“Tasty food, Bear, we have tasty food.” He said to companion, and released the catch, opening the door.
A lone human, half his size with long, dark hair, stood before him, holding a spear. Preoccupied by the sight of him, the giant forgot that he’d heard other voices not longer than a minute before.
Tasty food.” He announced. “Stay, Bear.” He ordered, and walked into the room, while tapping his club against his free hand in a way that indicated he wanted to battle this intruder.
Gilex faced the giant, and waved his hand behind his back, signaling to his men in hiding that something was in the room. He yelled at the big creature, “Come on and fight me, you coward.”
“Hmm. Human food tastes the sweetest.” The giant was more than happy to oblige the human by lunging forward, swinging his club in a side-to-side motion, and then attacking with it downwardly.
The attack was aimed for Gilex’s head. He waited patiently until the very last moment before sidestepping the enormous club. What he didn’t account for was the giant’s strength. When the club slammed into the earth, the impact shook the foundation and almost knocked him off balance. The giant lifted his mighty club and swung downward. Gilex grabbed the spear with both hands and raised it over his head just in time to block the attack, but in doing so, his weapon was bent in half. The giant was about to attack again when several arrows, from different directions, pierced his body, causing him to stumble backward, roar in pain, and then call for the bear.
The Cave Bear raced into the room and was pelted with arrows, which caused the animal to change direction in mid-stride and attack the first human in sight, Perahn. Perahn was suddenly face-to-face with the bear. He was struck in his arm by one of its powerful claws and sent flying against the wall. The bear turned to Clay and was about to pounce on him when Utar raced over and rammed his spear into the animal’s throat. Blood gushed forth from the wound. The bear reared back then fell over.
After the bear died, the giant turned to escape and was struck by another arrow from Clay, which staggered the big fellow. Despite his wounds and loss of blood, the mighty Mersdal—who prided himself as the toughest giant in all the land - ran. He was almost through the doors when he was finally brought down by a well-timed and accurate throw from Utar. His spear ripped through his left leg’s quadriceps, dropping the giant to one knee. Mersdal fumbled with the weapon, trying to pull it free, but it was too late. Gilex stabbed him through the back with one of his scimitars and used the other to do a draw-cut across his neck, severing his artery. He watched with pleasure as the giant fell over dead.
After bandaging Perahn’s bloodied and useless limb, they left the room and headed south, continuing on through the endless corridors until they entered a room that was almost caved in.
“This is getting ridiculous. Our path shouldn’t have ended this soon.” Gilex said in frustration.
“Could the map be wrong?” Rustic asked.
“Maybe or maybe it’s some sort of door.”
Clay searched the walls. He discovered a lever, buried deep within a recess of the wall, and pulled it down. The rubble on the left began to shift and split down the middle, causing the men to step back a few feet and wait for it to finish clearing. Another hallway emerged, and once they were safely through, Rustic used the lever on the other side, and the rubble closed again. The corridor went on for another hundred feet, turned sharply toward the right, where it led to another room and a lone door, at the far end, with a skull carved in the center.
“This is it. We made it,” Gilex proudly announced.
Utar approached the door and searched for traps. When he didn’t find any, he picked the lock and opened it. Bright light poured in from the outside, causing the men to squint their eyes against the light before stepping out and into a large field with hundreds of trees. The air had a crisp, clean smell to it - a nice change from the dank smell of the cave. After Clay sealed the exit, the group found a small grove of trees nearby and rested for several hours.
Birds chirped along the way, and the gentle sound of leaves rustling in the wind created a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Gilex continued to lead the group as they engaged in small talk to help pass the time. Only Rustic carried an unsheathed weapon, in case there were any unnecessary surprises. At one point, the men joked with him about the rumor of a killer rabbit roaming the region.
It was mid-afternoon when they arrived at the entrance to the Circle of Demise. Trees outlined the area, and a long stone path cut right down the middle. As they traveled through this part of the forest, the temperature grew increasingly warm and the men’s spirits lifted even higher. Gilex brought them to a halt when they came upon a ten foot high stonewall, which stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions, and brass gates hanging loosely off their hinges.
“We’re here. It should only be a few hundred yards away,” Gilex simply stated. He opened the gates and led the men through.
“Treasure, gold, I can’t wait,” Perahn joyfully said.
“And more, my young friend,” Gilex added.
When they reached the top of the hill, Gilex stopped them just short of entering to survey the area.
“It was just as the book described it.” He thought.
Enormous trees adorned with blue and purple leaves created an outer circle. Forming an inner circle were seven waist-high white pillars with strange carvings etched up and down the length, and at the forefront was a massive altar carved out of black, shiny stone. Gilex was sure that if he was standing directly in front of it, he’d be able to see his own reflection.
“This is it? You bring us here to an altar? What are you going to do, sacrifice us?” Perahn’s tone indicated he was a bit upset.
“Where’s the treasure you promised, Gilex?” Rustic chimed in.
“It’s here. I just need to uncover it,” Gilex answered without turning his head.
“And how are you going to do that?”
“After everyone has taken their proper position in front of the pillars, I will read from the book, and the treasure will be revealed. Are you ready?”
“Let’s get this over with,” Clay answered.
Gilex instructed them to stand in front of a pillar and place their hands on top of it.
“No matter what happens, or what you see, do not move.” He looked at each man before continuing. “Trust me, everything will be okay. In a few minutes, we’ll have everything I promised.”
Each man looked at the other, and then nodded in agreement. Gilex reached into his backpack and pulled out an ancient tome. He flipped through some pages and then began reading. “I llac nopu eht nomed drol harehsa ot emoc htrof morf eht stip fo lleh.”
After hearing the strange words, everyone looked around, except for Utar, who appeared to be in some sort of trance. Gilex recited the words again, and mist began swirling all around the area. After a third time, the last two words spoken were clearly “of hell.” The sky darkened, the wind started howling and blowing violently, and the tree branches began stretching and moving closer to each other until they entwined and trapped the group within the circle.
Rustic knew at once that something was wrong. He felt evil surging in and around the area, and no longer wanted any part of what was taking place. He tried to move his hands and his body, but some unimaginable force kept him rooted in place. Panic-stricken, he looked over at Clay and Perahn, who were also struggling. Gilex continued to read from the book, and this time, all who stood there, now understood his words: “I call upon the demon lord Asherah to come forth from the pits of hell.”
“What is he doing, and why is he calling forth a demon?” Rustic shouted to anyone that could hear him above the howling wind.
Gilex raised his head, and Clay noticed that his brown eyes changed to black orbs as he continued staring at nothing in particular. Gilex called forth the demon again, without looking down at the book. Now the ground shook violently, and a large hole opened in front of the altar.
&nb
sp; “What are you doing?” Clay shouted to Gilex, but he either ignored or didn’t hear him.
Agonizing seconds passed until finally they heard the sound of something clawing its way upward from the cold darkness. The men continued to struggle against the invisible restraints, but stopped when they saw a pair of black-clawed hands, reaching out of the pit and grabbing hold of the edges. They watched in terror as the owner of the claws emerged. First, a pair of ram-shaped horns appeared, then a dark human-looking head with orange eyes, followed by his perfectly chiseled torso. Finally, his muscular tree trunk legs hoisted the creature out of the hole.
In its full stature, the being was at least eight feet tall and could easily weigh two or three horses. His skin was as dark as night, and his eyes glowed brighter than the fires of hell. Gilex smiled at the realization of what he’d done. Just as the book described it would happen; everything from the mist, the darkening sky, the tree limbs entwining, the hole in the center of the pillars, and now the demon Asherah himself.
“WHO SUMMONS ME FROM THE PIT?” the demon’s voice boomed as his horns unwound and straightened to a length of four feet.
“I did, almighty Asherah,” Gilex answered.
The demon turned, looked directly at him, and then lumbered over. “WHY DID YOU AWAKEN ME FROM MY SLUMBER, MORTAL?” The demon barked at him.
“I have use of the Blood Knights.”
The demon grinned. “Are you aware of the sacrifice?”
“Yes, I am,” Gilex bravely answered.
“Place your hands on top of the pillar.”
Gilex did as he was told, and the demon looked around, studying the humans. “What are the names of you and your companions?”
“My name is Gilex and from my left to my right are Utar, Rustic, Perahn, and Clay.”
“Sacrifices, what have you done?” Rustic shouted at Gilex as he continued to struggle.
The demon stepped back, spoke some words in an unknown tongue, and when he was finished, he waved his hand toward the hole. “Mortal, I will give you what you so desperately seek. Your souls will be mine, and once your mortal shell is destroyed, you will serve me for all of eternity.”
“What?” Gilex exclaimed as his smile washed away from his face. “That’s not what the book said, demon!”
The being laughed loudly for several seconds. “Think about it, mortal. If you would’ve known the book’s true meaning, would you’ve come here to release my children and the hell they bring? You and your men are pawns for my enjoyment.” The demon’s eyes burned even brighter.
Gilex was ashamed, knowing he’d led his men straight to hell.
“What have you done? We trusted you, and this is how you repay us?” Rustic asked.
Gilex didn’t answer and now struggled along with everyone else.
“If I ever get free, I will kill you.” Clay threatened Gilex.
The demon smiled. “It’s no use resisting, mortal. My powers are stronger than your will. Your soul and the souls of your companions belong to me now.” The demon laughed and walked behind the altar. “I CALL UPON MY CHILDREN, MY CREATION AND MY EVOLUTION. COME FORTH, YOU’RE NEEDED AGAIN TO ROAM THIS PLANE OF EXISTENCE.”
From somewhere deep within the pit, the sound of metal scraping against rock was heard and became louder until it sounded like something was clawing their way up the side of the hole. Many minutes passed until they saw a pair of black gauntleted hands appear at the rim of the pit and lift the rest of the armored knight out of the pit. The being from the underworld stood tall before moving in front of the altar. The black platemail was outlined with red trim and displayed a crest, which depicted Asherah slaying a much larger demon. Sheathed across the undead knight’s back was a great two-handed sword, which - even though the ancient blade was covered - emitted a greenish hue that radiated pure evil. More clawing sounds came from below until five more knights, identical to the first in every aspect, walked in front of the altar.
Utar finally snapped out of his trance, while Perahn took notice of their beady red eyes, peering out at them from the top of their visors.
“Let me introduce you to my children. To my left is Gyleon. Next to him are Rantar, Umunis, Criptheon, and lastly, Prain.” Asherah could barely contain his excitement.
The demon closed the pit with a wave of his hand and stepped out in front of the altar, raising his clawed hands to signify the beginning of the proceedings. Gilex was horrified at the realization of his and everyone else’s fate. If he’d only known the book’s true intention, he would’ve thrown it away and given up his quest for revenge. Silently he vowed that whatever happens this day, he would make amends to his men and never serve this demon for eternity.
“Criptheon, my child.” The demon spoke the knight’s official name. Upon hearing it, he turned his helmeted head to face his father. “Merge with the mortal named Clay.”
The knight nodded, turned his attention toward Clay, and walked over to him. Clay struggled to break free, but it was futile. The knight grabbed hold of his left arm, lifting it free from the pillar with ease, and forced him to open the knight’s visor. Fearful, Clay instinctively turned away from his gaze, but the knight grabbed his chin with his free hand, and forced him to look.
In the next instant, a bright light radiated from within his helmet and shined onto Clay’s face. Clay screamed, which horrified the rest of the men as they could only imagine what he saw. His screams lasted several minutes until his heart gave out, and his body became limp and lifeless. The knight, known as Criptheon, lifted the carcass high into the air and discarded it into the center of the circle. Asherah produced a transparent square object and called for Criptheon. The Blood Knight walked over to his father, touched the cube, electricity sparked forth from his fingers, transferring something into the cube. The transferred mystery took the shape of a small, circular object and began moving inside of the box. One by one, the demon called forth the other knights to perform the same ritual. No matter how much Rustic resisted Rantar, and Perahn denied Prain, their fates were sealed. Utar almost broke free of his bonds from Umunis, but in the end, he gave in to the Blood Knight’s will.
“You will pay for this, demon!” Gilex said to Asherah.
“Mortal, accept your fate. You sought my help out.” The demon snapped at him. “Don’t worry; you will have the revenge you so desperately sought.”
All right, demon, get this over with!” Gilex said, no longer caring whether he lived or died.
Asherah grinned and ordered the last of his knights to merge with him. The knight marched over and took hold of his arm. Instead of resisting, Gilex freely lifted his visor and stared deeply into those beady little eyes. His hallucinations were by far the worst of them all. He saw gruesome images of wars, disasters, children being slaughtered, and monsters. Somehow, through it all, he knew that it wasn’t real. Thus, a little part of his essence remained, and the battle began for dominance between Gilex and the knight known as Gyleon.
After Gilex’s body was discarded, and the merging was finally completed, the mist dissipated and the trees transformed back to their original state. Asherah gazed upon his children, thinking about the last time they walked this plane; the one known to his kin as the Other. After they completed the quest for another greedy mortal, they encountered a group of knights known as the Pure Ones. They would’ve beaten them if it wasn’t for their leader, a human named Realer. He used something called Pure Light, and his offspring were whisked back down to the lower planes and rooted by his side. How it worked still puzzled him to this day. But that was over a century ago and any remnants of Realer or his children should have died out by now.
His thoughts turned to mortals in general and how easy it was to trick them. All you needed was the right bait. For Gilex, his Book of Blood was a perfect instrument for his quest of revenge. He was enticed after reading the first few pages. The ones Asherah wrote, the ones that promised revenge and power but delivered the Entrapment Chant instead. The demon smiled, and his h
orns curled backward into the ram shape once again.
“Entrapment Chant,” he said, snickering. “Such a useful tool. With some, it grants healing and fighting skills, while others receive levitation and telekinesis. All powers were designed to assist the reader with the ultimate task, and that’s for them to venture forth to my circle and become my pawns.”
Asherah suddenly became a proud demon. He was clever, strong, and knew that he was capable of ruling his world, and, someday, he would. The demon turned his attention back toward his offspring.
“My children,” the demon began, “you’re free to roam this plane.” Each of the knights turned toward their father. “Gyleon, I want you to hide the book in the Cave of the Dead again, then fulfill the mortal’s request by eliminating his enemies. After that, go forth and recover the Horn of Substance.” Gyleon nodded. “Once you have it, bring the horn back here and release me, so that I can walk with you once more. Go now, my children.”
Gyleon was the first to leave, followed by Rantar, Umunis, Criptheon, and lastly, Prain. After they were gone, he looked into the Cube of Entrapment and stared at the souls trapped within. He studied them for a while, wondering what they were thinking as they floated by for his amusement, then turned his attention toward the setting sun. His time was running short, and with a wave of his hand, the hole opened again. Excited by his new prospect, Asherah grinned and then descended toward the darkest place ever known to exist.
A Demon's Quest the Beginning of the End the Trilogy Box Set Page 60
