Empyreal (The Earthborn Series Book 1)

by Spencer Helsel

  And the fight was over.

  He regarded her seriously; not his usual dismissive expression. He was not spiteful. If anything, he was proud. He withdrew his weapon.

  “I thought you once a fool and a waste of time.” He said. “I doubted you as others did. I took you to be weak. In my eyes, you were a failure. For that, I am sorry. I was the failure.”

  And then he did something she didn’t expect. He touched his fingers to his forehead and bowed the Numen sign of respect.

  “You fight in spite of your setbacks and what others believe of you. You succeed where others doubt. I have not seen that until now.”

  He placed his sword on the floor and stepped around it to her. Taking her wrists, he crossed her weapons over her in a formal pose, hands on her shoulders.

  “To each Numen, these words are spoken. They are our creed and embody all we are. Hear them. Know they are earned:

  Let no man, woman or creature take your life from you. Let no other stay your blade but you. Give no quarter unless earned.

  Give no mercy unless needed.

  Let your heart and your mind guide you and keep you. Let the light shine upon you.

  Live selflessly so others may live by your example. Die so others might take up your cause. Welcome death and in death, conquer it. And should you die, and they find your body in the streets come

  morning, may the blood of your enemies be upon the palm of your hand, And your last words be:

  I am Numen.

  I am Earthborn.

  I am the light in the darkness.

  He stepped away. Dani uncrossed.

  “By taking up this creed you commit yourself to protecting this city, this world and this vow. And by doing so, you become a true Earthborn. Do you accept?”

  “I do.” She said without hesitation.

  “Then I do swear, here and now, to stay by your side, protect you and guide you. And should it come, it will be my honor to die beside you.”

  He stepped back and again, bowed in respect. And for the first time, Dani returned it.

  And she felt for once someone earned it.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Dani slept easy the night before her Trial.

  When she woke the following morning, she dressed in her Novice battle raiments; thick Arachne-weave, belted sword and dagger, and her greaves and gauntlets. She tightened her gauntlets and braided her hair back into the intricate, tight weave Roxelana showed her.

  And, to her surprise, her friend waited for her outside.

  “Hi.” Dani couldn’t believe it. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to apologize,” Roxelana blushed, “for what happened before. Dani, I’m so sorry.”

  “You don’t have to be.”

  “I am.” She said. “Dani, I let Airlea get to me.”

  Dani smiled in thanks. “Honey, it’s not your fault. If anything, you got in trouble because of me.”

  “You’re leaving and,” she paused, “and I don’t know if you’ll come back. The Trials weren’t serious until now. I don’t want to think of you leaving and I didn’t apologize and—.”

  Dani hugged her. Screw the rules. “Roxelana, I’m not going to die.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I’m too stubborn.” She smiled at her friend. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

  Roxelana smiled gratefully. “I’m not in the business of losing friends.”

  Friends. That made Dani’s heart warm. “Good. Then I’m not alone. I’ll be back. We’ll celebrate.”

  She smiled tearfully. “Okay.”

  As Dani departed, she caught sight of her reflection in the pool. Judah said she looked different after her first Trial. The Dani looking back from the reflection in the water was that: different. Same face, but in her eyes she saw something new.

  Caesar perched on the fountain. “Good luck.”

  “Will you be nearby?”

  “I got your back, sister. Where you go, I go. You know that.”

  The caladrius took off. Roxelana departed. As Dani prepared to trek to the Citadel to meet Mastema, she paused. Caesar soared away into the distance. Free. Unencumbered. No fear. She wished she could do the same.

  And then… “Screw it.”

  She marched, armor clinking, over to the pedestal in cliff’s edge. When she got there, the sheer vertigo almost pitched her over the side. The drop off the cliff was a looooong way down. She almost couldn’t look.

  This is totally nuts.

  But she was here. She made it this far. She wasn’t about to turn away now. Swallowing hard, she prayed aloud, “If they find my dumb ass at the bottom of this cliff, please, please, please don’t let them laugh too hard.”

  Dani looked one more time at the death-drop she was about to go over. She wanted to puke. Then she took another step and plummeted over.

  She screamed. She screamed like a little girl. She pitched forward in a swan dive and dropped. Her stomach fell up into her throat. Her arms went out. She screamed some more, mostly swearing at herself for being so stupid. And down she went.

  The ledge fell away. The ground shot up at her like a cannon. Dani tumbled into the valley with nothing holding her up.

  As she fell, her screams kept coming. She picked up speed. Farther and farther. Faster and faster. The distant ground became less distant. She was stupid! She was a freaking moron! And she was about to die.

  But when her fear kicked in, so did her brain. I can do this, she told herself, falling faster. She steeled herself and gripped down. She flung her arms to her side, her legs together, and she willed Aer to push her up. She demanded she fly. She focused, visualizing a tunnel of air around her; lifting her up. She pushed against the ground with it and refused to plummet to her death.

  The air wavered, but the ground kept coming. She fell faster, nearing the tree line.

  “No!” she cried.

  The earth angled away. An invisible hand of Aer pressed on her chest and arched her up. Picking up speed, the treetops slanted to her chin, and then the ground paralleled with her body. The wind whipped nosily past her ears. She shot away from the cliff and hurtled outward into blue sky overhead as her insides flew back towards her ass.

  Then she screamed in joy and shot up into the sky.

  “WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!”

  She climbed; higher and higher, the sun radiating around her. Dani lifted from the valley skyward. The ground dropped away. She looked back, her home already far below her. She spotted Roxelana watching from the ground. She could still see her smile.

  The wind roared joyously in her ears. She turned her shoulders and willed herself sideways, arching up and around. Her teeth dried out as she smiled.

  And she laughed. She laughed like she hadn’t in years.

  She was flying!

  But ten she passed over the Crystalline River. She closed her eyes joyously to the sun’s rays while the hand that kept her up drop out. She dropped too, screaming like an idiot. Numen couldn’t fly over large bodies of water.

  Dani dropped like a sack of rocks from a hundred feet in the air.

  “Oh son of a—!”

  She banked hard, flailing and angling herself away from the water’s edge. Her power returned and she jumped forward, shooting towards the bridge. Steadying herself and feeling like a dolt, she shot down—controlled this time—over the gifted homes and towards the Citadel.

  The faces and forms of the Numen below came into view. She recognized Kleos as she came down three body lengths over them.

  “HEY!” she screamed.

  Kleos ducked and looked up. Even through his beard, she saw him smile.

  Ahead of her, walking together, were Nathaniel, Bouden and Dink. Armed, armored, Dink and Bouden carried their bows with modified raiments; leather protective gear and gloves. Nathaniel carried his boarding axe in his belt, and what looked like a buckler on the other.

  Dani sped up a little, willing herself faster. “INCOMING!” />
  They jumped out of the way as she shot past, nearly clipping Nathaniel as she lowered her feet. Unfortunately, flying didn’t have a learning curve. She brought her feet down, but came in a little too hot. The moment her heels touched, she stumbled and fell over. She rolled end over end and like an idiot, fell face first like breaking hard off a skateboard. She scorpioned over, feet practically kicking her in the back of her own head.

  Some things just weren’t glamorous.

  She came to a stop and groaned in pain. Mastema’s training hurt, but that felt like a cakewalk after that. She hurt. She hurt bad. And she burned in embarrassment.

  The rush of footsteps and suddenly, her three friends pulled her up. And they were gushing in excitement.

  “Did you see that!” Dink yelled. “Freaking awesome!”

  Bouden raved. “Hell yeah! Totally epic!”

  “Are you okay? Jesus Dani!” Nathaniel was the only one worried.

  Through her friends, she spotted two familiar figures at the other end of the bridge. Ethan and Mastema both folded their arms and watched on. When the others saw, they instantly shut up. Dani blushed with embarrassment.

  Ethan smirked a bit.

  Her Guardian scowled. “I hate it when they learn to fly.” ______________________

  Numen, gifted and even centaur gathered at the West Gate to see the Novices off. Mastema’s armor shined. He was armed head to toe: khopesh, knife and a third blade protruding from his right boot.

  All Novices departed, leaving Dani alone with one last well-wisher. “Dani,” Alecto bowed, “I am honored to oversee your Trial.” “Thank you. Any advice for a first time demon-slayer?” She made only the smallest of smiles. “Do not miss.”

  “It sounds like good advice.”

  “I will meet you in the mortal realm.” With that, Alecto departed. Hermes, dressed with his winged hat, bowed in respect as they

  arrived. She returned the gesture. He stood next to his fiery chariot, the horses’ hooves clapping the ground and sparking embers.

  “My lady, it is once more a privilege to accompany you.”

  “Don’t be snarky.” She said playfully. “You don’t talk like everybody else up here. It’s just weird when you do it.”

  His elfin smile was mischievous. “Four months has changed you.”

  “How do I look?” she mockingly curtseyed.

  “You look great. Have you gained a few pounds?”

  “Hey!” She pointed good-naturedly. “I’ll make you eat those wings.”

  “’Snails, how I missed your wit!”

  Dani curtseyed cutely. “Thank you. Now let’s go.”

  She climbed into the chariot and Mastema followed. They sat opposite one another as Hermes climbed aboard the front, turning the horses towards the gate.

  “It has been some time since I went to Earth.” Mastema mentioned, resting comfortably.

  “Really? How long?”

  “Decades.”

  “Oh. So have you ever ridden with Hermes?”

  “No. Why?”

  She braced herself. “You’ll see.”

  The carriage took off. Her Guardian nearly tumbled into her lap. The fire horses accelerated, pulling them fiercely behind. Cinders and smoke bloomed around them as they lurched off the ground into the sky.

  Dani cheered. “That’s why!”

  Their chariot steered through the open Gates of Pearl. The Gatekeepers saluted as they passed. Up ahead, Hermes cheered as well.

  And then the chariot turned and plummeted down.

  “Better than a roller coaster!” Dani laughed.

  Mastema did not share in her enjoyment.

  Empyrean fell away into the Heavens. Dani watched from the window as the team of horses picked up speed. Their hooves hit nothing but air, but sparks flew past. Then they hit clouds and everything disappeared.

  She sat back, sighing. Mastema sat across from her, scowling. That had not been fun for him.

  “What’s it like to go back?” she asked.

  “To Earth?”

  “No. To Disneyland.”

  “I do not know of what you speak,” he shifted uncomfortably, “but it is strange the first time you return.”

  “How?”

  “Things have changed since you left.”

  “With L.A.?”

  “With you.”

  A few seconds later the carriage rumbled. Both Dani and Mastema braced themselves as they descended from the clouds. Below, a sea of black filled with the artificial stars of the L.A. skyline. Dani leaned against the window. Even from up here she could smell the city; dirt, asphalt, car exhaust, and takeout food. She never noticed it before.

  “You will notice a lot of new sensations.” Mastema told her. “You have been in a place untouched by modern humanity. You will be more aware of many things.”

  It felt like a lifetime since she was here. The air was cooler, the Christmas lights and festive decorations were visible; staring at L.A., she felt like a stranger.

  She thought of her mom. How was she? What was she doing? Did she miss her? Suddenly, her mom kicking her out of the house didn’t matter. Dani missed her.

  Hermes cut over the top of L.A. and angled toward the warehouse district. They descended onto an empty side street. The horses and carriage touched-down hard and came to a stop.

  Hermes opened the door. As Dani stepped out onto the street, something was wrong with her eyes. She blinked. There wasn’t much light but the world looked wrong. It was like everything was in High-Def. She blinked hard. Dani didn’t just see the street; she saw down the block.

  Mastema stepped down behind her. “You dwelt in Empyrean. Your eyes have adjusted to see much more than before.”

  All her senses kicked into overdrive. The smell of the city was much stronger now, too. She could smell hotdogs a few blocks away. She knew there was a street nearby; not just from the distant sound of cars, but the smell of exhaust and the distinct clap of feet on the sidewalk.

  She inhaled deeper, enjoying it, but then she sensed something else. She felt something on her skin; something wrong. Her smile faded. She listened. Something tugged at the edges of her senses.

  “Sulfur.” She recognized the scent. “Brimstone.”

  Mastema nodded. “Demons are nearby.”

  “How close?”

  “Close.” Said a voice. From the shadows, Alecto and Heman appeared, backed by a small group of armed-and-armored Powers. Alecto looked like the warrior she was: a mix of black and silver armor— adamantine and another metal—with her sword and flail. Heman likewise dressed for battle. He wore his armor over his white raiments.

  “Guardian Mastema. Novice.” Heman curtly pointed down the street. “The demon nest is located within an abandoned warehouse. There are as many as five, but we do not know precise numbers.”

  “How do you not know?” Dani demanded. “Aren’t you supposed to scout it first?”

  Mastema nudged her to be quiet.

  “There is a rooftop door we suggest you take.” Alecto told her kindly. “Our Powers will keep a perimeter around the building to slay any that escape.”

  Dani wanted to say something but didn’t. Mastema asked, “If we should need of your assistance?”

  “The mighty Mastema in need of assistance?” It didn’t sound like praise from Heman. It sounded condescending. “Should you be in of need, send a Fyre signal. We will come.”

  Five demons? Ethan took on five wraiths. Mastema was a good fighter; even better than Ethan. But he had the element of surprise and he didn’t have to go with Dani into the thick of it.

  “We shall report to you when it is done. Come.” Mastema started walking. Dani followed.

  The light was dim. Dani kept her hand on the grip of her sword, ready to draw. As they approached the warehouse, the stench of sulfur thickened. It was chokingly awful. She gagged.

  “You get used to it.” He told her.

  They stopped one building over. The warehouse was small and squat
with only two stories and loading docks facing the street. A faded sign for a laundry company took up one wall. The usual litter of the city twirled around in the soft wind. Dani spotted a ladder up the side. They could use that to access the roof.

  Or…

  Mastema launched from the ground, soaring up to the roof of the building behind them. Dani sighed, summoning the Aer and sprang herself up after him. She vaulted the edge of the building and landed beside him.

  She smiled. Demon hunt or not, that would never get old.

  “There are more than five.” Mastema murmured softly, observing from the ledge.

  “How do you know?”

  He pointed. Down, opposite from them, was a homeless man sitting against the loading dock. Dani hadn’t noticed him, something felt wrong. He wasn’t right. And then she heard him snarl; like an animal. A wraith’s growl.

  “You learn to sense them.” Mastema told her. “Smell, sound, even taste; there are at least three near those large doors into the building.” He pointed again. “There is another on the roof.”

  Sure enough there was. “A look out?”

  “I would normally say nay,” he said, “but, aye. There is something strange in their behavior.”

  “How?”

  “There are too many of them, for one. Wraiths like small packs to hunt better and share less food. There is more than one pack here.”

  “How many total?”

  “I would guess more than fifteen.”

  “And that’s unusual?”

  “Wraiths are animals. They do not have ‘lookouts’ as you so eloquently put it.”

  “So they’re organized.”

  “Two things that never bode well: demons that are prepared and numerous. I would normally suggest a contingent of Numen to take on such a group.”

  “And we’re not getting one because…?”

  “If we leave before you attempt to kill a demon,” he told her, “then you fail your Trial.”

  “Mastema, this is not worth our lives.”

  “Yes, it is.” He said fiercely. “This is what our lives are made for. Do not give into fear now. I know there is more courage in you than that.”

  If Dani hadn’t been facing a baker’s dozen of demonic wraiths, she would have been warmed by that statement. As it stood, however…?