“Where did it come from?”
“I don’t know.” Celthric turned and faced him. “You have to be careful and trust only me. Do you understand?”
Norice nodded, then a low rumbling echoed beyond the battlefield. “The demon comes for you. Go, I will protect you,” the old man said and ran off in the direction of the noise.
Norice watched him until he was gone from his sight.
****
The Presence gazed upon the sleeping human after leaving his thoughts. It wondered why the being named Celthric was in his dreams, and what purpose was he trying to accomplish. The Presence did not sense another entity nearby, so It would have to be very careful when dealing with Celthric, because if he could influence Norice from where he was, then he must be very powerful indeed. The Presence, if anything, was clever, and this other entity would not deter It from Its ultimate goal: to leave this place and eventually the world. The Presence mulled over the information It acquired from Norice, and with more resolve, It carefully plotted Its next course of action as he stirred awake.
Norice awoke from his dreams drenched in sweat. The fire blazed brightly, and it was still dark outside. He figured dawn would be approaching soon, and he needed to leave the town before his pursuers found him. It wouldn’t take them long to get new horses and track him here, and he wanted to stay far ahead of them. He thought about his dream and what it meant, then he felt something, or someone, in the room. He quickly grabbed the dagger and got up.
“Who is it? I know someone is here.”
Despite Its ability to cloak, the Presence was detected and now had to put Its plan into action. It stepped forward.
“Norice.” It paused. “I am Celthric.”
Norice studied the shadowy being for a few minutes, trying to gauge whether the poor lighting shrouded it in darkness or if that was the being’s natural form.
“What? How did you find me?”
“You led me here.” The Presence could tell by his tone that Norice was being cautious, and It needed to be careful.
“How do I know that it’s truly you?” Norice was growing nervous.
The Presence felt his anxiety and quickly scanned his thoughts and memories and gathered information before speaking. “I have shown you many things thus far, and I can save you from the mortals that follow you now.”
“You told me to find you, so why do you appear to me now?”
“I fear the men that follow you will capture you.”
“I’m not sure that I believe you,” Norice said, then grabbed his sword and pointed the blade at the Presence.
“Norice, let me prove to you that I am Celthric.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“By telling you about your dreams and what they really mean.”
Interested, Norice lowered his weapon and agreed. The Presence told him exactly what he wanted to hear. When It was finished, Norice wholeheartedly believed that It was Celthric.
“So what are you?” Norice asked. He was no longer able to keep that burning question at bay.
“I am an entity that is trapped between the planes of existence.”
“How did you become trapped?”
The Presence quickly came up with a story. “In my previous life, I was a bad person. I robbed and stole and even murdered people. One day, I broke into a monastery, intending on robbing the place, when their head priest confronted me and left me no other option than to fight him. During our long battle, he bestowed a curse of separation upon me that would eventually divide my soul from my body. For many years, I searched for an answer to my curse and discovered that the only way was for me to save another human from damnation.”
“But why me?”
“Because the demon who hunts you will steal not only your soul but the souls of your family if you should fail. Remember, one of your children is slated to save all of mankind.”
Hearing those words sent chills up and down Norice’s spine. “What’s needed of me?”
The Presence delayed his answer long enough to allow the mortal to feel the weight of his response. “We need to meld in order for us to continue.”
“What do you mean, meld?”
“By bonding together, you will gain power, insight, and the knowledge to survive this ordeal.”
“For how long?”
“Once the quest is completed, we will separate, and we’ll both finally know peace. You and your family will be saved, and I will be allowed to leave this world and find eternal rest.” The Presence let his words rest for a few seconds before continuing, “You’ve trusted me thus far. Allow us to be one, and together we will be triumphant.”
Norice was scared, and the Presence felt his fear.
“If you don’t allow me to help you, then the dark one will eventually find and destroy you and your family.”
Norice’s shoulders slumped forward as he thought about the offer and what he already did. He finally conceded to his fate, allowing the Presence to guide him to the bed.
“Sleep. When you wake, you will be a new man,” the entity said.
Norice closed his eyes. After he fell asleep, the Presence entered his body.
****
Norice dreamt that he was walking in an open field with an old man close by his side. The surrounding forest was ablaze, and the sky was filled with ash and soot. The old man unexpectedly stopped and turned toward him.
“This is the future of mankind if we do not stop this demon,” the Presence said after reading his companion’s thoughts, then selected information that Norice could relate to Celthric.
Before Norice could respond, a young woman emerged through the fire and walked straight to them.
“Who are you?” she asked, looking straight at the Presence.
“I am Celthric.”
The girl smiled. “You lie, impostor,” she said and morphed into a doppelganger of the old man. “Norice, listen to me, this creature doesn’t belong here.”
Norice looked at the old man to his right and then back at the other. He was confused and didn’t know who or what to believe.
“What are you?” the Presence asked Celthric.
“That is none of your business.”
“You’re going to ruin everything,” the Presence hissed. “I need to leave this town, and Norice is going to help me.”
Norice shrunk down, becoming terrified.
“Maybe we can help each other, then?” Celthric offered the Presence.
“And why should I help you? If you took control over him first, would you have helped me?”
“You don’t understand. I am something totally different than you.”
“How so?” the Presence curiously asked.
“You will need to find me in order to discover my true power.”
“I’ll ask again, what are you?”
Celthric stared at the entity. “I can offer you a small glimpse of my true nature, then you can decide.”
The Presence mulled over his offer. “Okay. Reveal your inner thoughts to me and I will decide.”
Celthric smiled inwardly. “Look into my eyes and understand.” Celthric opened up a very secret and secluded part of his mind, and what the Presence saw pleased It immensely.
“I understand now,” the Presence began, “we will find you.” The Presence turned to Norice. “Norice, you will be safe here within your dreams. I will protect you and find Celthric, and together we will end your nightmares.”
The dream’s landscape changed. They were standing in a meadow with a nearby stream. Norice saw his wife and kids happily playing in the water. They were having so much fun. Norice no longer felt terrified. Smiling, he looked over at them. “I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”
“Enjoy yourself. We will fix everything,” Celthric said and looked at him, then at the Presence.
“I think I will stay here for a while,” Norice said and ran off to join his family.
“You are indeed powerful,” the Presence said
to Celthric.
“We will rule the world someday. Just remember to go north until you come to an ancient battlefield with the dead littering the ground. Look for me in the hands of my former owner and all will be revealed to you.”
“You’re an object, then?”
Celthric faded from the dream.
The Presence was delighted with the outcome and woke the host up. Chief Weis, Tranter, and the others left the small town of Yoken shortly before dawn. During their stay, Tranter drank himself senseless with the guards, while Chief Weis, Rhanh, and Timol spoke with several of the townspeople. One, in particular, was an old timer named Rian. He was a cartographer and tracker by trade who lived in the area for a very long time, so he knew the land. Rian gave them a map and advised them to stay clear of several locations, especially an evil place called the Circle of Demise. He also noted that the man they were following most likely would’ve stopped at the deserted town of Sinual.
With the snow falling heavily, they rode southeast and arrived at the town of Sinual by midday. Just like Rian said, the town was indeed deserted. They easily spotted the fresh tracks, leading away from Trint’s Supplies, and stopped in front of them. Tranter dismounted and analyzed the hoof prints.
“Well?” Chief Weis asked impatiently.
“I’d say he’s about a day ahead of us. We should look inside.”
“Why? He’s gone,” Rhanh said.
“Don’t you people know anything?” Tranter said in disgust and walked into the store.
Chief Weis gave his guard a look that caused him to hold his tongue in check. The tracker returned a short time later and mounted his horse as he carried their stolen supplies.
“Did you find anything?” Chief Weis asked once Tranter was situated in the saddle.
“He forgot to leave with our bags, so he’s low on food.”
“So, who cares,” Rhanh commented.
Tranter sighed. “Chief Weis, I’m getting sick and tired of your men questioning everything I say or do. Please explain to that idiot why my findings were important.”
Rhanh reached for his sword, and, in the next instance, Chief Weis had his blade out, pointing at the man. “I’m only going to say this once, so listen up. Tranter is vital to this mission, and if anyone questions his process in a demeaning way again, you will have to answer to me. Am I clear?” After his men nodded in turn, Weis sheathed his weapon and continued, “Now, that piece of information is important, because if Norice runs out of food, he’ll be forced to stop somewhere since he isn’t a hunter by trade.”
“Knowing our prey is vital to our success,” Tranter added. He took out the map and began studying it.
“Did you find anything in the building that would indicate where he is going?” Granit asked.
“Nothing.” Tranter looked directly at Chief Weis. “When you spoke to his wife, did she know anything?”
“She said he was having nightmares.”
Tranter looked at the map for a few minutes before nudging his horse northward.
The Presence and his host rode north for the next two days. On several occasions, It pondered about giving up the quest for finding Celthric, but something kept It focused on the task, and so, they rode on until Norice swayed atop his mount and eventually fell off due to exhaustion. At first, the Presence didn’t comprehend what had happened to him because It needed neither sleep, food, nor water, then It remembered that humans required such necessities in order to survive. It willed his host to crawl over to a nearby stream and drink from the cool water, then gorge on berries from a bush a few feet away.
After Norice regained some of his strength, the Presence had him tether the horse to a tree and climb inside a few bushes to sleep. While he did so, the Presence found Itself standing on a battlefield. It knew right away It was in Norice’s dreams. In the distance, the entity saw an elderly figure, dressed in gray robes and holding a walking stick. To Its left, It saw Norice playing with his children. The old man beckoned the entity forward, and It complied. Celthric watched and waited to speak until the shadowy Presence was standing before him.
“He seems very happy, doesn’t he?”
“What are you?” the Presence asked.
“I am a being like you.”
“No, you’re not. I sense something else, something darker.”
Celthric grinned. “All will be revealed in due time. I need you to understand that Norice is important and without him, this journey would not even be possible.”
“How so?”
“I am not permitted to reveal anything to you until the right time.”
“What about me? Aren’t I just as important?”
“What about you? You’re only here because you forced your will upon him.”
“What if I decide to give up your quest if you don’t tell me everything?”
“You can try, but you won’t be able to. I can sense that you crave salvation and purpose as well as he does.”
The Presence knew Celthric was right. “How much further until we meet you?”
“Another day or so, but be very careful. The men who pursue him are relentless and won’t stop until either he is captured or killed.”
“I am skilled in the art of battle and will not let that happen.”
“Good. I want you to ponder this. Once we are joined together, you will be invincible and nothing, and I mean nothing, will stand in our way. Go talk to Norice and reassure him that we will prevail, and he will be safe.” Celthric looked over at him. He was playing a game of chase with his kids. “I guess he already feels safe.”
“I guess he does,” the Presence said and walked away.
Celthric stared at Norice. “Very soon, my precious little toy, very soon,” he whispered, then disappeared from the dream.
****
When Norice woke from his dreams, so did the entity. The Presence thought about Celthric. Something was amiss, and no matter how hard It thought, It couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it was the way he was always present in his dreams or how he figured out Its own desires.
Using Norice’s voice, the Presence spoke softly. “Celthric, you think that you’re smarter than me? Think again.”
The entity willed Norice to his feet, left the safety of the bushes, mounted the horse, and left.
Chief Weis and the others rode hard through the night in order to gain ground on Norice. By dawn, they arrived at the killer’s makeshift camp. Tranter determined that he was only a half-day ahead of them. Chief Weis looked at each of his tired men and could see fatigue etched upon their faces.
“We’ll ride for a few more hours and rest,” he stated.
“But we should have him by nightfall if we don’t,” Tranter interjected.
“Good point, but if my men are tired, how effective will they be?”
“He’s just one man.”
“Keep moving, I’ll decide later,” Chief Weis said, nudging his mount forward.
They ultimately followed Tranter’s advice, but failed to find Norice, and made camp as nightfall approached.
Meanwhile, a few miles away, the Presence came upon a small camp with two armored men sitting by a fire with bowls in their hands. The entity saw their horses tethered to a nearby tree and recognized the insignia on their saddles. They were from the Order of the Blessed, which he knew was a good omen if he played his cards right. By their creed, they helped distressed individuals if deemed worthy. The entity grinned and put Its plan into motion. It took out the knife and cut Norice’s body in several different places before stumbling into their camp.
When the knights saw the stranger stumble into their camp, they stood up immediately, weapons in hand.
“What do you want, stranger?” the man with the long unkempt hair, on his left, asked.
The entity fell to his knees, breathing heavy. “I’ve been on the…run for…days.”
“Why, what happened?”
“Brigands. They attacked my village and are still chasing me.”
&nbs
p; The knight on the right gazed at Norice, trying to gauge if he was telling the truth. He also noted that he was only carrying a dagger.
“Please help me!” the Presence pleaded.
“Where are they now?” the man on the right asked.
Norice looked around nervously. “I’m not sure. The last time I saw them, it was early today.”
“Do you know how many there are?”
“At least ten.”
“Well, you’re safe here, so sit by our fire and rest.”
The entity sat near the fire. The knights did as well.
After they were situated, the knight with the long unkempt hair spoke, “My name is Hrist, and this is Prol. We are knights from the Order of the Blessed.”
“Glad to meet you. My name is Norice.”
Hrist handed him a bowl of hot stew, and the entity began eating.
“So, Norice, tell us what happened,” Prol said.
The entity told them an elaborate tale of how his town of Solarce was attacked by a bunch of brigands led by a man named Weis. It also mentioned that Its family was murdered, and It was held prisoner for a couple of days. The entity told them how It escaped and was trying to reach Stonybrook to get help.
Prol waited for him to finish before speaking, “Norice, after you leave, we’ll keep an eye out for them and stop them from finding you if we have to.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Yes. Our Order lends support whenever it’s needed,” Hrist added.
The Presence smiled inwardly. “But what if there are too many?”
“We are highly trained and can deal with them.” Prol took hold of his two-handed ax and smiled at Norice.
“How can I ever repay you?”
“Next time you travel to a town, please give a small donation to our Order and make sure you tell them of our deeds.”
****
They talked for a while longer before the Presence turned in for the evening. The knights went about placing small warning traps in case unwanted people or animals showed up unexpectedly. By morning, the Presence thanked his hosts and bade them farewell.
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 30
