Give the Rift, Gift
A Branch, a Branch
Juxta shouted, "Will you give me a limb, great one?"
I'm trying, Child.
For some reason, the remark didn't fill Juxta with rage. It calmed him, for the tree may be older then Hebron even. The blooms on the tree grew into clusters of seed pods and a great whirlwind knocked many of them off the tree. Some it carried to the west. Juxta continued to chant. The sun set and a thunderstorm rocked the area in the night. The casting consumed Juxta. He hardly noticed the rain drenching him. Leaves started to fall off the tree.
There, it's done.
With that thought, two good sized branches fell from the tree. Branches much larger than Juxta needed.
"Thank you, great one!"
Juxta started in on the third chant, and he became absorbed in the healing part of the spell.
Green of Spring, to be Seen
New Life, from Strife
Keep your promises, Juxta.
"I will!"
Make bows and arrows out of the extra timber. I always thought that was a noble end.
Juxta kept the chant going.
Green of Spring, to be Seen
New Life, from Strife
He didn't know for sure when he needed to stop. He started growing tired. He felt drained of mage power for the first time in weeks. He looked to the tree, and it had lost all of its leaves. Juxta waited for life to spring forth again from its branches before he stopped the casting. The sun rose as Juxta chanted. He looked up at the old giant, expecting to see green. Not a single leaf grew. Anger rose in him. He redoubled and then redoubled again the healing chant. The tree stood lifeless.
Then, instead of one great voice, a dozen tiny voices spoke, Stop! It hurts. It's too much.
Juxta paused and looked around. New saplings of all sizes surrounded him. They looked healthy but bent in his direction straining to reach him. Now he knew what the old tree meant when it said grove. Juxta stopped the casting, and his power drained out of him in great waves. The lifeless old tree stood as a monument.
Thank you, Juxta.
"You know my name?" Juxta asked of them.
Father told us. Don't fret, Juxta. It was going to be his last year no matter what.
"Thank you for saying that."
Goodbye, Juxta.
As Juxta let the power of the spell collapse within his being, his fatigue reared its ugly head, and he fell over. Hebron stood next to him. Juxta said, "I need to pee."
Hebron laughed.
Juxta took care of business.
"I've never seen anything like it," Hebron said. "Nor have any of the books talked about such a happening."
Juxta paused. "Nonetheless, it's done."
They secured the two limbs to their horses, trying not to disturb the young saplings. Juxta dozed off on his horse on the way back to Hebron's house. Juxta picked out the section he wanted for his staff. They made smooth cuts on both ends using an ancient Druidic technique for shaping wood. The leftovers they took to Rollin to have made into bows and arrows. They gave specific instructions to Rollin that even the shavings from the timber should be saved. Rollin asked Juxta how many bows he expected. Juxta replied, just two, one for the prince and one for Simon. Rollin nodded. They had metal ends prepared for the staff by the smith. The prince and Simon agreed to carry the bows, although they had a heavier draw than either ranger was used to.
Juxta knew some serenity after the forging of his mage staff. He knew he could create as well as destroy.
Chapter 9
Lynken assembled 10,000 men to match Nork's 10,000, and they marched to the eastern border with Tercia. The king led Lynken's forces riding at the very front next to the Nork war general, Prince William, Rollin, Hebron, and Juxta. It was an impressive display of manpower. Bridges thundered at their crossing. About twenty Tercian fighters rode out to meet with King William's group.
Hebron and Juxta wore matching light green robes. Rollin and the two Williams wore their ranger's leathers. The Tercian group was a mix of ogres and humans. The humans wore armor made of thick steel rings, while the ogres wore breast plates made of cast iron over an eighth of an inch thick. The man in their lead wore a brown hat and brown shirt adorned with three rows of medals. A sword, with a gold hilt, hung at his hip.
King William spoke first as the Tercian troop neared. "You've stationed an army of invasion at our very doorstep!"
The Tercian war general smiled. "I follow my king's orders. What would you have me do?"
Rollin said, "Where's Rivek?"
"I don't know where Rivek is," the Tercian war general said. "Should I ask a neophyte to try and summon him?"
Rollin laughed. "Yes, summon him. Then we can have our battle."
The Tercian waved his hand at their army. "You're going to invade Tercia, today? As near as I can tell, our encampment is within our border."
"Withdraw and disband this army, or we'll do it for you!" The king said.
The Tercian general stopped grinning. His hand moved to his sword hilt. The men from Lynken's hands moved too. Fire sparked in the gemstone on Hebron's staff. The Tercian general shook his head and took his hand off his sword hilt. "I'll have to communicate with my lord."
Rollin said, "Rivek, you mean?"
"Perhaps."
The Tercian troop turned around and rode back to their side of the encampment. The Tercian leader summoned a neophyte. When he arrived, the general said, "Lynken has united with Nork and present a much larger threat than we planned for." The Neophyte established a link with Balron directly conveying this new roadblock to his master's plans. Balron ordered the withdraw.
In the morning light of the next day, the forces of Tercia began to leave. All in all, they were done on the eastern front after only a few weeks and with no loss of life. A few thousand Nork troops stayed in Lynken to secure the border with Tercia, and the rest returned to Nork.
Summer came, and the king and queen traveled to Frothville for the wedding, taking Hebron and a few contingencies of rangers with them. Prince William and Simon still had their duties as rangers. Juxta studied the multitude of Druidic healing books in Hebron's library. Winter fell upon the land.
Chapter 10
On the first day of spring, a courier from the land of Nork arrived at the castle. He carried two letters: one for the queen from Princess Rubie, and one from Teresa, a rather lengthy letter to Prince William. Teresa didn't know what to make of the situation. She just knew evil when she smelled it. It made no sense to Prince William either, so he showed it to Juxta. Beyond Juxta's expertise, they brought it before Hebron who read and re-read the letter. Derick, the wizard to the court of Nork, was collecting chicken's blood from the kitchen, and Teresa didn't know why.
Hebron shook his head back and forth. He whispered, "Derick has fallen under the power of a greater demon. The more he feeds it the stronger it'll become."
"What can be done?" William asked.
"The demon can be destroyed…" Hebron said.
William reached down and caressed the hilt of his sword.
"How do we destroy it?" Juxta asked.
William made a chopping motion with his right hand. "Cut it into pieces and pierce its heart, that kind of thing, right?"
"Yes, exactly," Hebron said.
"Will I be strong enough to counter the demon's magic?" Juxta asked.
"You have great power." Hebron squeezed Juxta's shoulder. "I doubt you've fully realized it. I think you'll be strong enough, if your comrade's steel is swift enough."
"I have to discuss this with the king…" William said.
"I'll join you," Juxta said.
"You don't want to take a large party to face this creature," Hebron said. "Rivek's been watching, and he'll detect a large party."
William and Juxta nodded.
They rode their horses to the castle and made their way to the king's court.
"Father, word from Nork. Their wizard is consumed by a demon. Jux
ta can defeat its magic, but he needs swordsmen to accompany him."
The king seemed to ponder this for some time. "You'll accompany him, William. Choose your troop from our finest rangers. The alliance with Nork is a serious matter, and I trust you to assist them in every way."
"I feared you would assign me the task, Father, but I'll do as you command."
The prince and Juxta left the throne room to prepare to travel. William wanted Simon at his side. He figured the two of them could handle any corporeal enemy. This time they told Simon's sergeant about the journey.
William, Simon, and Juxta left for Nork the next day. Juxta pondered his fate, for he held no desire to face off against any demon. Hebron had given him advice of course, and his new staff gave him comfort. Power seemed to amplify when he channeled it through the staff, and he intended to push it to its limit. They didn't encounter any ogres, or enemies of any kind for that matter on the king's road to Nork. They often stayed at inns instead of camping. Upon arriving in Frothville, they made their way to the castle.
King Henry sat with his queen on their stone thrones. He said, "You missed the wedding!"
William laughed.
Simon said, "My liege, we're in the military."
Henry nodded and smiled. "What have you come for then? To kidnap Rubie's handmaiden from her fate?"
Simon shook his head.
William said, "What of Teresa?"
"All the lords who visit my court pursue her like she is the lost treasure of the Lost City," Henry said with a great sweeping motion of his hand.
Juxta stepped forward. "There's a plague upon your land, my liege!"
Henry's face stretched out, and he hissed.
"He's right, your highness," William said. "Derick is consumed by a foul demon. He feeds the creature chicken blood."
"What!" Henry yelled.
"Derick has been summoning demons, and he's under the power of one of the creatures," Juxta said.
Henry turned to the closest scribe. "John, go and fetch Derick right now."
John took off in a run.
King Henry looked to the men from Lynken. "Was your journey safe?"
William said, "Yes."
"Very good," Henry said. "We'll have a feast prepared tonight."
Juxta, Simon, and William all nodded in turn thinking back to the last feast they attended with Henry.
Henry rubbed at his chin. He looked from one young man to the next. "The three of you intend to engage this demon? Or must I summon my best men? Should I summon a magi from Weslan?"
Simon grinned wide. Juxta opened one eye bigger than the other and stared at the king.
"We intend to destroy it for you," William said. "That's why we came here."
Henry nodded.
Derick arrived in the hall.
Henry's eyes pierced their way into Derick's heart. "Have you been summoning demons?"
Derick didn't answer. His chest caved in, and he just looked at the floor. "Yes, my lord."
"How long have you been feeding them?" Henry asked.
"Let me explain… About three months… What I thought was a lesser demon escaped his containment. It turned out he was a greater demon. His power of persuasion is great. He has a strong hold over me, my lord."
"These soldiers of Lynken are here to defeat him," Henry said. "Where's the creature?"
"He's confined to my lab. I hope they do."
"You're the expert here on demons," Juxta said. "What are we up against?"
"I assume you mean its magic… Sparring with it will be much like a duel except you will need to shield your comrades as well as yourself. Physically it's a monster, bigger and stronger than an ogre, much bigger and stronger."
"Should we use more men, Derick?" William asked.
"If you use more men, Juxta's shields will be spread that much thinner."
Henry's eyes turned their glare on Derick. "Why didn't you come to me with this information?"
"I'm not sure, your highness. I'm bound to the demon as a slave. Even now his will is upon me." Derick's voice shuddered and hiccupped. "Even now I crave to serve him. I don't think I'd be strong enough to lead an assault against it."
"Leave us, Derick. Don't go back to your chambers. Go to the guest quarters, and wait there." Henry pointed at a pair of guards. "Escort him and see to it that he stays in the guest quarters."
After they escorted Derick out of the court, Henry said, "My kingdom must be rid of this evil!"
"That's why we're here," William said.
"You're boys. Are you sure you want to even try? I could hire a master wizard from Weslan."
Simon said, "I'll be 20 in the spring, my liege."
King Henry laughed. "You're men!"
Juxta said, "We're allies. We came here to do battle!"
Henry raised his eyebrows. "So be it, Master Juxta."
The queen spoke, for the first time since their arrival, "Considering Derick's mental state, what are the odds he's been entirely truthful?"
"I was thinking the same thing, my lady. The odds are poor I'd say," William said.
"Agreed, you men better be ready for a fight. When will you start, and do you require anything from me?" Henry said.
William shook his head. "Derick will only stay caged so long. No reason not to start now, but it would be nice to see my sister first."
Henry smiled. "Steward, show them to the princess's quarters and then to Derick's chambers."
The steward led the way, and Teresa answered the door.
"You came!" Teresa said.
Simon tried to give her a hug, and she fended him off with karate chops and sharp blows to the skull. Simon said, "Killing demons is one of our favorite pastimes."
"The lot of you don't know what you're doing, do you?"
"Well…" Juxta said.
Simon just grinned wide.
"Aren't you going to invite us in?" William asked.
"I don't know." She turned back into the room. "Rubie, should I welcome your brother and his friends?"
Rubie could be heard mumbling something like, "good-for-nothing brother," then, "Certainly, invite them in!"
They entered the chambers. Rubie said, "Welcome, Brother… Simon, Juxta…"
Teresa said, "Are you going to deal with Derick?"
"More so his pet demon," Simon said.
Rubie shook her head as her eyes opened wide. "He has a pet demon?"
"The opposite really," Juxta said. "He's slave to a demon."
"That doesn't sound good." Rubie pointed at the three men. "You three intend to face this thing?"
Simon bowed. "We must earn our keep, my lady."
William said, "Father didn't seem worried."
A silence drifted through the room. Rubie said, "When do you face this devil?"
"We're about to," Simon said. "We just wanted to stop in and say hello."
"You should lunch with us first, and then risk your lives," Teresa said.
William put his left hand on Juxta's shoulder, and his right hand fell on Simon's shoulder. "Better for us to get this over with, one way or another."
Teresa gave all three of them a hug. She took a few steps away from them. Then she turned back to them and kissed each of them very gently on the lips. Simon, William, and Juxta were too terribly stunned to move to protect themselves from her feminine assault. She said, "For luck."
Each of the men turned beet red, and they backed out of the room keeping their eyes trained on Teresa.
They rejoined the steward in the hall, and William said, "Take us to Derick's chambers." On reaching the door, the steward quickly excused himself. All three of them looked at one another. William broke the silence with a single word, "Bows" and then released his bow from his shoulder and drew an arrow. Simon followed suit. Both seemed ready, and the prince nodded to Juxta. "You go first!"
Juxta whispered, "One second, while I get our shields up." He then envisioned spheres around all three of them and started feeding the spheres power.
Juxta reached for the door and suddenly knew fear, for he began second guessing. What if he failed? What if William and Simon failed? What if the demon was too strong? His mind filled with ‘what ifs,' and it interfered with his concentration.
Simon interrupted his thoughts. "We're afraid too, Juxta. Let's get this over with."
With that encouragement, Juxta thrust open the door and moved into the room. The demon's cackling laughter chopped through their souls. "They send champions! Finally, some meat!"
The humanoid creature stood eight feet tall and broad as two men. His skin shined a deep red, and muscles rippled his chest and arms. His legs might as well have been tree trunks. He had green and blue hair and horns on his forehead. His face looked stuck in a permanent grimace. He wore a simple loincloth.
William and Simon both loosed arrows at its heart. Juxta drew a triangle with his mind. The arrows were deflected by some magical force. Juxta poured power into the lightning spell, and it hit a spherical shield.
The demon started a guttural chant. William and Simon tried again with their bows: this time aiming for its head. One arrow pierced it through the eye, and one through his neck. Juxta threw fire at the beast. It finished its chant and another demon appeared next to the first demon. This one had shackles and chains on each of its limbs, and sadly, no loincloth.
The three men from Lynken simply stared for a few moments. William and Simon loosed more arrows at the first demon, aiming for its belly. Juxta started using green fire on the demons trying to wear down their magical defenses. The arrows went ‘thunk' into the beast's stomach to no noticeable affect. The second demon swung the chain attached to its arm at Juxta like a whip, and his shield held, but the force of the impact almost knocked him down. The first demon's eyes opened wide, and in a garble, he said, "The heir to the throne of Lynken!"
The second demon's face contorted into a grimace, and he snarled. "He must die!"
The first demon said, "Yes!" and started throwing green fire at William.
The green fire engulfed the sphere surrounding him. The second demon started throwing more green fire at the prince. Juxta poured all the power he could muster into protecting William.
Juxta, Magi Page 8
