawled up his leg like a snake, but Erynion remained still. The sensation passed his waist and slipped under his shirt. It was soft to the touch and tenderly caressed his back. He took a quick breath as he felt a prick in the back of his neck, but then the pain was gone, including any hint of the agony.

  "Excellent. Open your eyes," she commanded.

  Erynion obeyed and looked out over the valley.

  "How do you feel?"

  A faint smile appeared on his lips. "At peace. Like I feel during the day."

  "Good. Now, let's take a walk."

  Erynion descended the slope after Sereyna. "You never told me why you brought me here."

  "Giving you a little test. Don't worry, everything will be fine," she reassured him. Her voice was even sweeter than usual and put him completely at ease. "Now, if I remember correctly, Malarekita has an outpost of—"

  Erynion's eye was drawn skyward as a single arrow, engulfed in fire, soared though the night air. The projectile landed a few feet in front of the pair.

  "…scorchers. Come, let's check out this town."

  As Erynion crossed the field, Sereyna slid behind him and placed her hand on his right shoulder. He glanced behind and caught her cloudy-blue eyes in the flicker of the arrow's flame. They were breathtaking.

  "Who goes there?" a distant voice called out from the watchtower.

  Sereyna brought her lips close to his ear. Her breath wafted over his neck. "Ignore them, my dear."

  Three more arrows, lit with fire, blazed across the sky and struck the ground before them.

  "Warning shots," she said, but Erynion already knew that.

  "I say, who goes there?" the voice hollered again. "Identify yourselves or the next arrows will not be aimed at the ground."

  "Stay strong. This is the first part of your test. Trust me." She kissed his back through the clothing.

  The bell at the top of the watchtower clanged unevenly as arrows flew from the tower. Some hit the ground, while others struck the demon. Erynion recoiled slightly at the impact of each projectile, and part of his clothing caught fire. With a few pats of his claw, he extinguished the flames. His claw. His hand was no longer human, but that fact didn't faze him as he lowered it back to his side. The physical pain from the wounds paled in comparison to the last couple of nights. The bell continued to ring, but the arrows eventually stopped.

  At the edge of the town, Sereyna rejoined his side. "How are you feeling?"

  Erynion tore out the arrows, grunting as each one was liberated. "Invincible."

  "Congratulations. You passed the first test."

  "Was that all?"

  "Not quite. That was only the start, but you're doing wonderfully so far. Let's see who comes out to greet us."

  A group of people confronted the two demons as they entered the town. The rest of the village appeared deserted. Erynion studied their clothing and weapons. Four wore brown robes and black scarves, similar to the priests he had already encountered. Beside the priests stood fighters with weapons drawn, including a few archers with nocked arrows, glowing with a yellow aura.

  One of the priests stepped forward. "Come no farther, demons. We only wish to protect our homes. Leave now, and we will not be forced to cleanse you."

  "Cleanse us?" Sereyna pretended to be oblivious. "We're not demons."

  Erynion noticed she was intently focused on the group of humans. Her pupils dilated and her irises subtly pulsed with energy.

  "Depths! Don't look at her eyes!" one of the priests instructed. Each member of the group used his or her arm to break eye contact.

  "We're just a happy couple out for an evening stroll," Sereyna insisted.

  "A couple that speaks Kisejjad? Right. We have a seeker. We know how strong you are, Seductress. You won't entrance us, so please just leave. What could you gain by attacking our humble village?"

  "A few less priests on the Surface, for one."

  A strange sensation washed over Erynion. The fear of the humans was palpable, and it made him uncomfortable. Sereyna was clearly stronger and enjoyed listening to them beg for their lives and the safety of their village.

  "May we leave?" Erynion asked her quietly.

  Sereyna gaped at him. "Leave?"

  "Please."

  "But we just got here."

  Erynion furrowed his brow. "Something doesn't feel right. I think we should go."

  As she crossed her arms, her face shifted from sweet and innocent to irritated and angry. "Go? I brought you to this insignificant village so you could have a little fun. Explore your power. No one here can harm you. Not while I'm here. Don't you want to learn? Don't you want my help?"

  Erynion pitied the priests, huddled together. He felt out of place. He wished them no harm. Erynion caught Sereyna concentrating on something behind him. He followed her line of sight to the watchtower. An archer aimed at the intruders with her bowstring pulled back to full tension. Erynion was about to shield Sereyna when she stopped him. The scorcher removed the arrow from the string and placed it back in the quiver. Then, she dropped her bow, positioned her hands on the railing of the watchtower, and vaulted over it. When she struck the ground, she lay motionless.

  "Nobody move unless you'd like to join her," the villager warned.

  Erynion couldn't tear his eyes away from the scorcher's body. Sereyna gently held his chin and brought his eyes back to her. "See? Fun."

  "What do you want from us?" one of the priests asked.

  Sereyna faced the humans. "I want—" She shuddered.

  "Are you all right?" Erynion asked.

  "I want—" Her body convulsed, and she dropped to her knees. Her breathing became erratic.

  Erynion stooped beside her. "Sereyna, what's going on?"

  "Oh my, that's incredible." The demon moaned as she ran her hand down her face and chest. She started panting, and a black mist seeped from her mouth and drifted to the ground. The mysterious cloud emerged from her sleeves. The streams of gas flowed together, growing thicker and surrounding the demonic pair.

  The humans backed away as the black cloud crept toward them. "It's Corruption! Get inside! We need to get marked defense up as soon as possible!"

  The villagers scattered from the thoroughfare. As the cloud enveloped the demons, Erynion lost sight of the buildings. A chill traveled up his spine, and he stumbled forward onto one knee. It was difficult to breathe, but it wasn't the agony this time. It was exhaustion. He searched the cloud for Sereyna but failed to find her in the mist. Even the stars above him had disappeared. His head grew lighter, so he put his hand down on the ground to support himself. The world spun around him, and he struggled to maintain his balance. And in the end, Erynion collapsed.

  Chapter 16

  The Affectionate Steed

  The dining hall was nearly empty. Leaning on his elbow, Millan pushed the food around his plate with his fork. He sat alone at his table, having just said good-bye to Tyro, who would join the squire classes in Nolka. Millan put down the utensil and left the bench. As he headed toward the rectory's exit, he opened the folded letter from his pocket and began to read it.

  "Don Millan."

  Millan looked up from the paper.

  Eriph excused himself from a conversation and approached the Nesinu priest. "I heard you spoke to Archdon Feranis about Don Skully."

  "That's right. I did."

  "Good. I'm glad to hear it."

  Millan glanced down and crinkled the paper in his hand.

  "Well, I guess I bette
r get back to my room at the inn. Long ride tomorrow. Good night." The excluded priest reached for the door latch.

  Millan suddenly had an idea. "Eriph, may I ask you something?"

  "Sure. You need to head to the stables, right?"

  The young priest laughed nervously. "Yes, but that's not what I was going to ask you."

  "Well, walk with me then. I'll show you anyway, and along the way, you can ask me whatever you like."

  "Thank you."

  The two descended the steps of the Candelux rectory. Everything was so quiet outside it reminded Millan of how peaceful Nesinu was at night. He looked up at the stars and imagined he was home.

  Eriph finally broke the silence. "So, what did you want to ask me?"

  Millan bit his lip. "I was wondering if you would be bothered by a traveling companion."

  "No bother, but we'd have to part ways before Inssen. After all, I'm not going to Light's Haven."

  "No, of course not. I was actually thinking about going with you to Royal Oak."

  "Really? Defying the Prima's orders?"

  Millan kicked a small stone out of his path. "Well, I wasn't told I had to be in Light's Haven right away, so I figured I'd make a small detour. I've never been to Royal Oak. I've heard the tree is magnificent."

  "That's true, it is. Are you sure you want to come with me?"

  "I'm sure." Ever since he found out about Don Skully's connection to the Death Gods, Millan had become curious about the exiled group. And, Eriph was his best link.

  "Well, Royal Oak is about a day's ride from here at a decent pace, so we need to leave early. Eight strikes should do it. Don't get any ideas about following me to Alovajj, though."

  Millan smiled. "Of course. Thank you."

  After walking for a few minutes in silence, the angel fountain came into view. Eriph pointed down one of the side streets. "That road will lead you to the stables. I suggest you speak with the stable master before she goes to bed, so your horse is ready in the morning."

  "Understood. Thank you again."

  "No problem. I'll meet you tomorrow morning in front of the stables."