Torhan notched an arrow, pulled back the bowstring with all of his enhanced might, and fired.
Raum never saw the arrow, but felt its impact for only a brief second, as it pierced his good eye and punctured his brain, causing the demon to stagger backward, then fall forward dead.
Dybbuk was on his feet again and limped over toward Torhan.
“Torhan, you have fought very well,” he began, “and more importantly, fulfilled your obligation. You may keep the scabbard as my...”
“Was I just a pawn in your game?” Torhan interrupted him.
The demon smiled as best as he could. “We are all pawns, are we not?”
“How so?”
“For starters, how did you acquire the leaves fastened to the shaft of the arrows and know what to do with them?”
It was no use in hiding the information from him, Torhan thought. “A Tree Spirit named Ailith told me all about you and how to break your immunity to mortal weapons.”
“Ailith? She’s a Tree Spirit? So that’s what happened to her,” Dybbuk laughed.
“Happened to her? What do you mean?” Torhan was puzzled.
“Where did you meet her?” The demon’s eyes narrowed.
“On my way here I traveled through the Harazon Forest and met a creature named Lord Sim. He introduced me to her.”
“Lord Sim? He’s with her as well.” The demon snickered. “This is indeed getting good. I bet they crafted some wild tale about me, didn’t they, and how I did them wrong?
“They did tell me a lot about you.”
“Not that I need to explain, but would you like to hear the truth about her?”
Intrigued, Torhan nodded.
“Before she became the so-called Tree Spirit, Ailith was a demon much like me and my former associate.” He looked over at Raum and then back. “It all began in our home world when the Overlord granted her the right to serve with me and take control of your world, which was an honor given the fact he never allowed females to have such privileges. For the most part, we worked well together and things were progressing, until one day, an attempt was made on my life by Lord Sim’s people, and I found out she was behind it. I’ve known her for a long time, and I can tell you this, she did not come up with this idea on her own. So when I confronted her, she denied this, of course, until I showed her the heads of those responsible, and I had no choice but to torture and kill her for her treacherous plot. I’ll give her credit, she never revealed her accomplice.”
“Did you ever find out who that was?”
“Not directly, but I have a good idea it was Raum.”
“How?”
“Because he suddenly arrived into your world unannounced and tried to kill me a few moons later.”
“So Raum tried killing you?”
“He did, but that’s a long story, and I don’t have time.”
“Are you sure he was here for revenge?”
“Call it a demon’s intuition, because no one from my world enters yours without the Overlord’s consent, and he didn’t prove it to me.”
“What’s going to happen to Ailith?”
“She will atone for her actions, and I promise you this, she will not exist anymore.” His voice sounded gleeful as his eyes glowed red with hatred.
“I have a question for you. How did you know that I wasn’t going to shoot you?” Torhan asked, snapping the demon out of his vengeful trance.
“I didn’t, nor did I detect the arrow’s true nature until the shaft burned Raum’s hand as he tried to remove it.”
“I think Raum knew something was different about the arrow, because he had a chance to touch it before the fight but didn’t.”
“Maybe, but I’m also guessing he didn’t know about the scabbard’s abilities either, because, if he had, he would’ve taken action against you sooner. Too bad for him.” Dybbuk snickered.
“So giving me the scabbard was a part of your plan as well?”
“I gave you the relic so that the odds were stacked in your favor. I couldn’t take a chance on you dying along the way.”
“How was he able to hurt you, aren’t you immune to mortal weapons?”
“The flail he used was from my world, not yours. It’s useless to mortals and will turn to dust if they choose to wield it.”
“Did you kill Tomal?”
“Did I? No. I had one of my men do that for me, because you would have never agreed to help me then, right?”
“Who was it, the assassin?” Torhan snapped.
“It might have been,” Dybbuk replied coldly.
“Where is he now? I want to confront him.”
“Who, the assassin?”
“Yes, the assassin,” Torhan demanded.
“I am unable to accommodate your request, because he met with an accident this morning. You see, he didn’t take too kindly to your monk friend and wanted to kill him, so I left him to his own contrivance. It turned out your friend was more than a match for him, but unfortunately, he died as well.”
Torhan felt responsible for Brother Sao’s death, and Dybbuk saw the look upon his face.
“Don’t mourn him, he served a definite purpose.”
“How so?”
“Well, my assassin also had an issue with you, and he was going to kill you as soon as you left the town.”
Torhan’s heart sank at the probability. Just then, Dybbuk heard what sounded like troops approaching the cathedral, but they were still far enough away.
“Like I said before, we are all pawns in someone’s plot.” The demon rubbed his arm. “I must be going now. I have my own affairs to contend with in my world. Plus, guards are coming, and I’m in no shape to fight. I advise you to do the same.”
Torhan was about to turn away.
“I’ll take that quiver of yours,” Dybbuk said.
“For what?”
“I can’t have you armed with a weapon that you could use against me. Plus, there are no more demons in your world.”
Torhan hesitantly handed it to him and slung the bow over his shoulder.
“Torhan, if you make it back to Redden, you’re entitled to anything within my house. I have no need for such trinkets anymore.”
Torhan nodded and left through the side door.
Dybbuk looked at Raum and then at the carnage he was leaving behind. He knew his time in the place known as the Other was wasted, and he’d have to make amends with the Overlord. He took a deep breath, limped toward the backroom, and entered the cellar stairs just as the guards came through the church’s vestibule. When he reached the bottom floor, he opened the portal with a wave of his hand, stepped through, and sealed the entrance from the other side.
****
Outside, Torhan hurried down the stairs three at a time until he reached the landing and quickly sprinted through the cemetery toward the western wall. He was halfway across when he heard someone shout that there was someone in the cemetery.
He paused and saw guards climbing up the fence. He knew that if he got caught this time, there wouldn’t be a trial or someone to save him. Fearful, he ran on. When the first of the guards landed on the ground, he shot his crossbows and missed Torhan. In response to the attack, Torhan’s scabbard glowed and sent the dagger to engage the man. As more men climbed over the fence, the back door to the church suddenly slammed opened. Torhan glanced over his shoulder and saw his worst nightmare. It was that bullish captain of the guard, who captured him earlier. Even though it was dark, he could see his delightful grin.
“Hold your fire,” he shouted, “this one is all mine!”
The big man was agile enough to jump over the railing, land on the ground, and burst into a full run while releasing his cudgel from his back. Torhan ran harder, and when he reached the wall, he frantically looked for a way to climb over it.
“You’re a dead man,” the captain shouted.
Torhan grabbed the rough edges of the stones and pulled himself up but lost his grip and slid back down. After his second failed atte
mpt, the scabbard sensed the captain’s intentions and commanded the dagger to fly from across the grounds to engage him. The other guards ran over to join their captain. Torhan tried again to climb the wall. After he slid back down, he conceded that he would have to fight his way out and turned around, unsheathing his sword.
The captain successfully deflected the weapon with the cudgel, then timed his strike perfectly, and whacked the blade, sending it spiraling into a nearby tree, where it became lodged and couldn’t release itself.
Torhan swallowed hard as the giant of a man smiled in anticipation and slowly walked over savoring the coming battle. Torhan readied his stance, then something brushed against his back. He turned around and saw a rope hanging down in front of the wall. He didn’t care if it was intended for him or not, he grabbed the rope and began climbing. When the captain saw him climbing toward freedom, he raced over, jumped up, grabbed the ledge with his left hand, and began pulling his bulky form up. Both men reached the top at the same time.
“Trying to escape? Not this time,” the guard said.
Torhan carefully backed away as he closed in.
Down below in the cemetery, the other guards pooled around the wall to watch their commander fight, while on the other side of the wall, a lone figure came out of seclusion, swinging a sling above her head. She took aim and hurled the rock at the captain, hitting him in the side of the head and dazing him. He began teetering to the side and dropped to his knee for support. Torhan seized the moment and pushed him over the side, where he landed on several of his men.
“Jump down,” a female voice shouted from below.
Torhan jumped down. When he tried pulling the rope up, he was met with resistance. He knew what that meant, so he cut the rope and heard someone fall with a thud. He turned and saw a raven-haired figure emerge from the shadows holding a sling. Torhan recognized her as the healer.
“Follow me, we have to go,” she said.
They ran through the streets, toward her house, and made it there without any confrontation. Once inside, she barred the door behind them and frantically collected anything of importance that they would need during their travels.
A few minutes later, they heard footfalls and voices approaching her house, which was followed by someone pounding on the door.
“Open up or we’ll break down the door, witch,” someone shouted.
Katara grabbed Torhan’s hand and pulled him toward the backroom. She opened the window and moved to the corner of the room. Outside, the guards began kicking in the door.
“Time to go,” she said.
Torhan looked through the window. “We’re never going to get away.”
Ignoring him, she moved the table aside and pulled the rug back just enough to reveal a trapdoor underneath. She opened it, grabbed him by the arm, and practically shoved him down the stairs. She followed him, lowered the trapdoor, slid the latch into place, and ordered him to move.
They traversed the stairs quickly, then went through another door.
“Where does this lead?” Torhan asked.
“Out of the town,” she said and handed him a glow rock. “Activate it.”
While he was doing so, Katara closed and locked the door and led him down the tunnel.
After the guards finally broke the door down, they raced through the tiny house looking for the criminals. When they reached the backroom and saw the window open, they naturally assumed that the duo climbed through and left. Two guards stayed behind to look for clues while waiting to see if they would return.
One of the guards noticed the carpet was moved recently and pulled back the rug, discovering the trapdoor.
“What do we have here?” he said, tried lifting the door, and couldn’t. “It’s locked from the other side.”
“Smash it in,” the other said.
Together they pounded on the door until it cracked and splintered apart, allowing them to descend. They came to the other locked door. The guard who found the trapdoor was an expert locksmith and took out his tools.
“This won’t take long,” he said and went to work on the lock.
The tunnel ended in a circular room with different shaped logs scattered about and another passageway at the far end. A backpack sat neatly beside the exit, which Torhan figured was left there in case of an emergency.
Katara instructed Torhan to gather the other logs, while she rolled the largest one toward the center of the room. When she was finished, they placed the remaining branches on the side of the larger log as if they were arms and legs. After that, Katara knelt down in front of the wood and began chanting in a language Torhan did not understand and could only surmise was ancient in origin.
Eventually, the wood began vibrating and moving around until the thick branches inched their way closer toward the center log and attached themselves to it and each other, creating a wooden figure complete with a head, torso, and bendable arms and legs. The wooden figure came to life and opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth, then its eyelids parted and two large, round eyes appeared.
Her chant intensified, and the creature began rolling around until it stood up. Katara stopped her chanting, stood, and instructed her animated sentinel to guard the room and kill anything that entered. The timber warrior began moving slowly toward the entrance and stopped when it was less than a foot away from where they entered.
“That should hold them long enough for us to escape,” she said.
Torhan was about to ask her how she created this creature, but she just waved him off.
“Another time, right now we have to go,” she said, picked up the backpack, and ran down the tunnel.
“Got it,” the guard said after he heard the faint click of the locking mechanism.
“Captain Strom will be proud of us when we bring them back,” the other added.
They drew their swords and ran off in pursuit of their quarry.
After moving through the semi-darkness of the chasm for several minutes, they entered a circular room and failed to see the guardian until it was too late. They were both struck by its wooden arms and sent flying backward. The sentry lumbered toward them, maw snapping in anticipation, when it saw them staggering to their feet.
One of the men gained enough of his senses to attack, but his sword did absolutely nothing against the bark. The six-foot wooden protector swung one of its limbs and ripped his head clean from his shoulders, leaving his body standing where it was for several long seconds, spewing blood from the stump, before falling over.
Stricken with fear, the other man remained motionless as the guardian slid its limbs under his armpits and hoisted him into the air kicking and screaming. The wooden man opened its mouth, shoved his head in, and, with one powerful chomp, severed his head at the neck. With the threat neutralized, it returned to its post and waited for more intruders.
The passageway eventually ended at a closed wooden door. Katara took out a strange-looking key and unlocked the door.
Smiling, she said, “We’re free.”
However, when she turned the knob and pushed on the door, it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, and the door wouldn’t give way. “It must be jammed on the other side,” she said.
“Can I try?” Torhan offered, and Katara stepped aside.
After placing both hands squarely on the wood, he pushed. At first, it wouldn’t budge, then the bracers sensed he needed more strength and glowed a bluish hue, which was followed by a strange sensation coursing up and down his arms. Torhan’s physical strength increased to the point where he felt powerful. Grunting, he pushed harder, and the wood moaned and began to creak. Dust fell from the ceiling. Wood began splintering, and, with a mighty shove, the door tore from the hinges and slammed to the earth. Torhan looked over and smiled at Katara. She smiled back.
“Where did you get the gauntlets?”
“I found them in a cave.”
“Do you have an extra set?”
Torhan grinned and left the tunnel, walking out into the em
erging sunlight. Once they were outside, they found a large enough boulder to cover the doorway, then they walked westward.
A few hours later, they came upon a cluster of trees and decided to rest for a while. Torhan quickly lit a small fire, while Katara placed a blanket on the ground, so they could sit in comfort and eat.
She opened the backpack. “We have cheese, crusty bread, and rotten fruit, or rotten fruit, crusty bread, and cheese,” she joked.
“I’ll take the second option without the fruit.”
Katara smiled and placed the small block of cheese alongside the loaf of bread, then divided it into four portions. Torhan sat down and together they ate.
During the meal, Katara noticed Torhan had something on his mind.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked and took a bite of bread.
“How did you animate the wooden guard?”
Katara finished what was in her mouth before responding. “It’s a little hard to explain, so I’ll do my best.” She took a gulp of water from the waterskin and continued. “The wooden guard is called a Tirip and…”
“Tirip?” Torhan interrupted.
“That’s what they’re called. I guess you’ve never heard of them, have you?”
Torhan shook his head.
“Tirips are spirits from another plane of existence, and if you have the right chant, you can summon them to inhabit a particular host and do your bidding until they expire.”
“Expire. What do you mean?”
“There are two ways. When their physical host is destroyed or after two weeks. Both will send them back to their dimension.”
“I’m guessing there are more than one Tirip?”
“From what I’ve been told, there are seven: Vacuum, Stone, Fire, Metal, Wood, Water, and Air. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses, and some can defeat others. For instance, Wood Tirips can defeat Water Tirips, but not the Fire Tirips, unless they are larger than the Water Tirips.”
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 35
