After brooding for a long time, Alec realized that his captive had fallen asleep, laying back against him. The other members of the squad were undoubtedly tired as well. “Let’s spend the night in there,” Alec suggested to Adelmo as they came upon a empty barn near a crossroads.
He awoke Bauer and led him into the barn, suggesting he take a spot in the hayloft that Alec could watch from his guard post by the door. As they unsaddled the horses and tied them in the empty stalls, Claudia lit a lantern and came over to talk to him.
“Why are you shirtless, and who is the boy? How did the raid go?” asked Ofelia, usually the quietest member of the squad, who came over to join him as Claudia arrived.
“The boy is wearing my shirt; he didn’t have one when we started to leave,” Alec began to explain, glancing up to see eyes staring down at him.
“What did you do, go to the nursery to pick up a kid?” Ofelia interrupted.
“No,” Alec took a deep breath, “he was in the sorcerers’ tent; he had on one of their black robes. He is a sorcerer,” he admitted, as all eyes from the rest of the squad turned from him to the boy up in the loft.
“What? You saved one of them and brought him with you?” Claudia practically shrieked.
“I heard him moaning in pain in the tent as we were carrying out our raid. The boy was talking in the same language I used to speak in my homeland. It caught my attention, and I picked him up, healed him, and brought him along,” Alec explained. “I had no plan, no intention. I just heard a voice, and it was like a voice from the past, and I saved him.”
“What are you going to do now?” Hector questioned.
“I’m going to stand watch, while all of you get some sleep,” he replied, with nothing else to add at the moment. “I just told them everyone needs to go to sleep, and that includes you,” Alec looked up at the loft and spoke in the old language. “We’ll start out again tomorrow morning and be safe. Then you and I can talk.”
“And you say you do not plan to kill me?” Bauer spoke for the first time since entering the barn. “You are not saving me for a sacrifice?”
“I will not kill you; we do not carry out human sacrifices,” Alec affirmed. “I don’t know what I will do with you, but I will not harm you or kill you. Now get some sleep.”
The boy rolled out of sight, and Alec extinguished the lantern, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness as he engaged his ingenaire abilities as a low level.
There was a whispered conversation, one that his acute hearing found perfectly audible.
“What if he calls one of those demons down on us?” Huena prodded Hector. “I don’t think it’s safe to have him around.”
“Trust the Demonslayer,” Hector replied calmly.
“I’m sleeping with one eye open,” Huena answered, but said no more.
Alec sat silently and thought more. It was a mistake; he had made a mistake. Now he would have to figure out what to do. He would have to figure the boy out; whether he was a threat, whether he could call a demon. He would have to use his Spiritual energy to try to understand the new member of his squad, and to hopefully expose himself to Bauer in a way that would be positive. The boy was young, and hopefully not completely enmeshed in the most evil practices of the sorcery world.
The breathing of the others grew calm and regular, and Alec knew he was the only one awake. He remained awake through the short remainder of the night, and let the others sleep as the sky became gray, then pink. They had about two days ride to get to Cearche, he calculated, and he could spend that time communicating with Bauer during the ride.
Alec awoke Adelmo. “I’m going to go gather some breakfast,” he said gently. “I should be back in half an hour. Don’t let him,” he motioned upward to the loft, “go anywhere until I get back.” He took his bandolier of knives and went out into the dawn, crouching through the fields until he saw a wild sow near a brook, rooting among the debris along the stream bank. He tossed three knives and soon had the body hanging from a nearby tree to drain, then he carried it back to the barn, struggling under the weight of his catch.
When he returned to the barn, the tension in the building was palpable. Everyone jumped as he entered the doorway behind them, and he saw all eyes were focused on Huena, who held a knife to the throat of a very frightened-looking Bauer. Both had scratches on their arms, and Bauer’s’ shirt was torn at the shoulder, evidence of a scuffle.
Huena, drop the knife, he sent a mental message to the soldier. Step away from him. I will deal with him personally; leave this to me, and no harm will come.
“How can I trust you?” Huena replied. “How do I know he hasn’t pulled some trick on you? Maybe he has you leading us all to our deaths right now.”
“I don’t fall for demon tricks; I fight and kill demons,” Alec said aloud. “If you don’t trust me, then you are free to leave us all right now and go out on your own. But I think I deserve your trust.”
Huena continued to stare at Alec, his eyes bulging in fear. “I trust you, but I don’t trust these circumstances.”
Alec reached out with his Spiritual powers again, and this time he sent not only a message, you can trust me. He will not hurt any of us, but he also sent powerful memories of the demon that had been dragged away from the world by the power of Christ, and thrown back down into Hell. That is the power behind me; that is the power my faith rests on, Alec told Huena. Now, release him to me, he added in a commanding tone.
With that Huena, threw down the knife, and released the boy, then bowed to Alec. “Forgive me, please forgive me. I will trust and follow you forever.”
As the soldier spoke Bauer flew away from him, straight to Alec and into his arms, clutching him. “Thank you for saving me,” he whispered. “I know you used some great power to control him.”
Alec pulled his hands free and raised them to frame the boy’s face, tilting it up to look at him. “I showed him the truth about the love of my God.” I will show you as well, once we are in the saddle, he added silently. “Now, let’s all have a bite of breakfast,” he said aloud. “Claudia, take the horses out and keep an eye on them while they graze down by the brook. I saw a little pasture down there. The rest of us will start the fire and butcher the hog.”
There was a rush of activity as everyone felt released from the tense drama of just moments before, and two hours later they were fed and ready to leave. Alec directed Adelmo to lead, with Claudia bringing up the rear, while he and Bauer rode in the middle. He knew that he would be absorbed for some time to come as he tried to create full, open channels of communications between the two of them.
Lean back against me, little one, he gently directed him. This will be painful momentarily, but the pain will pass, and we will be able to fully understand one another. Will you trust me to do this? He questioned.
“I will trust you. What are you going to do? What will be painful?” he asked.
“I am going to cut your arm deeply, and cut my own as well, then put them together so that your blood will flow in me, and mine will flow in you,” he said. Our minds will speak to one another like this, only ten times more fully.
“Go ahead and do what you want to. I am your captive. I am your slave now,” Bauer said without emotion.
No. You are not a slave, Alec firmly corrected him. He took a knife from the bandolier and slit his arm, giving a slight tremor as his did so, then sliced Bauer’s arm, making him cry aloud as Alec twined his fingers in the lad’s and held tight, the two wounds lining up against one another and then he created the familiar flash of healing power that sealed the flesh to flesh, making them a single living body in a sense.
He felt Bauer’s blood begin to enter his body, and he felt the horrible taint of evil that was within him start to poison his own system, even though there was something oddly familiar beyond the venomous taint, as though a lovely scent was covered by a foul stench in the garden. Alec felt himself beginning to go into convulsions from the unexpected pain of the contamination, and he rea
lized that the two of them were starting to fall sideways, fall out of the saddle towards the ground.
“What’s wrong?” Bauer said in panic. Alec reached their joined arms together to seize the front of the saddle to keep them upright, and prayed for the pain to pass. He pulled the reins with his free hand, and then leaned forward into the back of Bauer, forcing him to lean into the saddle until Alec could accept the waves of pain within him and still stay in the saddle.
Bauer’s blood was pumping more agony into him with every second. There seemed to be no end to the amount of blood the boy had, and every drop carried within it the same foulness that existed in the blood of the demons themselves, as far as he could tell. Alec was vaguely aware of a rider on another horse coming alongside and pushing him upright. There were shouts, and the motion of the horse ceased, but the painful bloody transaction continued. He felt Bauer’s blood urging him to become violent, to unleash destruction, to find someone, anyone to hate, and then to give vent to the hatred through action, even while underneath there was a very faint sense of commonality; Alec wondered for just a second at that similarity, then felt the pain again wash through him.
“Alec, are you alright? What is happening to you two? Are you okay?” someone was grabbing his shoulder, speaking loudly to him.
“Let us be,” Alec tried to say aloud. “We will work this out.”
The pain was lightening, dramatically. He felt it dissipating, after an unknown length of time. The horse was walking again, and they were still in the saddle, with a rider, Ofelia, right next to them, protecting them so closely that the horses were bumping one another.
Alec opened his eyes. Bauer was unconscious, his head turned to the side as he leaned back against Alec’s chest. He felt his fingers still grasping the boy’s, and raised his hand to see their arms still wearing the grafted connection that was exchanging their blood with every beat of their hearts. He closed his eyes again and focused his Healer powers, slowing the youngster’s heartbeat so that it was synchronized with his, smoothing out the flow of the blood through their bodies.
He contemplated the boy’s state. He would have to await his awakening before he could begin the work he contemplated. Whatever their two bodies had felt during the exchange of blood had been unexpected, something shocking and disturbing. He hoped that Bauer’s experience in receiving his blood had been less harrowing than his reception of the demon-tainted blood had turned out to be.
He closed his eyes and felt the warm sunshine on his face, and sat in a lazy stupor, as the horse carried them across the fields they were using to find a path around the second rebel camp. His mind wandered idly through his own memories, then his Healer powers began to range through the boy’s body, noting and treating every small or minute ache or blemish he could find – sore muscles, a small boil, a digestive problem with milk – though there was no sign of disturbance from the entry of his blood that had coursed through Bauer’s body.
The horse was coming to a stop, he realized. He opened his eyes and saw that they were in the yard of an empty farmhouse, and the others were dismounting. Wake up, Bauer. We need to eat some lunch, he told his passenger. Alec contemplated dismounting from the horse while their arms were joined, and then thought about trying to regain the saddle in unison, and decided against leaving the horse.
“What’s happening?” the boy woke up and asked. He craned his neck around to look at Alec.
“We’ve stopped for lunch. How do you feel?” he asked.
“I’ve never felt better!” the sorcerer answered. “I felt so good when your blood started flowing in my arm I must have passed out. You made me feel so fresh and clean; it’s not like anything I’ve ever felt before. Was it supposed to be that way?
“How did my blood feel to you?” he asked.
“This was different from the other two times I’ve done the blood transfusion,” Alec said cautiously, contemplating the unexpected cleansing he had in advertently accomplished by removing the demonic elements from Bauer’s blood. “I’m glad it was so positive for you. Let’s have a bite to eat, and then I want to start on the real work I have planned for us.” He reached down to accept some food offered by one of the others, and shared it with Bauer.
Once the break was over and the squad was on the move again, Alec began the first session. I want to show you what my God is like, and what I’ve seen of the demons, Alec communicated to Bauer. Then I’d like to see what you know about the demons and how they are called forth.
Go ahead, Bauer replied silently. Did you hear that? He asked.
I did, Alec affirmed.
I did it! I spoke to you with my mind! That is wonderful! The boy crowed.
Alec wondered if his broadcast of his thoughts was just the coincidence of learning how to do so now, or if the cleansing of the blood had opened up his potential to do so.
Now, relax, and let me show you some of the stories of my life, Alec said as he began his testimonial. For his first story, he decided to show his work in healing the Duke of Goldenfields, calling in the priests to chant and pray as he worked through his medicines and efforts. Alec wanted to build a compelling case to demonstrate to Bauer the goodness in life he had witnessed because of God’s love, and the Duke’s healing was the first time he remembered miraculous events caused by faith.
He took the boy to his memories of the cave in Bondell where he had first met John Mark’s spirit, and shared his own healing with his sorcerer companion, then moved on to Oyster Bay when he had carried out the ceremony to bind the armies of the Dominion to himself, letting the mysterious spark of energy hone the blades of those who had pledged their loyalty to him. Next he showed the scene when he had healed Rosebay, the lacerta leader who had become his friend during the war between Goldenfields and the lacertii.
I heard legends about monsters like that! You were kind to it; you saved it? Bauer interrupted him for the first time.
They look different, but they aren’t monsters, Alec replied, and he showed his memory of standing in the court of the lacertii king, biting Rosebay in a ceremony, then kissing her.
Then he showed the restoration of his powers in John Mark’s cave, and his subsequent foolish effort to try to heal the body of Christ. That experience had led him into a visit of sorts to Hell, and a subsequent salvation through Christ, all of which he gave to Bauer.
That’s something like what they’ve told us it is like where the demoms come from, Bauer admitted.
That led to an exploration of Alec’s battles with demons, as he showed the demon who he had carried in battle to John Mark’s cave, the demon that had carried Alec towards its home of disgust and pain and horror until Christ had literally rescued him from Hell. Then Alec showed the battle with three demons when he had saved Jeswyne by relying on his Spiritual powers, broadcast through the stigmata on his hand, with the truth of Christ’s reconciliation, with love triumphing over hatred. The demons had been destroyed by the exposure to the truth.
This is the world I have seen in my life, and the God I have known, Alec told Bauer. What do you think about all of this?
There was a sense of wonderment in the young boy’s soul. It is like the things they have told me, but everything is seen differently. You’ve fought so many demons, and you’ve won; you’ve beaten them all. Are you the Demonslayer from the old world? How ancient are you? he responded.
“Alec? Sir?” a voice interrupted them. Alec opened his eyes as he shook his head. The sky above them was growing dark and threatening rain.
“Where are we?” Alec asked, trying to wrench his mind back to the world around him.
“We’re south of the second camp, and east of it. That’s all I know for sure,” Claudia told Alec.
“We need to find shelter,” Claudia said. “What do you think about visiting a working farm to stay in their barn? I don’t think we’ll find any other shelter,” she gestured towards a small twinkling light set among gently rolling hills off to the right.
“Let’s hea
d that way,” Alec agreed. “What can we offer to the farmer as payment?”
“We’ve got a bit of money, but not much,” Claudia answered. She looked at Alec with a hopeful expression, and Alec realized the rest of the squad wanted to finish the day’s ride.
Alec closed his eyes and extended his Spiritual senses, trying to determine whether there was any hint of hostility or dissatisfaction coming from the homestead. There was clearly life at the home, but no outstanding emotional storms came to his senses as he only weakly perceived the distant farm.
Ajacii and Demons: The Ingenairii Series Page 20
