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

by Charles Carfagno Jr.

  “What happens if you can’t help his niece?”

  “He didn’t say.”

  “I wish you had some more of those arrows”

  “Why?”

  “Because he might be a demon too.”

  Suddenly, Katara caught a glimpse of a young woman standing nearby trying to listen to their conversation.

  “Can we help you?” She asked her.

  The woman, slightly older than Katara, wearing tattered formal clothes, came forth.

  “I overheard you talking to those men about young Sybil,” she paused and looked around before continuing. “If you come with me, I’ll tell you where she is and what happened after her uncle left.”

  Katara and Torhan looked at each other and nodded.

  They followed the woman to her house a few streets away. She was nervous the entire time and when they reached the front door, she paused looking left and right as if making sure no one was following them. She unlocked the door and they entered. The small house was just like the woman, dirty. It didn’t surprise Torhan and Katara given the woman’s personal appearance. Stairs leading to the second floor were directly in front of them. To their left, was the living room with a sofa and square table that saw better days, and a bookshelf full of old beat up novels. To their right was the eating area. In the center of the room was a square table with many dirty dishes scattered on top, and beyond the table, was a hearth. A fire burned inside and a kettle, hanging by a hooked arm, sat just above the flames.

  “Please excuse the mess, I wasn’t expecting any company.” The woman said and led them to the table in the kitchen. After clearing the dirty crockery, she introduced herself as Clodovea and offered her guests tea and cheese, which they politely accepted and sat down. Once served, Torhan and Katara introduced themselves, and Clodovea began telling them about Sybil.

  “Five years ago, a family named Lockington arrived in Snowdrift and purchased one of the biggest houses just outside of town. They were a cute family; mother, father who made his fortune after he discovered a platinum mine, a son named Rodle, who was the age of seven and a four-year-old little girl named Sybil. Shortly after they moved in, they hired me to care for their house and children. Over the years, I became very close with them, especially Sybil. She was such a doll. We would play games all the time, and she loved my scary bedtime stories.” Clodovea paused as if she was remembering a pleasant thought and then her facial expressions changed somewhat to concern. “What was strange was that while Sybil played outside, different types of animals would just walk up to her and sit by her side as if they were protecting her. Small harmless ones at first like cats, dogs, squirrels, and birds. Then, as she got older, bigger ones like bears, wolves, and big cats. Even when she came inside they remained out there for a very long time.”

  “When it first happened, did you tell her parents?” Katara asked.

  “I did, but they told me it had been happening since she was one.”

  “That is very strange. I wonder what summoned them to her.”

  “It’s like the child can commune with the animals.” Torhan added.

  “When Sybil was older she said the animals did speak with her, but the parents said to ignore her because she’s just a child and for her not to mention it to anyone else.”

  “Did you tell anyone?” Katara asked.

  “I loved the job, the children, and the money, so I kept quiet.” She looked towards the door and then back at them. “Would you like some more tea?”

  They both nodded and she got up, grabbed the kettle, and refilled their cups.

  “When did Molech come to Snowdrift?” Torhan asked Clodovea after she was seated again.

  “A few years ago and I can tell you right now I did not like him from the moment I met him.” She paused. “It was something in his eyes that I didn’t like. Anyway, it was Sybil’s sixth birthday, and he stayed for several days and nights. Before leaving, he gave her this beautiful nightgown and teddy bear that she absolutely loved.” She paused to take a sip of tea then stared down at the table.

  “So what happened next?” Katara asked.

  “Well everything was fine until a few nights later when Sybil went to bed. I was reading her a story, and normally she likes to interact, but this time she went silent halfway through. When I looked up, I noticed she was just staring at the ceiling. When I couldn’t snap her out of it, I called her father, and he wasn’t able to either. In a panic, Mr. Lockington rushed her over to the healers, they used all sorts of herbs and techniques, and her condition didn’t change. Mrs. Lockington summoned priest Piersum, and he believed Sybil was either under some sort of spell or curse and left to research her condition.”

  “What did he find?” Torhan asked.

  “He returned several nights later and declared she was under a curse and the only way to bring her out was to use an amulet called… it was strange sounding… Hmm… RIM, RUM…” She paused.

  “Was it called REM?” Torhan said.

  “Yes that’s what it was called REM. How did you know?”

  “Katara’s Order knows about the amulet of REM as well. Please continue.”

  “Priest Piersum told them he believed the amulet was in a nearby crypt, and the parents took his advice and hired some people and went looking for it. That was the last time anyone ever saw them or the group, for that matter.” Clodovea somberly said looking down.

  “Whatever happened to Molech?” Katara asked.

  “The townspeople hired a tracker to find him, but the tracker never returned either.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She is in the care of priest Piersum.”

  “Why didn’t you look after her?”

  “The parents wanted him to care for her while they were away.”

  “We’re going to see the priest.” Torhan said.

  Clodovea gave them directions and Torhan gave her some money, which brought a smile to her weathered face.

  It was around dusk when they finally left Clodovea’s cottage and made their way to the far northern part of town. They walked along in silence and when they arrived at the Temple of the Saintly, they found the doors locked. Katara knocked a few times and when no one answered, they walked around back to the small house next to the temple.

  “This must be where he stays.” She stated, walked up to the door, and knocked.

  An elderly man, wearing brown robes opened the door. He was of medium height with a stomach that gave off the impression that he hadn’t missed a meal in very long time. The white rope trussed around his large stomach was cinched so tightly it looked like it could snap at any minute.

  “Can I help you?” He asked.

  “Are you the priest Piersum? Katara asked.

  He nodded.

  “Can we talk to you about Sybil?”

  The priest looked at them for several long minutes before responding. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Katara and this is Torhan. We hail from the town of Mirkin, and my Order has sent me to help.”

  “And what Order would that be?” The priest was growing a bit suspicious.

  “I belong to the Order of the Hallowed.”

  “If that’s where you’re from, then answer me two things first, and I’ll allow you entrance. Who leads your Order now?”

  “Brother Pien.”

  “And before that?”

  “Brother Migtra.”

  “Very good. Come on in.” The priest opened the door and allowed them inside.

  The building was outdated and somewhat poorly maintained; Katara noticed, as they were being led through several rooms until they arrived in the eating area. Priest Piersum asked them to sit down at the small round table.

  “Now tell me why the Order of the Hallowed has an interest in helping this child out?”

  Torhan and Katara looked at each other and then back at the priest. Katara chose her words carefully before speaking.

  “A few weeks ago a man, wounded and half-crazed, appeared
at my Order asking for our help.” She began. “While we were working on his injuries, he kept rambling on that he was part of an expedition that went looking for an amulet called REM near the town of Snowdrift. Before losing consciousness, he pleaded with us to come to Snowdrift and help a girl named Sybil and not to let her parent’s death be in vain.”

  “I see. So just like that they sent someone to investigate?”

  “If a cause is just, then my Order rarely turns anyone away.”

  “Did you talk to him?” Piersum quickly injected trying to gauge if their story was truthful.

  “Not directly. I heard that he succumbed to his wounds shortly thereafter.”

  “And what’s your story?” The priest asked, looking directly at Torhan.

  “Katara and I are childhood friends and when she told me that she was coming here I couldn’t let her go alone.”

  “Childhood friends huh, where are you from?” Torhan wasn’t sure where he was going with the question, so he plainly said.

  “Mirkin.”

  “Mirkin you say? Who are you people?”

  “What do you mean?” Katara interjected quickly.

  “Torhan you say that you are from Mirkin, but your accent says you’re from the southern region. In fact, you don’t sound like you’re from Mirkin either,” he looked at Katara. The priest was becoming edgy as he gazed at them.

  “Priest Piersum you’re becoming paranoid,” Katara said in a calming voice. “It is true we’re not originally from Mirkin. We both grew up in the town of Wistful.”

  “Then why did you say you were?”

  “I was living there studying under the tutelage of priest Abiathar when my Order sent me to investigate her condition. Torhan is my best friend and was staying with me. If you don’t want us to help her just say the word, and we’ll leave.”

  Priest Piersum realized the child’s well-being was more important than his fears and relaxed a bit.

  “I apologize for my doubt, but that uncle of hers is to blame for this mess.”

  “What uncle?” Torhan asked as if he didn’t know.

  Priest Piersum proceeded to tell them the story of how Molech suddenly showed up for her sixth birthday, gave her a silver and blue gown along with a black teddy bear as gifts, then after he left, she fell into a trance shortly thereafter.

  He looked down and said. “I should have never told the parents about the amulet. I knew retrieving it was beyond their skills.”

  “You shouldn’t feel guilty about them,” Katara said when she noticed his face took on the appearance of guilt. “It’s not your fault. Any parent would have done the exact same thing they did. Let us help, we're quite skillful and should be able to retrieve the relic.”

  The priest thought about it and then stood up, “Come with me.” He said.

  He led them upstairs to the room farthest in the back. Sleeping on a large bed was a little girl dressed in a white nightgown. Sybil’s long, curly blonde hair was draped over her chest, moving in rhythm with each breath she took; she looked peacefully asleep.

  “Here she is.” The priest said.

  “I thought she was in some sort of trance?”

  “Sometimes she closes her eyes and sleeps.”

  Katara walked over to the bed and knelt down beside it. She whispered into her ear, telling Sybil that she would do whatever it would take to bring her back. Surprisingly, Sybil stirred as if she’d actually heard her.

  Katara smiled. “Sometimes the sleeping can hear you and need encouragement.” She announced.

  “Are they the gifts?” Torhan asked priest Piersum, pointing to the dresser with a blue gown and stuffed brown teddy bear on top.

  The priest nodded. “We removed it a few days after she developed her condition, thinking they are what caused it.”

  Torhan picked up the garment and bear. The gown felt silky under his touch, and the bear appeared to be just a stuffed animal. He placed them down again.

  They left the room and went back downstairs and sat at the table again.

  “Where is the amulet located?” Torhan asked.

  “I do not know where the amulet is, but I do know someone that does.”

  “Who?”

  “A hermit named Tole. He used to serve at our temple several years back and often spoke of the amulet, but never revealed its location.”

  “What exactly does the amulet do?” Katara asked.

  “He said it could grant the bearer the power to enter someone’s mind while they’re asleep.”

  “It sounds like a powerful item.” Torhan added.

  “It certainly is. Think about what someone could do to if they enter your dreams and place subliminal messages or worse kill you outright.”

  “How will the amulet save her?” Katara asked.

  “I believe she’s trapped inside of her mind. If someone, like myself, can use the amulet to get inside of her head and lead her out she will be cured.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “I can.”

  “So once we get the amulet we'll bring it back here, and you’ll save her right?”

  Piersum nodded.

  “Where can we find Tole?” Katara asked.

  “He decided to take the life of solitude and lives in a large grove northwest of here. You can’t miss it; it's the first one you come to after you clear the forest surrounding Snowdrift.”

  “We’ll go see him in the morning.”

  They spoke for several more hours before leaving and getting a room at the inn.

  The only room available was one with a single bed. Torhan offered to sleep on the chair, but Katara wouldn’t have it. As long as they slept with their clothes on she said she would be fine. Once they were situated, Katara spoke in hushed tones.

  “I wonder what Molech’s intentions are? We heard the same story about him from two different people. Do you think the gifts put Sybil in the state she’s in or was it merely coincidence?”

  “I’m not sure. He seemed genuinely concerned when he asked me to bring her out of it. He had to know we’d find out about what people were saying.”

  “Maybe someone framed him by either drugging Sybil or giving him the cursed items to give to the child.”

  “I’m not sure it’s a drug because the priest said he did everything he could to bring her out, and it would’ve left her system by now, right?”

  “Yes. Unless the priest is a demon in disguise and is working with Clodovea to frame Molech.”

  “But why?” Torhan paused, “What can anyone gain by using a child who could commune with animals? It doesn’t seem like it could be of any worth, I mean what are they going to do, use Sybil to summon a pack of wolves and terrorize a town?”

  “It does sound a bit odd. Furthermore, Molech knows about the amulet, so why doesn’t he get it himself?”

  “He knows about it, but maybe he doesn’t know where to find it and he can’t come back to the town and ask anyone because he’s a wanted person.”

  “There are so many unanswered questions.” Katara stated.

  “I agree it doesn’t make much sense. So let’s say what they are saying is true about Molech; what is he going to do with a child with her abilities?”

  “Even if he’s a demon what ties does a demon have with Sybil and why would he need her? What could she offer? Do her skills increase as she gets older? Does the gown enhance her abilities, so he can leverage her skills for his own needs?"

  “I guess we’ll find out when we bring her out of it and try to collect the reward from Molech.”

  “We'd better stay on our guard from him and priest Piersum once we get the amulet.”

  They remained lost in their thoughts until they fell asleep. When morning arrived, they dressed and left the inn. Outside the snow was falling heavily.

  “Where do you think we should go first?” Torhan asked.

  “Let’s stock up on outerwear and see if the weather gets worse. If it does, we’ll wait until tomorrow to visit Tole.” Katara
replied.

  They entered the Tracker’s Delight store. The store was filled with many items, including furs, hiking gear, pots and pans, rope, oversized backpacks, tinderboxes, and bundles of kindle. Mounted on the walls were the heads of different animals; some they recognized and some they didn’t. The store was empty of people, so they took their time looking around. When they got near the front of the store, a plump man in his mid-years, , came walking out.

  “Welcome to my store. I am Domin and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. If I can’t answer them I’m sure the wall will.”

  “The wall?” Torhan replied.

  “Yup the wall, I’m sure one of the heads has the answer you seek.” Domin laughed loudly.

  “I love that one.” Katara said chuckling along with him.

  “What do you have in furs?” Torhan asked after he was finished laughing.

  “Let me ask the wall. Wall, what do we have?” Domin looked around, and Katara smiled. “The wall says for me to go look in the back.” He said and left.

  “Do you think the wall talks to him?” Torhan asked jokingly, and Katara nodded.

  Their wait wasn’t long before Domin came out holding many fur items, which he plopped down in front of them.

  “What exactly are you looking for?”

  “We’ll need something warm that can offer protection against weapons.” Torhan answered.

  “How much?” Domin quickly asked.

  “How much what?”

  “How much protection do you want against weapons or the cold? Or do you want an equal amount of both?” Domin was quick to point out.

  “What do you recommend?” Katara asked.

  “Rule of thumb,” he held up his left hand pointing to his thumb with the finger from his right. “More warmth means less mobility, more mobility means less warmth and protection against weapons and the weather. What I would do, given this time of year is buy the warmest boots and hats I sell. If you switch weapons to let’s say a spear or halberd, then I would get one of my heaviest furs as well. You don’t need much movement if you want to poky, poky someone, right?” Domin suddenly bent down and when he appeared again he was holding up an oval oversized wooden shoe. “You should also think about buying this for your feet. I call it The Snowshoe.”