“Wow, this place looks boring,” Daebian said as he looked around. “It certainly suits Father.”
Raijaun nodded, despite feeling a powerful kinship with the strange world. It felt more like home than the school likely ever would, and that was very unsettling.
“Let us hope it stays boring. Excitement here usually means someone is getting torn apart. We must return to this exact spot to leave this place, so study it well. I have hidden it as best I can in case any of the denizens of this realm should stumble upon it.”
“Do you think they could cross over?” Daebian asked.
“No, that would be impossible, but if they have any affinity for magic they could unravel the weave linking the portals and trap us here.”
“I definitely do not like the idea of that. This place has the wrong kind of light for this flower to grow, no matter how much manure is spread around here.”
“I am going to cast an illusion on you to make you look like you belong here. Otherwise the demons will tear you apart on sight.”
Daebian nodded. “It’s a good thing I have my little brother to protect weak little me from the big bad monsters.”
“Yes, it is,” Raijaun replied seriously as he cast his spell.
“So how do I look?”
“Well, you are definitely now the second most attractive son.”
“You must love this.”
“I am not displeased.”
The brothers began their trek toward the black fortress, keeping a wary eye on the denizens of this realm. The easiest to spot were the succubi and grackin flying about in the distance. Fortunately, none ever flew near for a closer inspection. Raijaun felt other eyes upon them as well, peering out of the few clefts and shadows. He was certain some of the shadows themselves watched them as they approached the citadel.
The pair spotted the main entrance flanked by two hideous, insectoid creatures as they drew near the enormous, onyx citadel. The guards were encased in armor made of a formidable white carapace and gripped a pair of spears in two of their four arms. At ten feet tall, they even topped Raijaun by a respectable margin.
“Do you think there is another way in?” Daebian asked as they approached.
“Possibly, but guarded just as well I would guess.”
“What is our plan, kill them?”
“Violence would alert the entire place to our presence and certainly spell our doom. Act like you belong here, but stay quiet. Let me do the talking.”
Daebian nodded but kept a tight grip on the dagger hidden within the folds of Raijaun’s masterful illusion. As they drew closer, he immediately sought out the weak points between those boney plates. He studied the way they moved as they approached, identifying limitations to their movement and field of vision.
The creatures stiffened and lowered their spears as the two outsiders approached. “State your business,” one of the creatures demanded in a hissing and mandible clacking voice.
Raijaun took a few more steps toward the guards. “I am Raijaun, Lesser Prince of the Third Circle, here to pay tribute to Prince Drak’kar and congratulate him on his ascension.”
“Prince Drak’kar attained his covetous seat long ago. Why do you come so late to give homage?”
“My progenitor understands how tumultuous such a transition can be and did not wish to cause undue stress by approaching too soon. He also needed time to stabilize his realm after his ascension to the Third Circle after Drak’kar’s glorious victory over the failed demon Klaraxis.”
“Prince Drak’kar has no time to spare for lesser lords of a lesser realm,” the demon said.
Raijaun looked to his brother, unsure of how to proceed. Deception and guile were never his strong points. Daebian, however, was a master liar, and if anyone could talk their way past it was him. Daebian picked up his brother’s cue and stepped to his side.
“Does he not have a moment to receive a gift worthy of his greatness?” Daebian asked.
“I see no gift worthy of the greatest abyssal lord.”
“A thousand prime souls travel with surprising simplicity,” Daebian responded.
“Where are these souls?”
“Trapped safely within a soul stone and hidden away so as not to tempt overly ambitious demons.”
The two guards understood the jewel for what it was and waved their antennae excitedly. Soul stones could hold the life essence of living creatures just as the strangers claimed and, assuming they actually possessed it, prime material souls were the most valuable commodity in the abyss. Still, who would dare insult Drak’kar with an unworthy gift and risk a fate far worse than death?
“I will get you an escort. Skulk!” A sulfurous stench filled the air as the little red demog apparated in front of the gates. “Stupid demog, use those ridiculous wings to come! Take these two to see Drak’kar.”
“You call Skulk then you yell at him and expect him to do what you say?” Skulk snorted and made a rude gesture.
One of the guards grabbed Skulk with surprising swiftness. “Drak’kar is not the only one capable of tearing off one of your wings for his amusement.”
“Okay, Skulk take them to Drak’kar, but he needs his wings!”
The one guard released Skulk, and both stepped aside and opened the great doors. Daebian and Raijaun had to hurry to keep up with the demog as he fluttered through the massive gaping portal and down the enormous, black passageway beyond.
“Stupid bug faces threaten to tear off Skulk’s wing like four-armed blatazu’s butt of a demon lord. Still hurts when Skulk flaps and they yell at him for not wanting to fly,” the demog continued to grumble.
The brothers kept a close eye on Skulk as he noisily flew ahead of them. They both noticed that one wing did bear a shinier, fresher look than the other. They looked to each other for a chance to get away from the demog so they could locate the sword. They needed to shake their escort, and Daebian was prepared to create the opportunity.
Just before Daebian’s knife cleared its sheath, the deep shadows along the massive hall’s ceiling and floor disgorged a host of demons blacker than the darkness that spawned them. The demons launched themselves from the darkness in a terrifying surprise attack. Raijaun reacted with surprising speed, largely thanks to the intensive battle training he shared with the humans at the school.
A brilliant light obliterated the shadows for a hundred yards in both directions. The sudden, intense light caused the demons to falter and shield their eyes as they shrieked out the vilest of curses. Skulk released a fearful yelp and instantly vanished in a puff of sulfur. Having gained a moment to focus, Raijaun summoned a massive amount of raw energy in each hand.
“Get down,” he ordered Daebian.
Daebian did not argue for once. The power continued to grow in Raijaun’s hands until he flung them away from him. The gathered energy split into a hundred scarlet bolts and sped down the length of the passageway, piercing and burning the demons coming from both directions.
Not wanting to feel useless, Daebian began to stand and pull his blade.
Do not attack. I sense Drak’kar is fast approaching.
Daebian began to warn his brother. “Raijaun…”
Intense darkness snuffed out Raijaun’s light and plunged the hall into blackness so profound it felt almost tangible. Even Raijaun’s demonic eyes did not see the huge form leap at him until just before Drak’kar’s powerful fist slammed into him and sent him flying.
“…watch out.”
The overwhelming darkness lifted and the brothers could see the demon lord standing contemptuously in the middle of the passageway.
“Did you think you could simply walk into my citadel and sneak past my guards with your ridiculous tale? What is your true purpose here?”
Raijaun slowly stood, pressing a hand against the pain flaring through his chest. “We only wished to offer you tribute.”
Drak’kar smiled humorlessly at Raijaun. “I am Prince Drak’kar, Lord of the Fifth Circle, and a master of deceit.
You cannot fool me with your pathetic lies. No matter; I shall get the truth from you soon enough.”
More black demons slithered from the shadows, climbed down the walls, and grabbed hold of Daebian and Raijaun. Another dozen demonic brutes tramped into view from farther down the hall, thoroughly blocking any chance of escape even if they could have broken free from the hands of the oily, black demons.
The creatures dragged them down the gloomy halls and descended deeper into the bowels of the fortress. A terrible moaning began filling the corridor. The plaintive cries rose in volume and desperation the farther they traveled. They demons shoved Daebian and Raijaun into a large room where black chains sprouted from walls painted in blood. Demons, humans, and creatures unidentifiable hung from these chains in various states of death and decay. Cruel, iron tools of torture filled racks and covered blood-soaked tables. In moments, the brothers were hanging from the chains next to the creatures whose fates had long ago been determined.
Drak’kar stood close to the interlopers, leaned in, and sniffed deeply. “I thought I sensed something familiar in your magic, boy. You both reek of Klaraxis and his human parasite. Can you possibly be the unholy offspring of that detestable bonding? The dark queen denied me my desire to kill them, but perhaps I can take my revenge through you.”
“I would like to bring to point the fact that he is Father’s favorite,” Daebian said conversationally. “In fact, I do not think Azerick would be the least bit troubled by any amount of pain you might inflict upon me.”
“Daebian, you vile little worm!”
“Is that right?” Drak’kar crooned. “Does your father play favorites? Are you his favorite?”
Raijaun screamed as Drak’kar made a long, shallow cut across his chest with his claw, parting his flesh as easily as the threads of his shirt. The superficial wound burned like fire and sent tendrils of pain far deeper into his body than such a scratch should have.
“Do not worry. Your brother shall experience every bit as much agony as you, despite any preference your fathers may have.”
Raijaun let out another shout of pain as Drak’kar drew a second thin, bloody line across his chest. Another of the demon lord’s black demons separated itself from the shadows and approached with its belly low to the ground like a submissive dog.
“Prince Drak’kar, I bring troubling news.”
Drak’kar turned away from his torture victim and faced his spy. “What is it?”
“Morta’sha’s demons are massing near the Elutia Gate.”
“She has always been too ambitious for her own good. Has she made any movement toward the gate?”
“No, My Prince, but her actions are suspicious.”
“I had best see what she is doing before she gets the foolish notion that ascending to the Fourth Circle is an insufficient rise in her status. If she believes I am not yet established enough in the Fifth Circle to leave me vulnerable, I will show her the pain of her mistake.” The demon obediently followed Drak’kar out of the torture chamber, leaving the two prisoners alone.
Daebian looked at his brother hanging next to him. “So far, your plan sucks.”
“My plan?” Raijaun exclaimed. “This entire idiotic quest was your idea!”
“The idea was mine, yes, but the execution was entirely up to you, therefore my statement stands.”
Raijaun turned his head, looked at his hand, and mimicked Daebian’s words. “I see everything with these eyes. You sure failed to see the demons crawl out of the wall like roaches. Do you see this?” Raijaun flashed his brother an offensive gesture.
“I saw you get punched in the chest and fold faster than a bad gambler.”
“I’m Father’s favorite?” Raijaun shouted. “What in the abyss do you call that?”
“I call it an act of mercy.”
“In what way is directing the torture toward me anything but an act of selfish and wanton cowardice?”
“I know you. If you had to hang there and watch me tortured, it would cause you great emotional distress. I knew Drak’kar was going to torture and kill us both. By urging him to do you first, I saved you the additional pain of watching him hurt and kill me. I basically cut your suffering in half.”
“But watching me be tortured to death would not affect you at all?”
Daebian shrugged. “Proof that being a sociopath has its benefits.”
“I do not think you are a sociopath. I think you are just a terrible person.”
“At least I’m a person. Why don’t you stop complaining and use some of that awesome power of yours to get us out of here?”
“It’s a little hard with my hands shackled to the wall. Besides, I have been trying. These chains and manacles are enchanted to prevent such thing.”
“Can you defeat it?”
“Perhaps, with enough time.”
“I don’t think Drak’kar is the patient type to give us a lot of time.”
“Maybe you should get him to torture you first. With any luck, he will get bored and that will give me enough time to figure a way out.”
Daebian rolled his eyes and shook his head. “It is that kind of terrible planning that got us in this mess in the first place.”
“You are impossible.”
“Impossibly handsome?”
“Just impossible!”
Skulk apparated into the room with the cloying scent of brimstone to announce his presence. He looked hurriedly around the torture chamber before fluttering near the two prisoners.
Skulk leaned close to Raijaun and sniffed. “You do smell like glorious human master!”
Raijaun asked, “You liked the human master?”
Skulk bobbed up and down, waggling his whole body. “Oh yes! Human inside ugly Klaraxis treated Skulk good. He would never tear off Skulk’s wings like smelly Drak’kar did.”
“Skulk, would you be willing to help him if you could?”
Skulk ceased his excited fluttering, landed, and sunk into himself. “Help human master? Help how?”
“Azerick is our father. He needs a sword Klaraxis keeps somewhere. It is not large and its blade is as black as night. With your help, we could get the sword and be gone before anyone knows we escaped. You would be a hero, Skulk.”
The demog’s eyes widened. “Skulk would be a hero?”
“Yes, Skulk.”
“Drak’kar would pull off both Skulk’s wings if he found out Skulk stole from him and freed his prisoners.”
“It is not his sword, Skulk. It belongs to Klaraxis, and since Azerick is now Klaraxis, it belongs to him,” Raijaun coaxed. “We would be gone from here and no one would know you helped us escape.”
Skulk thought for several moments before bobbing his body up and down. “Yes, Skulk will help! Skulk will be a hero!”
The demon flapped into the air once more and pressed an engraved piece of black metal against the shackles clasped around their wrists and ankles. Daebian and Raijaun rubbed their chafed wrists and looked to the demog.
“There are two guards outside. Skulk will distract them and strong one can kill them. Weak one should stay back.”
Daebian looked insulted. “I am not weak! I can kill a demon too!”
“I think you should let me deal with them. I think there will be less chance of them raising an alarm,” Raijaun suggested.
“Fine, you do it. You’ve been doing great so far.”
Raijaun ignored his brother’s acidic remark and waited for Skulk to do whatever it was he was going to do. The demog vanished from the room. Several curses from the hall followed a series of dull popping sounds just beyond the door. Raijaun pressed his hands against the black stone of the chamber and sent small tendrils of power into it. Something in the stone called to him, welcomed him into its ebony embrace. He shook off the uncomfortable sensation and melded the stone with his magic. Onyx spears burst from the other side of the wall and skewered the two demon guards, killing them with no more sound than the frothy gurgling of their dying breaths.
Daebian and Raijaun stepped into the hall and nearly choked on the overwhelming stench of brimstone. The caustic fog was so thick they could not see more than a few yards down the passage.
“Quickly, Skulk, lead us out of here,” Raijaun begged as he covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his ruined shirt.
They had to jog to keep from losing sight of the little demog as he raced out of the bowels of the citadel. They came upon several demons, but none seemed interested in them beyond hissing or screeching an invective as they passed. The fortress was massive beyond imagining, a veritable city encapsulated in black stone, yet it was sparsely populated despite its vastness. Skulk finally slowed as they made their way down a particularly long passage with no branching rooms or corridors along its length.
“Here at the end is Klaraxis’ vault,” Skulk said. “Two tar'raun'atu guard the door. Skulk can get in but cannot leave with sword. You cannot get in at all, even with Skulk showing you the way.”
“All right, Skulk, you have been very helpful. Daebian and I will figure out a way from here,” Raijaun said.
“Skulk going to go hide far away so Drak’kar cannot tear off both Skulk’s wings.”
“How should we approach this?” Raijaun asked after Skulk flapped away.
“I think we should kill them swiftly before they have a chance to raise an alarm or tear us to pieces.”
“Skulk said there were two. Tar'raun'atu are extremely tough. I do not know if I can kill them both without making a lot of noise.”
Daebian stroked the stone set in the hilt of his dagger. “You kill one, and I will kill the other.”
Raijaun looked doubtful. “A knife is a poor weapon against these creatures.”
“It has some special properties. It will do the job.”
“What kind of special properties?”
“The none of your damn business kind of special properties. Now are we going to go get my sword or stand here talking all day?”
The Sorcerer's Return (The Sorcerer's Path) Page 34
