“I have one more question.” Torhan pressed, “Where is my friend, Jacko?”
“As we speak, he serves justice for a fallen friend.”
“Does he need my help?”
“No! However, you’ll need his when…” her voice ceased abruptly.
“When? Ailith. Tell me.” Torhan pleaded.
Eventually, he gave up and went to work cutting down one of her vines. He was glad she was asleep, because, to him, it felt like he was removing one of her limbs.
After rolling up the vine, and slinging it over his shoulder, he left the island, went about gathering the rest of the materials needed, then went back to Lord Sim’s camp.
When he returned, the first thing he saw was Lord Sim perched atop a big chair with many of his followers sitting on the grass listening to his every word. Din was off to the side.
“It’s good to see you again. Did you get all of your questions answered?” Lord Sim blurted out when he was close enough.
“Most of them.”
“Good, good. What’s the tree branch for?”
“I need it for a bow. She said you could help me construct one.”
“We can. We don’t have a cord for it though, so you’ll need one.”
Torhan showed him the vine. “She said you can peel the vine away and use the center as one.”
Lord Sim looked over at Din and nodded.
“Consider it done, my lord,” Din responded and took the items from Torhan. “The bow will take a couple of hours to make. What will you do for arrows?”
“I’ll get some in Mirkin.”
“Torhan, would you like some wine?” Lord Sim offered.
“No, thank you. I would like to walk around the forest.”
“Very good, enjoy yourself.”
Torhan walked through the forest thinking about the days ahead.
What if he was being played by Lord Sim and Ailith as well, and her special bow and arrows were nothing more than ordinary weapons. He wished there was some way of knowing, because, by the time he’d find out, it would be too late. But what choice did he really have? If he didn’t do as Grappin asked, then he would have to contend with him or his assassin. Maybe he’ll just disable the wards and hope that would suffice his obligation to him. He had a feeling Brother Pien was a man of honor, so hopefully the healer Katara could help him decide what was right. If only Jacko was on time, then he would’ve never entered Tomal’s store. His thoughts turned to his friend and what Ailith said about him. What did she mean when she said he was serving justice for a fallen friend? I wonder who?
He walked around for another hour before heading back. Din was showing Lord Sim the newly crafted bow and paused when he saw Torhan approaching.
“Is that it?” Torhan excitedly asked.
“This bow is my finest work,” Din stated proudly as he presented the weapon. “Use it well and may you strike down your enemies with little effort.”
Torhan accepted the weapon, marveled at the workmanship, then tested the bow’s tension. “It’s amazing. Thank you, Din.”
“Was your time in the forest well spent?” Lord Sim asked.
“It was. Thanks for all of your help.”
Lord Sim grinned. “Good luck, Torhan from the West, may you live a long time. Din, escort him to the monk.”
“If my friend should happen to pass through, please welcome him and let him know where I’ve gone. His name is Jacko, and he is from the Order of the White Fist.”
“We will,” Lord Sim said.
****
After Din returned, he had a private audience with Lord Sim.
“What do you think about Torhan?” Din asked.
“He should do fine as long as he follows Ailith’s instructions.”
“And if he fails?”
“Then I fear the worst.” He paused. “Dybbuk will return, so we’ll need to be ready.”
“But we don’t have many weapons to stand against him.”
“I know.”
Torhan and Brother Sao exchanged stories about how each of them was captured. Brother Sao said he was investigating a strange noise when they unexpectedly fell upon him and wounded him pretty seriously. Before they captured him, he was able to lead them away. Torhan told Brother Sao what he experienced and of his time spent with Lord Sim and Ailith. When finished, they traveled west and left the forest.
Once clear of the trees, the town of Mirkin stared back at them. They walked openly onto the plains toward the old city and reached the walled city by nightfall.
Torhan turned to Sao. “Can you stay for a while in town?” he asked.
“No. I must be going.”
“Where will you go?”
“I’ll make camp for the night and then go to my Order. It’s about a half day north from here.”
“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
“There’s no need. I want to meditate and reflect on my brother’s passing. Please make sure you keep Katara’s identity a secret. You’ll like her; she’s nice.”
“I will, and thanks for your help.”
Brother Sao nodded and walked away.
Torhan watched him leave, then turned his attention back toward the closed gates of the city and approached.
When he was fifteen feet away from the doors, a voice shouted from the parapets above.
“I wouldn’t take another step if I were you.”
Torhan stopped dead in his tracks and looked up in the direction of the voice. He saw a silhouetted figure holding a trained crossbow pointed directly at him.
“Identify yourself or die!”
“My name is Torhan, and I hail from the west.”
“What is your purpose, Torhan from the West?” The guard sounded annoyed.
“I’ve been traveling for weeks, and I’m in need of shelter and food.”
“Nobody enters the city after dusk. You’ll have to spend the night outside with all the other vermin.”
“Please let me in. I am very weary.”
“Weary?” another voice said, and the guard turned toward the left. “Look, he’s tired, Rin. What are you, a baby?”
The other guard mocked and walked over to stand beside his fellow guard.
“We feel really sorry for you. Now go away and don’t return until the morning if you know what’s good for you.” The tone in the first guard’s voice convinced Torhan that he wasn’t going to gain access tonight.
As he walked away, he could still hear the guards mocking him about his manhood.
“If I run into those fools again, they’ll feel the cold steel of my blade,” he said angrily but low enough so that they couldn’t hear him.
He walked for another hundred yards and came upon some large boulders which sheltered a small cave with only two entrances. Torhan felt they should provide adequate protection in case the weather grew colder during the night. He’d just lit a small fire, and began eating some fruit, when a figure appeared out of the shadows and entered.
“Can I join you?”
Startled, Torhan looked up and relaxed when he recognized Brother Sao.
“I thought you were leaving?” Torhan asked.
“I was watching you from afar to make sure you were safe. When I saw you leave the city, I decided to join you.”
Torhan smiled and offered the monk some food.
It was around midnight when they turned in. Torhan took first watch, because tomorrow night he’d be in a warm bed and Brother Sao wouldn’t.
A short time later, his eyes grew weary, and he dozed off without warning.
“It’s about time you arrived?”
Torhan snapped awake when he heard the voice.
“If you’re going to accept watch, then try not to fall asleep,” a masked stranger said and entered.
Torhan recognized him from Grappin’s mansion.
“What are you doing here? I still have time,” Torhan said and did not let the anger in his voice go unnoticed.
“Let’s just sa
y I didn’t want you to back out of your agreement with my, I mean, our boss.”
“I have no intention of backing out of anything.”
“Good. That would be most unwise if you did.” The assassin made his statement a verbal threat. “I see you have company, and a monk at that.”
“He’s an ally.” Torhan tensed and was about to grab his weapon, and lunge at the assassin, when Grappin appeared from behind his hired killer.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Grappin said.
Torhan relaxed.
“I need you to disable his wards, and I need it done by dusk of the next evening.”
“That’s not what we agreed upon.”
“I know, but things suddenly have changed.”
Torhan felt the hairs on his neck stand up as the tension was building. He didn’t like what was happening. If only he had the arrows ready, he thought.
Just then, Sao stirred awake and was on his feet, with staff in hand, after seeing the two strangers. “Are you alright?” he asked, suspiciously looking at the strangers.
“Stay out of this, monk,” the assassin hissed.
“Who are these men?”
Torhan waved his hand to calm Brother Sao and turned back toward Grappin and the hired thug.
“Leave him out of this. He’s leaving in the morning.”
“That would be wise of him,” the assassin added.
“Enough,” Grappin told his man and gave him a look of disgust, which the assassin ignored. Turning his attention back to Torhan, he said, “If you do this for me, I’ll give you ten-thousand platinum pieces.”
Torhan agreed to his offer.
“Good. After tomorrow night, we’ll both be happy men,” Grappin said.
They were about to leave when Torhan asked, “How did you find me?”
“It wasn’t all that hard,” the assassin ridiculed, and both men faded into the darkness.
“Who are they?” Brother Sao asked after they were gone.
“The devil and one of his minions, that’s all,” Torhan responded flatly and remained staring off in their direction. He wondered if the demon noticed the bow or if they knew he passed through the forest.
When morning arrived, they said goodbye and parted. Brother Sao headed westward and Torhan marched toward the town, eagerly wanting to finish his task and be rid of the demon.
****
Brother Sao had just cleared a large set of rocks when an arrow glanced off his left shoulder. He bent down and rolled away as a second, then a third arrow flew by his head, missing him only by inches. Quickly, he was on his feet again and ran behind a few of the boulders just as several more arrows bounced off the rocks. Now out of danger, he gripped his staff tightly in his hands and shouted in anger, “COWARD!”
“Come on out and meet your death, monk,” someone responded, a voice he recognized as the masked assassin from the night before.
“Some assassin you are. You can’t even hit your mark.”
“That’s because I wanted to get your attention before I kill you. Hence, the glancing blow to your shoulder.”
“Why are you trying to kill me? You don’t even know me.”
“Let’s just say you insulted me last night, plus, I really hate monks and all that they stand for.”
Brother Sao had a good idea where he was hiding and ran out toward him. Within seconds, arrows flew in his direction, which Brother Sao easily deflected with his staff or averted them altogether by moving in a zigzag formation. Meanwhile, when the assassin failed to stop the monk, he threw down his bow in disgust, drew his sword, and came out of hiding.
After Brother Sao was within range, he planted his staff into the ground and propelled his body through the air, kicking the assassin in the chest and sending him stumbling backward. The assassin regained his footing and blocked several pressing attacks from the monk’s staff and countered with a series of misdirected attacks, the last of which sliced Sao’s arm. Brother Sao spun away, holding his arm as the pain coursed through his extremity. He realized that he was poisoned.
The assassin stopped his assault to enjoy the look of horror creeping on his face, which prompted him to say, “You’re finished, monk, but at least you fought well.”
Crippling pain suddenly surged from Brother Sao’s arm and moved toward his chest. He gritted his teeth, screamed at his adversary, and attacked him with vicious intent. No longer caring for his own safety, he swung the staff repeatedly until he penetrated the assassin’s defenses and struck him in several places. The first broke the man’s left arm and caused him to drop his sword. The second hit him in the right side of his body and broke several ribs, and the third was a well-placed thrust that hit him directly in the solar plexus, knocking the air from his lungs. The assassin fell to his knees, Sao hit the side of his head, and he fell over on his stomach. The monk delivered a devastating strike across his lower back, then on the back of his head, knocking out the hired killer.
Brother Sao stood over his helpless foe and thought about sparing his life until he felt a sharp stinging pain in the center of his chest the likes of which he’d never felt before. He staggered a few feet backward and started seeing stars dance before his eyes. With one final effort, he brought the weapon downward and blacked out, never knowing if he hit him or not.
It was nightfall when the assassin woke to find the monk’s staff only inches from his face. Feeling uncomfortable, he reached over with his good arm and pushed it away. He realized that it would’ve split his head in two if it had hit him. He followed the weapon’s length and saw the owner lying face down dead. The scene brought a smile to his face and a reassurance that he is, and always will be, someone to be reckoned with.
After gloating inwardly, for several minutes, he tried getting up and found his legs wouldn’t respond. He tried to move them again but still they wouldn’t respond. With his smile fading, he rolled over onto his back, sat up, and tried willing his legs to move. They didn’t respond again. Suddenly, a creature howled loud enough to startle him. He anxiously looked around for his sword and couldn’t find it. The creature howled again. He grabbed his booted dagger, turned back onto his stomach, and began crawling toward the boulders. Inch by painstaking inch, he pulled his body toward the rocks, then he heard snarling sounds coming from multiple directions. He now realized what his victims must have felt like when he stalked them, and he didn’t like it.
Frantically, he clawed ahead until a large creature silently swooped down out of the night and landed on top of a nearby boulder. Bathed in moonlight, he could identify the outline of the creature’s girth and its red eyes glaring back at him. The bird creature squawked at him, spread its wings, and took flight. Relieved, he continued his progress toward the rocks. When he was about ten feet away, sharp talons plunged deeply into his back. He screamed as he was lifted high into the air. Before passing out, he came to the realization that he was going to be dinner.
Chapter 12: Celthric Part 1 (A Blade’s Quest)
“NO!” Norice screamed, waking himself from his hellish nightmare.
He lay with cold sweat trickling down his face for what seemed like an eternity until his wife, woken by his sounds of distress, spoke.
“What’s wrong? Was it those dreams again?”
“Yes, but it was far worse. This time the beast came for you and the children, and I was powerless to stop the fiend.” Norice hurriedly got out of bed and headed over to his closet, where he began rifling through his belongings.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I have to find a way to stop the madness.”
“Don’t leave us. It’s too dangerous.”
Norice ignored her and quickly got dressed, grabbed his hunting dagger, and left the room. He walked down the hallway, to the bedroom of his children, and stopped just short of entering. He stared at their sleeping forms, tucked snuggly under the covers, for a few minutes before saying his silent goodbye. Before turning away, he wiped the tears of sadness fro
m his eyes, then proceeded down the stairs. He’d just grabbed the door handle when his wife appeared from out of their room and said, “Norice, please don’t go. I fear that I’ll never see you again.”
“I have to do this,” he responded without turning around. He opened the door and stepped out into the night.
Crying, his wife sank to the floor.
Cool air embraced Norice as he left the house. He was determined to put an end to the nightmares that had been haunting him over the last several months. At first, they were mildly disturbing, but with each passing night, they intensified to the point where he’d hit his wife’s face, thinking he was fighting a creature who was about to devour his eldest child. Some of the dreams were the same, while others were totally different, but each one held a connection to the other, and it was on this very night that he finally pieced them all together and knew exactly what he needed to do.
Carefully walking in the snow, with his head down, he avoided the guards patrolling the town and moved swiftly toward the stables. As he came upon the barn, he saw the shadow of someone moving to the rhythm of the lantern’s light from within. Being that it was late, whoever was inside would question his sudden appearance, so he carefully crept closer until he saw Tay, the stable boy, cleaning out the stalls. He knew the boy very well and entered the barn.
“Tay?” Norice called out, startling the boy, causing him to drop his pitchfork and turn around.
“Who is it?” the boy nervously asked.
“It’s me, Norice. What are you doing here this time of the night?”
The lad relaxed a bit after recognizing Norice and said, “I have to catch up on my duties, because Lord Wellington offered to train me personally as a sentry of the Helix Guard if my duties were finished by morning. He says I have great potential.”
“That’s great. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
Tay picked up the pitchfork and left the stall, approaching Norice. “What are you doing here, sir?” he asked.
“I have a nighttime hunt and need a horse.”
“Sorry, but you know I’m under strict orders not to allow any horses out at night, unless Lord Wellington says so.” Tay grew suspicious.
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 27
