A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set

by Charles Carfagno Jr.

  ****

  Paven awoke a few days later and found himself in a small, dimly lit cell made of earth. Metal bars spanned the width of the opening directly in front of him. The room beyond had a set of stairs leading upward. He sat up and was promptly overpowered by the stench of his own filth. It repulsed him and made him sick to his stomach. He wondered how long he’d been locked away; when he touched his face, he discovered that his facial hair was much longer than he’d remembered.

  He turned his thoughts to escape and how he was going to do it. Each scenario involved killing two or three guards, but he wondered if he had the strength or the skill to do so. What if the one who defeated him came down instead? His fantasies of escape ended suddenly when the door at the top of the stairs opened and footsteps pattered down. He quickly lay near the center of the cell and acted as if he were asleep. Through his barely open eyes, he watched as the first guard came into view, then another, and yet another. Far too many for my plan to work, he thought. The first guard opened the door and in stepped the second. Paven recognized him at once as one of the men who knocked him unconscious.

  “I know you’re awake, so get up,” the guard barked.

  Paven stirred as if waking up from his sleep and then rose to his feet.

  “It’s good to see you’re still alive. We haven’t officially met yet. My name is Ying.”

  “What do you want from me?” Paven asked.

  “We have some big plans for you. My master wants you to join his ranks and lead some of our troops. How does that sound?”

  “Never!” Paven snapped at him, bringing a light chuckle from Ying.

  “Now, now, General. First off, you really don’t have a choice, and second, wouldn’t it be better to go along willingly and save yourself further pain?”

  “I’ll never do it.”

  Ying walked closer. “That’s what everyone says. Some have resisted physically, but mentally…”He paused for effect. “…That’s a different story altogether. But let’s see how you do against me first, since my brother Yang had all the fun the first time.”

  Paven got angry and lunged at him, but Ying expected this much and grabbed his arms in mid-grab and hurled him against the bars. Paven fell onto the ground, and Ying walked over and lifted him into the air with only one hand.

  “See how much power you’ll have,” he said, then threw him against the wall.

  Paven bounced against the hard surface and landed face first in the dirt. His teeth clattered loosely inside of his mouth. Ying lifted him a third time, and looked deeply into his eyes. “We can do this all day. I really don’t mind.” He flung him against the other wall, where Paven smacked his head against the surface and lost consciousness.

  ****

  It would be several hours before Paven would regain consciousness. When he came to, he was alone except for a tray of food sitting neatly in the corner across the room. His body ached all over as he rose and straightened his back; it felt like he was beaten by a mob of people instead of one man. Ying was so strong and tossed him like he weighed little more than a piece of parchment, which wasn’t an easy task given his weight. His plans of escape had taken a turn for the worse, he realized. Abruptly his head swam, and he stumbled to the ground on weakened legs and passed out.

  Paven dreamt undisturbed for what seemed like an eternity. He was happy, much younger, and was with his mom, dad, and brother. They were all gathered around a room talking, laughing, and singing. The joyous dream ended when he stirred awake and was saddened to find himself in the cell, and all of those good memories were just that. He missed his brother, who also served with the military, but met with an unfortunate accident while training several years ago. He was on a training assignment when he fell over a cliff to his death. They said it was an accident, but Paven never accepted it and blamed the commanding officer for not keeping him safe.

  He was lost in thoughts when the door from above opened. Yang was first to come down the stairs. He was followed by Ying, who was carrying a chair, and finally Repan. The general thought he looked much younger in person. Yang opened the door and moved aside to allow his master to enter.

  “General, I’m glad you’re awake. I would like to talk to you,” Repan said.

  Ying and Yang followed him in and stood by his side like two faithful pets.

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Paven said, struggling to sit up.

  “Come, come, General. You went through all the trouble of training for years, gathering your troops, and staging an attack on my citadel for us not to talk. I think you owe me at least that.”

  Ying placed the chair down in front of Repan, then moved out of the way to allow his master to sit. Once he was comfortably seated, he spoke.

  “Now, General, why did you attack my home?”

  When Paven did not reply, Yang stepped closer in a threatening manner. After seeing the look in his eyes, he decided to speak.

  “You make me sick.”

  Ying was about to move over and smack him when the Lord of the Mind held up his hand and stopped his faithful servant.

  “Go on, Paven, you’re entitled to speak your mind. Until a year ago, I had no idea you even existed.”

  “The reason why I attacked you is because you came to Raventout and did horrible things to the magistrate. Why did you do that?”

  “That’s a fair question and I will answer it, so that even you can understand. Plain and simple. The magistrate owed me money for services rendered. You see, I did him a favor a long time ago, and he refused to pay.” Repan’s voice raised a few decibels and then calmed. “All I wanted was my rightful reward and when he didn’t live up to his obligation, I was forced to administer my brand of justice.”

  “You still have no right to include helpless townsfolk.”

  “General, how long did you live there before I arrived?”

  “A few years. Why?” Paven curiously asked.

  “That explains why you don’t know the reason why I did what I had to do, so let me enlighten you. A long time ago an assassin named Tras kidnapped the magistrate’s son and held him for ransom. No matter how many men they sent, they were unable to find the boy or Tras. Desperate, the magistrate offered a large reward to anyone who could bring his son home safely, so I offered my services. I found and killed the assassin and returned the boy. He was overjoyed and told me to come back in a few days for my reward. Upon my return, I was met by an army, and he refused to pay and told me my reward was that I did the town a great service. So you see, things aren’t always as they appear. All I wanted was my reward.” Repan sat back in the chair.

  Paven was now beginning to understand his actions, though he didn’t condone it.

  “There’s more, my friend. If cheating me out of my reward wasn’t enough, he had an old friend of mine steal thousands of platinum pieces, gems, and fancy jewelry, then frame me for the crime I didn’t commit. I was arrested and had to serve a few years in prison. If you don’t think the magistrate had a hand in that, you don’t know anything.”

  “What did you do, destroy his town?” Paven interrupted.

  “General, that’s extreme. I took a page out of Tras’ book and hit him where it matters most—his family.”

  “So you’re no better than him.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I do what I do because they owe me. I did not do it for money,” the Lord of the Mind firmly said. “People have to understand that when they make a deal with someone, they need to live up to their end of their bargain.”

  “Someday someone will put an end to you.”

  “Maybe, but it is highly unlikely. You see, I only employ the most skillful and loyal warriors. And even if someone does come here to challenge me like you did, I may either kill them or convince them to join my ranks.”

  “Well I won’t, so you better kill me,” Paven firmly said.

  “Is that what you want?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sorry, it’s not what I want. You intrigue me b
ecause you spent many years obsessing about me. I admire that and want to reward you. I am going to give you the same title and have you lead my army south. I need you to visit the magistrate in Redden. He refused to pay me for my services.”

  “I will not do this. I swear.”

  Repan chuckled and stood up. “I figured you’d say as much. However, by tomorrow, you’ll feel differently.” He limped out of the cell.

  Ying followed him with the chair, and Yang stayed where he was, staring at Paven.

  “General, think how great it will be to lead the master’s forces. It’s such an honor.”

  “I won’t do it.”

  “You will,” Yang said, moving closer.

  Paven quickly stood up to defend himself, but was no match for Yang who knocked him unconscious with two punches.

  ****

  Paven woke up strapped to a table. He was unable to move his arms or legs. A lone figure across the room, with his back turned, was working feverishly on something.

  “Please let me go,” Paven whispered to him.

  The man turned around and walked over. He was slender in appearance, had an eye patch over his right eye, and wore a black tunic and brown leggings. Patches of hair were missing from his head, and his skin was pulled back so tight that he looked as if he could pass for a decaying corpse.

  “I am going to escort you through your journey,” he revealed, gazing down at Paven.

  “What are you going to do to me?”

  “My master wants you to lead his armies, so I am going to train you to do just that.”

  “How?”

  The emaciated man smiled. “You need some cleansing first, and the master will take care of the rest. Do you prefer to embrace the pain?” The crazed man grabbed a hideous dagger from a small table.

  “Please let me go,” Paven said, pulling against the restraints.

  “Do you want something for the pain?”

  “Let me go.” Paven pulled frantically on the leather straps.

  The man smiled in anticipation. “Let’s begin, shall we?” He took the knife and started digging the point into his left arm and began flaying his skin off. The muscle was next, which was followed by the tendons. Paven screamed from the very beginning until he passed out.

  Repan’s servant continued his artistry until Paven’s arms and legs were stripped of every muscle and tendon and tied together by leather straps. After the procedure was finished, Repan was contacted, and he went to work on his mind until the general obeyed his every command.

  A week later, Paven was dressed in red platemail armor, assigned the name the Red Knight, and was given an army to lead south.

  ****

  A few nights later, Repan was in his war room with Ying and Yang discussing their future plans.

  “After Redden falls, I want one of you to go there and make sure Paven holds the town.”

  “For how long?” Ying asked.

  “Until we get the attention of everyone else that owes me money. I want them to know they can’t hide behind their walls and the lengths I’ll take to get what I want.”

  “Won’t it be easier to kill them instead?” Yang asked.

  “Of course it is, but I’d rather they live in fear of what could happen. Plus I’m sure we can gain a substantial amount of wealth in the process to further our cause. After all, I want to rule this region eventually.”

  “If we start a war, some of the other towns and cities might rise up against us,” Yang warned.

  “Maybe, but by then we’ll have enough forces. I’ve been talking to the giants from the north, and they agreed to lend support if need be. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a king and rule the land.”

  “Brother, think about all the training manuals we’ll get from those orders,” Ying added.

  “Now do you see my plan?”

  Ying and Yang both shook their heads in approval.

  “Good. There’s much to do, so continue with your training.” Repan added.

  Chapter 3: The Test

  Jacko read the small parchment one last time in the dimly lit room before tucking the note away. He was eager to get started on his journey of ascension, because he worked so hard these past few months and felt he deserved the promotion. After packing the necessary items for his trip, he extinguished the nearby candle and left the inn. Outside the cold autumn air greeted him, which was both refreshing and chilly and prompted him to wrap his cloak tightly around his body to help ward off its chill. Smiling proudly, he left the town of Wistful.

  By nightfall, he reached the entrance to the Saratone forest, and as he was contemplating whether or not he should make camp inside; he heard wolves howling in the distance and quickly lit a torch and entered. Traveling through the dense forest at night wasn’t his best decision, but his journey was still a few days away, and he couldn’t be late. He had hopes of clearing the forest before daybreak, but when it started raining heavy and the night swallowed up the area, he decided to rest. After hanging several pieces of hemp from low hanging branches, he lit a fire, ate, and went to sleep.

  In the early-morning hours, the rain ceased altogether. Jacko ate a quick meal, gathered his belongings, and continued along his way. By mid-afternoon, the rain began falling again, but this time it was thicker and heavier and soaked his clothing within minutes. Chilled to the bone, he sought shelter in a nearby cave. Inside the cavern, he found dried wood scattered about and realized other travelers must have used this place as well. He considered it a blessing and lit a fire. After changing his clothes and placing the wet ones near the fire, he took a much-needed nap.

  It took the remainder of the day for the rains to stop and when he woke it was dark outside. Already hours behind schedule, he left the safety of the cave and traveled throughout the night until he cleared the forest by daybreak. In the distance, he saw the Clard forest and grinned, because somewhere inside was where his meeting would be held. He moved with haste across the open field and slowed as he entered the woods. He found a moss-covered log and rested.

  While eating some nuts and berries, he took the time to admire the changing colors of the leaves. He’d always liked this time of the year because their beauty reminded him of Aurora. From the moment he laid his eyes upon her, he’d been in love. Maybe someday he would share his feelings with her.

  He turned his thoughts to his promotion and took out his note and read the instructions one last time before heading off toward the north. He arrived at a makeshift camp two hours later. The place was deserted except for bedding, a small banner of their school, and a brightly lit fire with a kettle hanging just above the flames. While surveying the area, a voice startled him from behind.

  “You must be Jacko.”

  Jacko turned around and faced a tall thin man in his thirties with a short black beard and a long ponytail. He wore dark green robes.

  “I am. I take it you’re from our school. What is your name?”

  “Just call me Teacher for now. Come make yourself at home.” Teacher stretched out his open palm and pointed to the camp. It was a modest sign of a warm friendly gesture.

  Jacko bowed, entered the camp, and placed his backpack down near the fire.

  “Would you enjoy some tea?” Teacher asked as he removed the cast-iron pot away from the fire.

  “That would be most generous,” Jacko responded.

  Teacher poured the tea into two small cups and gave one to Jacko. Together both men lifted the cups, tilted them simultaneously toward each other, and drank the hot beverage. The tea was bold yet smooth at first, then changed altogether by the time the contents slid down Jacko’s throat. He smiled in satisfaction. Teacher filled both cups again, and the men did the same ritual.

  “Teacher, what’s in the tea? That was by far the best brew I’ve ever drunk.”

  Teacher, delighted by Jacko’s comment, chuckled to himself. “I’ve spent most of my life developing my special tea; it has become my passion.” He paused as if he were deep in personal tho
ughts. “I’ll tell you what; if you beat your opponent in honorable fashion, I’ll bestow the recipe upon you.”

  Jacko enjoyed tea and was delighted that he even offered. “Thank you, Teacher.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “A little.”

  “Good, I’m hungry as well. I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.” He grabbed a spear and headed south.

  It was less than an hour when he returned. With him, he carried at least a half dozen fish neatly prepared with herbs and spices and ready for the fire. After placing the fish onto a small metal rack, he suspended it above the open flame and sat back.

  “Jacko,” Teacher began, “a mile north from here is where you will be tested, so let me explain the rules to you. You must defeat your opponent in non-lethal combat in order to be granted a promotion. Keep in mind that you’re not to lose control or retaliate even if he does. If you do, you might forfeit your rank and lose the promotional opportunity. Do you understand?”

  “I do. What happens if he loses consciousness?”

  “That’s allowed; just don’t do it intentionally.”

  “What can you tell me about my opponent?”

  “His name is Chow Yen, and he’ll be accompanied by two individuals who’ll judge the match and decide the winner.”

  “Can you tell me about his rank and what techniques he knows?”

  “No.” Teacher sternly replied. “Both of you must openly announce your rank and demonstrate your technique before the match starts. The Order decided a long time ago that if any of the combatants knew their opponent’s techniques, it might give them an unfair advantage over the other.”