“To our new friendship,” he toasted and together they drank the sweet-tasting brew.
After placing the mug down, Lord Sim said, “The cup with the blue liquid is something very special. Not only will you feel better physically, but it will also help you remember what was lost to you.”
Torhan picked up the cup and stared at the contents for several long seconds before throwing caution to the wind and drinking. The liquid tasted bitter as it ran down his throat, and he could feel its healing effects immediately coursing through his body. Within seconds, cuts and bruises began fading and even the scars from his childhood disappeared. He was about to say something when he felt lightheaded and dizzy. It happened so fast, and unexpectedly, that he placed his head into his hands to help deal with the sensation.
What followed next were the memories from Redden. He recalled waiting for Jacko in his room, meeting Molech, the shop owner Tomal, the scabbard, his escape from the guards, his time spent with Grappin, the deals he made with him and Molech, his escape from the town, and finally, the men he had to kill. After the feeling passed, he raised his head.
“Do you remember now?” Lord Sim asked.
“Yes, I remember everything. Thank you.”
“I’m glad.”
“Lord Sim, I’ve never heard of you or your people before inhabiting this forest. Have you always lived here?”
Lord Sim sat back, took a deep swig, and began his tale. “The reason is because our people are not from your world, and it was by accident that we even ended up here in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“A long time ago my world was dying, and, in an effort to preserve our race, the inventor created a one-way device called a portal. We had no idea where we would end up or if we could actually adapt to our new environment. Once the door was opened, the first of the brave ones walked through, and we could tell something was wrong right away after he grabbed his throat and died. The inventor sealed off the entrance and went back to work in his lab until he came up with the idea of expanding the portal into your world. A few days before he was going to test his theories, our world began to disintegrate, so he expanded the portal as far as it could reach into your world and a group of us crossed over. To our surprise, his idea worked, but the size of the portal was limited to this forest,” he paused, “so you see, Torhan, we’re trapped. We can’t go back to our world, and we can’t leave this forest.”
“What happened to your world?”
“Our world, the portal, and any of our people, who couldn’t make it over, were destroyed...” Lord Sim’s voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry about your people.”
“There wasn’t enough time or room in this forest to save them all.”
“Did the inventor come through?”
“He did but died shortly thereafter, and with him, any information of how to construct another portal.” Lord Sim looked sad.
Torhan changed the subject to something a little more pleasant and kept the conversation light.
After their bellies were full, the leader clapped his hands, and the servants returned, removing the dirty plates and bringing over more wine. They enjoyed another goblet of sweet-tasting nectar.
Lord Sim stared at him. “What do you know about Grappin?” he asked.
“Not much.”
“Then how did you come to embark on your quest?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We have time, so please tell me,” Lord Sim said with a strange look upon his face.
Torhan didn’t really trust Lord Sim. When he decided to hide the truth from him, he found that he couldn’t and told him every little detail. When he was through, Lord Sim smiled.
“I know you wanted to hide certain things from me, but I needed to hear everything that happened to you,” he said.
“You drugged me, didn’t you?” Torhan leered in disgust.
“Not deliberately. It’s one of the side effects of the drink that restored your memory.”
“You should have told me before I drank it.”
“It really seemed like you wanted your memories back. Am I right?”
“Yes, but you should have allowed me to make that decision.” Torhan was upset.
“Fair enough.”
Torhan was about to say something more when Din walked over holding a sack.
“I have your belongings,” he said and handed him the bag.
Torhan stood up and opened the sack. He was relieved to find all of his items there. “Where’s Brother Sao?” he asked Din.
“He’s alive but resting from his injuries.”
“Injuries? What happened to him?”
“Our people wounded him, while he was being captured. He’s still unconscious.”
“I want to see him?”
“Tomorrow,” Din said and left.
Torhan thought about storming off to find Sao but figured it wouldn’t do him any good.
He looked directly at Lord Sim. “Am I prisoner here?” he asked.
“No. You’re free to go, but I want you to meet someone before you do.”
“Who?”
“After we’re finished, I will take you there. Please sit.”
Torhan nodded and sat back down. Lord Sim took another swig while looking at Torhan.
“What if I told you that you are a pawn in Grappin’s game, and no matter what you do, he will kill you in the end. Will that change your mind about disabling the wards?”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve met him before, not by the name of Grappin.”
“If you knew, then why did you make me waste my time telling you about him?”
“You humans anger easily, don’t you?”
“When you take away our free will, we do.”
“I wanted to understand if you were knowingly working with him.”
“Tell me what you know about him.”
“Grappin isn’t just an ordinary person, he’s something far more dangerous than anything you’ll ever encounter.” Lord Sim waited several seconds before continuing. “He’s a demon and goes by the name Dybbuk.”
“A demon? They don’t exist.”
“They do and only a few others believe in their existence. I’m afraid your kind’s ignorance will be your end.” Lord Sim eased back in his chair.
“How did they get here?”
“A long time ago, Dybbuk entered your world through a portal similar to ours,” he began, “the location he chose was Mirkin. Can you guess where?”
Torhan shook his head.
“In the cellar of the old temple. Do you know why he’d pick such a place?”
Again, Torhan shook his head.
“So he could murder the priest and assimilate his body and then plot for the day to unleash his hoard from his world.”
“Why not just release his kind and overrun the town from the beginning?”
“Demons are very clever, crafty, and do not act hastily in their actions. They’d rather take months, even years, before unleashing their true plan.”
Lord Sim waited for Torhan to ask another question. When he didn’t, he continued.
“After he assimilated the head priest, he served in that form and began to gain the trust of those around him, but more importantly, the townspeople.”
“Didn’t anyone suspect anything?” Torhan interrupted.
“Some of the priests did, but when they voiced their concerns, they were met with a stiff punishment by purification, or worse, cast out of the Order. Years later, while Dybbuk was on a pilgrimage, one of the acolytes who thought their leader wasn’t who he said he was, used a chant, and it revealed his hidden portal. He reported his findings to another priest and, with the aid of their god, sealed it shut and created wards strong enough to keep Dybbuk from returning to the town. The wards have remained in place for years, and the commands to unlock them were passed down from head priest to head priest. That is why if Priest Abiathar were to fal
l, then the wards would surely fall as well.”
“Why is this town so important to Grappin, I mean Dybbuk?”
“It’s not the town, it’s the portal. If the wards fail, then he can return and release his horde into your world.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Come with me.”
They walked deeper into the forest until they came upon a dirt road leading south, and Lord Sim stopped. “If you travel down this path for a while, you’ll come to a large pond. In the center of the lake will be an island with a very beautiful tree growing out of it. Go over to the tree and speak with her,” he said.
“Speak with her?”
“Yes. You can ask her anything you want and she will provide you with the knowledge you seek, but be warned, choose your questions carefully, because she only has a certain amount of energy, and once it’s depleted, she’ll fall quietly asleep for a moon’s time. Do you understand?”
Torhan nodded.
“Come back this way when you’re finished.”
Torhan proceeded down the winding path laid before him, never once feeling like he was in any type of danger, nor did the scabbard indicate anything differently. It didn’t take long to reach the pond with the small island in the middle and a tree perched on top of it. He heard a unique sound of running water further away that created a very tranquil atmosphere. He scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary, then walked out into the surprisingly warm, waist-high water.
As he cautiously approached the island, he realized that Lord Sim couldn’t be more right about the tree. It was simply a thing of beauty; the trunk was the perfect shade of brown, the leaves were the bright color of autumn, and the branches extended and dipped low enough into the water to appear as if they were drinking from the very pond itself.
He climbed onto the island and remained rooted where he was until a female’s voice, as lovely as the sound of the wind blowing gently on a spring day, spoke to him.
“Step closer, my child,” she said.
Torhan did as he was asked, then stopped and waited, not sure of what to do next.
“Come around to the other side,” the gentle voice said.
Torhan walked around the tree and stopped in front of a large, round opening that was dark inside.
“Who are you?” Torhan asked.
“My name is Ailith, and what is your name?”
Perplexed, Torhan could only wonder how the tree could talk without a mouth. “My name is Torhan,” he said boldly.
“Glad to meet you, Torhan. What brings you here before me?”
“Lord Sim told me that you might be able to answer some questions I have.”
“Lord Sim? I haven’t seen him in such a long time.” Her voice sounded sad.
“What are you?”
“I was human once, very much like you are, but now I am known as a Tree Spirit.”
Once like me? The question reverberated throughout his mind.
“Yes, like you, would you like to know how?”
Torhan thought of Lord Sim’s warning about depleting her energy but said yes anyway.
“In a time, not so long ago, I lived in a village toward the west. Even though the name of it now eludes me, I do remember everything about the village. The stone moss-covered homes, the merchant’s stores, the smell of fresh-baked bread wafting out of the windows, and, of course, the people, oh yes, the people! How wonderful they were, always helping each other and creating a very peaceful environment. Then one day, everything changed when an elderly man came to stay in our town. At first, everything was fine until a few weeks later people began acting differently. They squabbled with one another for no reason and accused each other of horrendous acts. Their strange attitudes spread like wildfire throughout the village until just about everyone was at each other’s throats, and the entire village was in disarray. A small group of us tried to calm the angry people, but it was too late and a riot broke out. For two days, people went on a murderous rampage. When the fighting finally subsided, most of our people were dead, including my husband and children. Shortly after that, I fell into a deep depression and stayed inside my house.” Ailith’s voice sounded distraught.
“So what happened next?” Torhan sincerely encouraged her to continue.
“A few days later, voices began speaking to me from the shadows. At first, I disregarded them, because I thought I was going crazy from the loss of my family, but when they told me things that only my husband knew, I accepted them as friends. They promised they could lead me back to my family, and I believed them. For several weeks, they were my only friends and kept telling me my family would be with me soon. Then one night, the voices led me to the attic. They told me it was time to see my family, and all I needed to do was slit my throat in order to see them again. As I sat there, contemplating about ending my life, the images of my family began to appear, asking me to join them. I called out to them, but they just kept chanting for me to join them. The chanting continued until I was overwhelmed with guilt and elected to slit my throat. As the blood surged forth from my wound, the images of my family began to grow brighter, and, in that brief moment, I was happy again.”
“Did you join your family when you died?”
“NO!” Ailith’s voice became bitter and angry. “My spirit lifted out of its mortal shell, and the images were gone. As I hovered above my body, another voice called out to me, not from inside the house, but somewhere outside. I gazed at my lifeless body one last time and floated through the building, following the voice until it led me here to this tree that stands before you. When I arrived, the voice promised me peace, wisdom, insight, and, of course, love the likes of which I’d never experienced before. All I needed to do was enter. Since the death didn’t give me release, or my family back, I listened.”
“Was the voice right?”
“Yes. We completed each other. I got love and, in return, the tree received companionship.”
“I’m glad you finally found what you were looking for.”
“Thanks for listening to me. It’s been a very long time since I told my story.” Ailith’s response was a little more upbeat.
“Can you help me?” Torhan asked.
“I’ll do my best to answer your questions, but be warned, the information provided could be altered by the path you choose. Please be very direct when asking.”
Torhan took his time before asking his first.
“Is Grappin a demon?”
“Yes he is and a very powerful one. His true name is Dybbuk.”
“How do you know about him?”
“I’m not permitted to tell you.”
“Can you tell me what he wants?”
“He wants to return home but can’t as long as the protective barrier is still in place. He also wants to release his minions into your world.”
Her answers confirmed what Lord Sim told him already. Torhan paused before asking his next question. “Why was I selected to help him?”
“Because he can’t disable the wards himself, and he needed someone who didn’t know the truth behind his plan.”
“If I don’t help him, will he succeed?”
“Eventually, he’ll find a way to deactivate them, but it could take a long time.”
“Will he let me live if I don’t help him?”
“No!” Ailith sternly replied.
“Can I defeat him?”
“With help you can.”
“From who?”
“Not who but what.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Demons are immune to mortal weaponry, so you’ll need a special weapon called a Bow of Precision and Arrows of Slaying.”
“Where can I find the bow and arrows?”
“You cannot find them. You need to make them from the materials located here in this very forest. There are three components total: the first one is the most important; it’s a branch from the Aimsaw tree. The tree is located across the shore and is recognized by the large t
horns running up and down the length of its bark. One of my vines will serve as the second item, and lastly, the leaves from the fernion plant, which grows next to the Aimsaw tree. The leaves are oblong-shaped with pointy ends. To construct the bow you must first bend the branch into the exact shape of a long composite bow. This will take a great deal of strength and more than one person is needed to perform such a task. Next, the vine must be peeled apart until you reach the center, and there you will find the strongest cord known to exist. Use that for the string, and the bow will be quite powerful and never lose tension. Finally, replace the feathers of the arrows with the leaves. The leaves are special and will enable the arrow to penetrate the demon’s defenses and expose him to mortal weapons. Do you have any questions thus far?”
“I don’t know how to make a bow, so who is going to help me?”
“Once you gather the items, take them back to Lord Sim and explain to him exactly what I have told you, and he will help you.” Ailith’s elucidation gave Torhan hope.
“So that’s it. All I have to do is shoot him with the arrow?”
“No, there’s more. You must provoke the demon into wanting to kill you with intent. Only then will he be at his most vulnerable, and the arrow will penetrate his flesh. Otherwise, it will deflect off his body.”
“What happens next?”
“Once the arrow pierces his flesh, the leaves will come to life and feed off his negative energy and inject him with a poison deadly to his kind. Do you understand now?”
Torhan nodded
“Do not despair, Torhan. When the time comes, you’ll be brave and your hands steady.”
“How do you know?”
“Just like I know how to defeat Dybbuk. I just do. I must rest shortly; my energy drains.”
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 26
