by T. J. Quinn
“Good. Then, perhaps you wouldn’t mind trying to get more people to help us. In this case, numbers will definitely help us win this battle,” he asked, with a faint smile.
“Count on it,” Rhiannon’s father nodded.
“We’ll convince all our friends to join,” one of the men offered from the crowd. “We’ve never been so close to getting our lives back. It’s now or never,” he added.
“Yes, we have to get our women back,” another man supported the idea.
“Then, go find those warriors and meet us here in a few hours. There’s a lot to plan before we’re able to face these monsters,” Kael asked, and people started to leave the square.
A few minutes later, only a small group remained standing on it.
“Kael,” Joshua’s weak voice came from a few feet behind them. “Did you find my mother?” the child asked, as he walked towards the man.
“Not yet, my little friend, but we’re doing all we can to bring her back,” he said, in a soft tone.
The child ran and hugged himself around the man’s legs. “I miss her so much, Kael,” the boy sobbed.
“I know, Joshua, I know, we’re all doing our best to find her,” he insisted, caressing the boy’s head.
“Thank you.”
“Let’s get something to eat while we wait for the others to return,” Peter offered, indicating his bakery. “I have fresh bread and some ham and cheese at the bakery. We could use the energy.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Gwendolyn accepted. “I’ll quickly prepare some sandwiches.”
Chapter Twenty
Kael took Joshua’s hand in his, and they all walked to the bakery. A few minutes later, Rhiannon had a small feast laid out for them on one of the small tables her father kept at the bakery.
“Do you think this will work?” Rhiannon asked, still a bit worried.
“It’s our best shot. Otherwise, we’ll never get rid of them,” he assured her. “They reminded me of those insects we saw in the woods, remember? I believe you called them bees,” he said, thoughtful.
She frowned. “In what aspect?”
“They act very differently when they are in the cave, much more organized, as if they followed a specific order in everything they did. When I scanned the cave, I noticed there are many chambers scattered inside the cave, like that little piece of hive you showed me,” he explained.
“They could have a similar social organization. That would certainly make things a lot easier for us, especially if they depend on a queen or a king for their survival, just like the bees. Killing her or him would be the end of the colony.”
“Yes, that certainly would be great. I wasn’t able to detect anything that would make me think that, but I can tell most of the humans are kept in the same place,” he added.
“That should make our jobs easier,” Peter said, with a heavy sigh.
“Yes. If we’re able to reach the women before the demons think of using them as shields, we’ll have half the war won,” Kael agreed.
“When do you want to attack?” Rhiannon asked, finishing her cup of coffee.
“We all need some rest after tonight’s battle, so we should plan our attack and send people home to spend the night resting. Walking, it will take us several hours to reach the demons’ cave, so we should leave tomorrow tonight, as soon as possible, to get there early in the morning.”
“That could be dangerous,” Gwendolyn said, with a frown.
“Not really. I can detect the demons’ presence before they detect us so we would be able to hide. Attacking them before we reach the cave would be a very bad idea.”
“You have a point there. They would know we’re after them,” Peter agreed.
“Yes, and it would tire the men.” Kael nodded.
A few minutes later, Jonas came calling for them. The villagers were already assembled at the square.
Rhiannon hadn’t had much faith in the recruits, but she had been mistaken. She could see amongst the crowd waiting for them outside people from the surrounding villages. They all had lost people at the hands of the demons, and they all wanted a chance at getting back at them.
Pleased, Kael joined them, and after the first murmurs of surprise, people turned their attention to his words rather than his appearance.
“I’m happy to see this many people here. This will give us a better chance at vanquishing the demons, once and for all,” he said, with a wide smile. He proceeded to explain his plans, and people cheered for his plan. “For this to be a success, we need two groups, one smaller, with our best warriors with the sword and the bow and arrow.”
The crowd murmured their consent.
“You’ll use swords this time?” Jonas asked, intrigued.
“I have no idea how high these caves are, but I’m sure we won’t be able to use arrows in some places. We’ll need the swords,” Kael explained.
“Where are the caves, exactly?” one of the men asked.
Rhiannon didn’t know him, so she guessed he lived on one of the other villages.
“I believe they are about eight hours away from here walking, going east. There’s a big river next to it,” he replied, trying to be as accurate as possible. “The entrance is quite big.”
“I know that cave, I’m sure of it,” the man replied. “You’re right about it. It has some high parts, but others will barely allow you to walk standing.”
“How well do you know this place?” Kael asked the man.
“Very well. I haven’t been there in years, but I spent most of my childhood exploring it.”
“Is there another way in?” Kael asked, interested.
“Yes, there is, but I doubt the demons have found it. They don’t seem to like water any more than they like fire and you have to swim to use this way in.”
“Please, explain.”
“The river you mention has a small waterfall, not far from the cave’s entrance. Behind the waterfall, there’s a cave and an underground stream that formed a few small pools that lead you into the cave. In some parts, you need to swim under the water to reach the other side,” the man explained.
“Where does this lead inside the main cave?” Kael asked, even more interested. If they could use that entrance, it would be fantastic.
“To a small chamber at the back of the cave.”
Kael nodded as a new plan started to form in his mind. “Would you agree to fly there with me?” he asked the man.
“How?”
“I would carry you with some sort of harness. This would take us a lot faster to the cave, and we would be able to explore your entrance and see if we could use it to surprise the demons,” Kael explained.
The man nodded, clearly not very sure of it, but willing to do what it took to help. “Alright, I guess I can do that.”
Kael turned to look at the rest of the people. “We need you to form the groups. Gather the best warriors in the group to penetrate the cave and make sure they all know how to swim in case this entrance is useful,” he asked. “The other group will wait for the sign before they enter the cave through the main entrance.”
“What sign?”
“The minute the demons discover our presence inside the cave, there will be commotion amongst the demons guarding the entrance. That will be your sign to act,” he explained. “As for the other group, I want you to wait for me at the waterfall. We’ll decide the best way to get in once you get there.”
“When shall we leave?” Rhiannon asked, not sure she liked the idea of traveling through the woods, during the night without Kael.
“Since I won’t be with you, perhaps it would be safer if you leave as soon as the sun comes out in the sky,” he replied, in a stern tone.
“Nonsense. After today’s defeat, the demons won’t attack tonight. We’ll be safe,” Peter assured, and the rest of the people assembled agreed with him. “The sooner we destroy the demons, the sooner we’ll be able to free those poor women and live in peace.”
“Even so, they
aren’t exactly predictable,” Kael protested, still not convinced.
“Don’t worry about us,” Peter told him. “We’ll be just fine. Take Martin to the cave and find the better way to get inside the cave. We’ll meet you tomorrow in the morning.”
“Very well. Just be careful and don’t take unnecessary risks.”
“We won’t.”
“I’ll leave you in charge, Peter. Take them safely to our meeting point,” he stated, in a firm tone.
Rhiannon’s father nodded, and Kael turned to look at Rhiannon. “Can I convince you to stay here with your grandmother?” he asked, with a slight frown.
“No, you know I won’t stay here,” she replied, with a smile. “But I promise I’ll be careful, and I’ll see you at the waterfall, at dawn.”
He kissed her forehead. “Don’t let them hurt you, please.”
“Hey, it takes more than a disgusting demon to hurt me,” she teased.
He kissed her again. “Just be careful anyway.”
“I will be.”
He nodded. “Now, can you get me a sheet or something for me to make a harness for my passenger?” he asked her with a smile.
After a few experiments, he finally flew away, carrying his passenger hanging from a harness, tied to his shoulders, back, and waist. The man was evidently scared, but he didn’t utter a word. He wanted to help, no matter what.
It took them a few hours to reach the waterfall. They didn’t find any demons near it, so Martin was probably right assuming the demons hadn’t found the entrance.
“This way,” the man guided him through the waterfall. Like he had mentioned, Kael was able to see the stream and the pool.
“How many of these pools are there before we reach the cave’s chamber?”
“If I’m not mistaken, just two. We’ll have to follow the stream for a while though, between the pools.”
“Let’s go, then. Let’s keep as silent as possible. We have no idea how much these demons can hear, so we better not take any chances,” he suggested.
“Right. I’ll touch you if I need to call your attention to something,” Martin agreed.
“Perfect.”
They entered the cold water, and a few minutes later they were swimming underneath the stone wall that divided the pool. The place should have been very dark, but the rocks had some sort of tiny crystals in it that reflected the light creating a special glow that allowed them to see where they were going.
They only had to swim a few seconds underneath the water before they came out on the other side and soon they were following the stream towards the next pool that would lead them into the cave.
“I’ll go alone until we’re sure it’s safe,” he whispered in Martin’s ear. He was sure he was able to hold his breath a lot longer than Martin, and he didn’t want to surface on the other side of the pool until he was sure it was safe.
The other man nodded and took a seat on a rock to wait for Kael’s return.
As silently as possible, he entered the pool and swam across the water and underneath the stone wall through the opening. This one was a bit longer and narrower than the one on the first pool, but it was still quite easy to get to the other side.
As planned, he didn’t surface immediately, not until he was sure he was alone in the chamber. Coming out of the water, he pulled out his scanner and checked the whole area.
According to his scanner, this chamber wasn’t that far from where most of the women were imprisoned. He could also detect a lot of action in a chamber not far from it. Most of the demons were scattered throughout the caves, but there was a massive concentration of them in the chamber where he could detect a lot of action.
He guessed it was some sort of primary room and probably where the demons’ leader spent his time.
Pleased with the information he gathered, he went back to find Martin, and a few minutes later they were back at the empty chamber. They wanted to investigate a bit more before they headed back to the waterfall to wait for the rest of the group.
Chapter Twenty-one
Rhiannon watched Kael leave with a heavy heart. She didn’t like the idea of him going all alone with Martin. She knew he was eager to face the demons and free Esther. That might lead him to make hasty decisions, and that could be a total disaster.
She stood next to her father as he prepared the groups for the next attack and when all was said and done, people returned to their homes to get some rest and get prepared to leave as soon as the sunset in the horizon.
“I’m going for a walk. There are too many things rushing through my mind, and I know I won’t be able to rest,” Rhiannon told her father when he invited her to return home.
“Are you sure? We’ll be facing a tough battle in a few hours, and we have no idea when it will end,” he warned her, with a concerned frown.
She nodded. “I know, but staying in my room wondering about what’s going on outside will only stress me. A walk through the woods will help me relax, believe me,” she assured him.
“Very well. I’ll wait for you here in a few hours. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t.” She kissed his cheek and walked away.
She wandered through the woods for a while until she decided a cold bath in her favorite corner of the river was exactly what she needed. She used to go there whenever she didn’t have the time to go all the way up to the waterfall. Today was one of those moments. They only had a couple of hours before the sunset, and the last thing she wanted was to be late or for her father to leave without her.
Half an hour later she was jumping into the small pool formed by the river, relishing on the cold water. Few things made her feel better than that. She swam for a while, and she was about to leave the water when she heard a strange noise.
It sounded like a demon’s roar, but it was too early for that, the sun was still high in the sky, and it sounded as if he was alone. They never attacked alone.
Intrigued and a bit worried, she started swimming back to the shore, eager to take cover. She had nothing with her she could use to fight the demon.
Another shriek roared through the skies, this one a lot louder and clearer, letting her know he was getting closer. Desperate, she swam even faster, but she was unable to reach the shore.
She was grabbed by her shoulders, by the demon’s clutches and carried out of the water. Furious, she struggled as much as she could to free herself, but it was impossible. He had her tightly grasped and soon they were so high she would die if he ever let her go.
Thanking heaven she never entered the river completely naked, she hoped her petticoat would be completely dry by the time they arrived at the cave. She would feel a bit less vulnerable if she didn’t look as good as naked, with its wet, thin fabric glued to her skin.
Scolding herself for being so careless, she prayed Kael’s plans worked, or she would be in deep trouble.
The demon’s yowls were deafening, and she wished she could silence him forever.
A few hours later, they arrived at the cave Kael had described. Their arrival was cheered by the demons guarding the entrance, but the beast didn’t pay them much attention. Instead, he flew into the cave and only landed when the cave became too short for him to fly.
He landed her at the feet of two other demons that quickly grabbed her by her arms and dragged her deeper into the cave.
On her way in, saw the many chambers distributed along the pathway they were taking her through. They all looked like some sort of nurseries, and though she couldn’t see what inhabited those chambers, she finally knew why it had been impossible to vanquish the demons. They really bred faster than they could kill them. There were hundreds of what looked like cribs in each chamber.
She considered trying to free herself from the demons’ claws, but there were so many of them all, it would be futile. Even if she succeeded in escaping these two, she would be caught by the ones wandering around. Her only hope of escape resided in Kael and the other warriors. She just hoped she was able to s
urvive until then.
They finally arrived at what looked like the main room and at the furthest wall, sitting on some sort of throne, a demon that appeared to be the ruler. This demon was bigger and stronger than the others, with powerful black horns and long, lethal claws. Unlike the rest of the demons, that didn’t seem more like mindless drones, this demon showed intelligence and cruelty in his red eyes.
A chill of dread ran down her spine, and she scolded herself once more for being so careless.
The demons holding her prisoner dragged her until they were standing in front of their leader.
One of the other demons in the room was mumbling frantically, signaling her, making her suspect he was one of the demons they had allowed to escape the last attack.
The leader was listening to him, with his eyes locked on her.
“Welcome to my humble lair, female,” he finally said, with a scornful tone, surprising her with his knowledge of her language. “My man was telling me you were an active participant in the destruction of men,” he added, this time with an ice-cold tone.
“I’m sure you didn’t expect us not to resist your attacks,” she said, with a mocking tone.
“Why not? You had been, for quite some time,” he pointed out.
“Too much time, if you ask me.”
“What changed? Why ruin such a lovely relationship?” he asked, mocking her and her people’s inaction.
“It had lasted way too long.”
“You can’t defeat me, it’s a waste of time,” he boasted.
“That remains to be seen,” she replied in a firm tone.
He let out a loud laugh. “I’ll have a lot of fun destroying your hopes and dreams, my precious toy,” he said, with a lustful look in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine.
“I’m a woman, not a damn toy,” Rhiannon grumbled.
He laughed again, jumping up from his throne and closing the distance between them. “You’re my toy now,” he assured her, as he tore her petticoat to shreds using his sharp claws, watching it puddle at her feet. It only took him a few moments to get her naked in front of him. “And I’ll have a lot of fun planting my eggs inside your warm womb,” he added, cupping her belly over her womb with his huge hand, slightly squeezing it.
