Demonified (Hawkblood Chronicles Book 1)

by Stephen Schultz

  Esselles went down the stairs to examine Malicar’s lifeless form. As he touched the body, he was surprised at how cold it already was. Esselles used his boot to push him out of the stairwell into the library. Then he used the toe of his boot to brush back the hood of his robes. Malicar’s face was old and taut and in an indescribable fashion, devoid of humanity.

  Esselles stepped aside so Kyell could join him in the library. “It sure looked like those bolts took you out,” he said to Kyell.

  “Well, I knew Malicar could throw other magic at me that maybe my broach would not stop, so I decided to play ‘possum. When I felt him walk past me, I struck.”

  “Well, it sure caught me by surprise,” Esselles said.

  “Malicar too,” Kyell said with a slight smile.

  Remembering the black magical tendrils, Esselles asked, “Does your sword pull life energy?”

  “No,” Kyell answered. “Why?”

  “I saw black magical tendrils lick the edges of the wound where your sword was sticking through.”

  “I saw those too, but I didn’t…”

  “Watch out!” Esselles yelled, noticing a familiar disturbance in the air behind Kyell.

  But before he even yelled his warning, Kyell was already rolling. An invisible blade struck the ground where Kyell had been an instant earlier. Kyell rolled to his feet and held his sword out, his eyes darting about.

  “He’s to your right,” Esselles said, moving to quarter.

  “You can see him?” Kyell asked.

  “Vaguely,” Esselles answered. “It’s Renamir. The other guy.”

  “How can you see him?” Kyell asked.

  “As I conjectured earlier, it would appear our friend has some latent magical ability,” said the disembodied voice of Renamir. “It is too bad he won’t live long enough to develop those talents.” He lunged at Esselles, but Esselles parried his swing.

  “We’ll see who does the dying today,” Esselles shot back.

  “Your master was just as confident as you and he’s the one lying on the floor,” Kyell said, his eyes still searching for a target.

  “This is true. But he was always a bit overconfident on his control of the mystic arts. I on the other hand, have no such illusions. Nor do I rely on mystic arts alone. I will not be so easily cut down,” Renamir said, launching a furious attack.

  “Neither will I,” Esselles retorted as he easily parried each attack. Though Renamir was still invisible, Esselles could make out his shimmering form, but that was not how Esselles could so easily parry his attacks. He could sense Renamir’s intended attacks even before he made them. If Renamir was aware the link was still active, he was not shielding his thoughts well. After three more unsuccessful series of attacks, Renamir retreated into the spiral stairwell.

  “He’s gone up the stairwell,” Esselles said, following him, Kyell close on his heels.

  From the top of the stairs, they again entered the magical study. Esselles could see Renamir’s wavering form standing next to a large black obelisk on the far side of the room. Esselles and Kyell split and each approached along opposite walls in the hopes Renamir could not catch them with a single spell. But their caution did not help.

  Renamir placed his hand on the surface of the obelisk, blue sparks dancing up his arm as he did so. “HOLD!” he yelled. Black energy shot out from the obelisk and struck both Esselles and Kyell in the chest. Esselles’ body went rigid and he could see Kyell’s doing the same. He did not think he was faking it this time.

  The energy that had coursed through Renamir dissipated his invisibility spell and Esselles could see him smile at the results of his spell. More blue sparks danced between his fingertips and the obelisk as he pulled his hand away.

  Esselles could feel the magic attacking his nerve endings. He brought his will to bear on making his muscles move, but they would not react other than to stay taut. He began to pull his will inward, focusing only on his body and shutting out everything else.

  He was barely even aware that Renamir started to casually walk towards him, and though he could hear Renamir talking, the words only had meaning later, when he recalled them. “Malicar underestimated you. I won’t do the same. I know your pendant can ward off any of my magics, but apparently it is not strong enough to deal with the strength of the obelisk.”

  Esselles, now fully focused, again willed his muscles to move. This time, his sword arm raised, albeit slowly.

  The movement caused Renamir to halt. A look of uncertainty crossed his face. He looked over at Kyell, who was still fully immobile. When Esselles took a step forward, Renamir took a step backward. Then he jumped back and ran over to Kyell, drawing his dagger as he did so.

  “Come any closer, and I slice his throat,” Renamir said, placing the dagger against Kyell’s throat.

  It took a second for his words and actions to register on Esselles’ focused mind. When they did, he said through teeth still held tight by the spell, “Slice his throat and it will be the last thing you ever do.” But he did stop walking forward and instead, concentrated on breaking all remaining effects of the spell.

  “I can see we are at an impasse,” Renamir said. “I apparently cannot kill you, but your friend here is not so fortunate. However, I cannot kill him or you will kill me and you cannot kill me or I will kill him.”

  Esselles felt Renamir draw energy and a small black dot appeared behind him and started to grow.

  “What makes you think I won’t just follow you again?” Esselles asked, now fully free from the confines of the spell.

  “Nothing. I fully expect that you would follow me,” Renamir said. He pressed the dagger hard against Kyell’s throat, drawing a little blood. “But now you have a decision to make.” He uttered a strange syllable and let go of the dagger. It remained suspended in the air, the point still stuck into the surface of Kyell’s neck. “You can follow me through that portal,” he continued. “Or you can catch your friend here when I push him over. If you do not catch him, the fall will drive this dagger through his carotid, killing him in seconds.” And he gave Kyell a push forward.

  “Bastard,” Esselles spit out, dropping his sword in order to run forward to keep Kyell from landing on the dagger.

  “Yes, I imagine I am,” Renamir said as he dove through the portal.

  Knowing he would not make it in time to fully catch him, Esselles instead drove his shoulder into Kyell’s right side, spinning him around so that he landed on his left side. When Kyell slammed into the ground, the momentum tore the dagger away from his throat and it clanged off the stone floor. In his brain he heard, Good bye, my friend. I am sure we will meet again. Although he was not sure if Renamir had intended him to hear it or not, or if he was even directing it at him. For some reason, he felt like it was intended for someone else.

  After keeping Kyell from dying, he jumped up and dove at the portal, but he was too late. It had already closed.

  “Damn you,” he yelled at the air where the portal had been a split second earlier. “I will get you.”

  But for now, he turned his attention back to Kyell.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Kyell was still held rigid and seemed to be having difficulty breathing. Not knowing what else to do, Esselles walked over to the obelisk and moved his hands towards its surface. The now familiar blue sparks jumped from its surface towards his hand. When he finally got up the nerve to touch the surface, they danced up his arm. At the same time, energy shot through him. He tried to pull in the power but did not know what to do with it. He did, however, notice that his fatigue was washed away. He also noticed some thoughts, just out of reach, as if he could see a sign in a language he did not quite understand. Try as he might, he could make no sense of what he was perceiving through the obelisk and he could find no way to turn off the hold spell on Kyell. And so he just gave a hard shove.

  The obelisk toppled over and struck the floor. Esselles realized his push had far more strength than it normally would for the obelisk was
not at all light. It shook the floor when it struck and there was a loud crack from both the floor and the obelisk. He had expected energy to explode out but that did not happen. However, it did have the desired effect. When he turned back to Kyell, he could see that the hold spell had been broken.

  He heard a commotion from downstairs and ran down spiral stairwell to see what was happening. Through the broken door at the far end of the library, he could see eight uruks charging towards him. But as the first two came through the door, they pulled up short and those behind were forced to stop quickly or run them over. Esselles was surprised for a second or two until he realized they were looking at his feet, which was where Malicar’s body lay.

  They seemed confused as to what to do but appeared to be steeling their resolve. Esselles pulled the door shut and barred it. He climbed the spiral staircase and rejoined Kyell.

  “There are eight uruks downstairs trying to get in. I’m hoping the doors will slow them long enough for you to get your strength back.”

  “I’ll be good to go soon,” Kyell assured him, “although I’m going to have a headache for a week.”

  They could hear a pounding on the lower door.

  “And that won’t help my head ache.”

  After about fifteen minutes of pounding on the door, the uruks apparently gave up.

  “Or they are going to find a battering ram,” Kyell suggested.

  Sure enough, after another fifteen minutes, the pounding resumed, but much longer this time. The door did not last more than a few minutes before it splintered under the force of the ram. They could hear the uruks shouts as they worked to widen the gap in the door.

  “We’ll fight to either side of this door,” Kyell said. “Try not to let anyone enter the room alive.”

  They were bracing themselves for the coming attack when there was a loud explosion and that shook the walls and floors of the keep.

  “What was that?” Esselles asked.

  “I don’t know, but it sounded like it came from outside. Go look.”

  Esselles ran to the window and looked out. On the causeway below, a small strike force was approaching the drawbridge. There was billowing smoke rising from the top of the lower wall, or at least where the lower wall had been. The portion of the lower wall above the gatehouse had been reduced to rubble – presumably the loud explosion.

  A tall figure behind the strike force held his arms out towards the drawbridge. The chains glowed cherry red then snapped. The drawbridge crashed to the causeway, throwing up a shower of stones and splintered wood.

  The soldiers sprinted across the drawbridge and through the remains of the portcullis and gatehouse. They fanned out on the lower grounds and proceeded to round up the remaining uruks. The soldiers systematically swept the lower grounds before moving up the stairwell to the higher grounds.

  “The uruks have retreated from the stairwell,” Kyell called over, although stood his ground.

  Esselles looked around the study, spotting a torch in the wall. He pulled out his flint stone and went over to a desk where a piece of parchment was sitting. He struck a spark onto the parchment and blew it to life. Once the parchment was burning, he held it to the torch to light it. He then carried it back to the window, leaned out, and waved it back and forth above his head.

  Below, the soldiers in the lead brought his torch waving to the attention of the mage who was now climbing the stairwell to the upper grounds. The mage stopped and looked up at the tower window.

  Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the air in front of them.

  “This is Obasid, Ostarian Imperial Rangers,” came a voice from the disturbance. “What is your status, soldier?”

  “We have defeated the lord of the keep, but there are still hostiles below us,” Kyell answered. “There is also a wounded friendly. He’s on the ground floor, in the throne room.”

  “We shall be there shortly. Hold your position,” Obasid commanded.

  Below, the rangers swept through the higher ground, gathering the few remaining guards from the barracks there and bringing them down to stand with the captives from the lower level. On the stairwell, a portal began forming next to Obasid. A solitary figure stepped out of it and immediately assessed the scene. Obasid pointed to their window and the newly arrived individual nodded. He called four rangers over to him and then they all stepped forward and disappeared.

  Esselles turned around to see them spread out through the room.

  “Hawkblood. At last,” Balderon said upon seeing Esselles.

  “This room is all clear,” one of the soldiers informed him.

  “Secure downstairs,” Balderon said. He then slowly turned around, taking in the entire room. He walked over to the toppled obelisk and examined it. “Your handiwork?” he asked, seeing the large crack.

  “Yes,” Esselles said. “I did not know how else to break the spell it had on Kyell.”

  “It’s a shame. I would have liked to study it. Although I can’t say I am all that upset that this has been destroyed.”

  “What is it?” Esselles asked.

  “A device made by Kurich Dahle. It employs bindings that all the major guilds ban.”

  Just then, one of the rangers returned to the study. “I think you will want to see the body downstairs,” he said.

  They followed him downstairs and as soon as Balderon saw Malicar’s body, he walked over and examined it. “An alnekromarin!” he said in surprise.

  “A what?” Esselles asked.

  “A rare race of humanoids that have the ability to draw life-force from others. They can live nearly forever if they have enough energies to draw from. Stand back.” Balderon stood up and took a step back himself. He held his arms forward and concentrated. Malicar’s body rose into the air and floated there. A black portal began to form beneath him, eventually opening large enough to permit Malicar’s body. Balderon dropped his arms and Malicar’s body fell into the portal. A blinding white flash shot out, searing the ceiling.

  “Alnekromarins are not always killed by normal means,” Balderon said.

  “He seemed to remain dead after I ran my sword through him,” Kyell said.

  “Perhaps,” Balderon mused. After a brief pause he asked, “Were there any other hostiles besides the uruks?”

  “Yes. Renamir,” Esselles answered. “He was also in on the murder plot. He was actually at the castle that day. He is the one I followed through the magical portal.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “I don’t know. He left via a portal.”

  “And you did not follow him through this time?”

  “No,” and he looked over to Kyell. “I had other issues to deal with at the time.”

  “He was keeping me alive, sir,” Kyell said. “Renamir had used the obelisk to hold us rigid and then had placed a knife against my neck.”

  “You weren’t held too?” Balderon asked Esselles.

  “I was, initially. But I was able to fight it off.”

  “Where did he form his portal?” Balderon asked.

  “Upstairs.”

  “Show me.”

  They went back up the spiral staircase. Esselles indicated the approximate location where Renamir had left from.

  Balderon created a small round object that floated in the air in front of him. He then sent it through a small black portal that opened up in front of it and it disappeared. Balderon had a faraway look on his face for a few minutes before turning back towards Esselles and Kyell.

  “He teleported to the top of the plateau. I could not find another portal trail through the ether, so I suspect he ran on foot a ways before opening his next portal. I’ve sent the magic eye in a broadening spiral in the hopes I might see him, but I am not too optimistic. How much of a head start did he have?”

  “About a half hour,” Esselles answered.

  “Then I am sure he is long gone. I’ll go up there later and look, but I doubt I’ll be able to find the trace.” He looked about the study. “But at least there
is some interesting stuff here, and perhaps in the library below.”

  They walked back downstairs and were met there by Obasid and two of the rangers.

  “The keep is secure,” one of the rangers said. “We have found some prisoners. Also, I am saddened to report that the legionnaire downstairs did not make it.”

  “He seemed stable when we left him,” Esselles said.

  “He was not killed by the crossbow bolt in his chest,” Obasid informed him. “He was cut down by blades. We suspect some of the uruks found him and killed him.”

  “Damn it,” Esselles swore.

  “Come on, let’s go see who these captives are,” Balderon said.

  As they left the bottom of the stairwell, they passed the two uruks they had fought there, and the two additional uruks at the entrance to the library, and then the burnt uruks at the top of the stairs.

  “Your handiwork?” Balderon asked.

  “Mostly Kyell’s,” Esselles said.

  “You took care of the ones at the top of the main stairs,” Kyell said.

  “True, but that was with…wait, the disk. I think it is still in the uruk in the library.”

  “We can get it later,” Balderon said. He turned to the ranger officer behind him. “Make sure no one disposes of any of the bodies until we have retrieved this…”

  “It is a magical disk that cuts through almost anything,” Esselles said.

  “Where did you get it?” Balderon asked.

  “From the demon’s lair,” Esselles said.

  “Yes, you will have to give me a full briefing on how you got from the baron’s hall to here. But at another time. When we are all safe and secure in Ostar. For now, give me a quick brief of what went down here.”

  Kyell began the story as they started down the stairs. “I ran into Hawkblood in the town, and after ascertaining that it was him and not a demonic double, he told me that one of the main perpetrators had come here and that Malicar, another of the main perpetrators, might in fact be Lord Malik, a baron who benefited greatly from the death of one of the barons that day. Deciding speed was of the essence, I sent Tenric back to contact you and Laris, Hawkblood, and I reconnoitered the castle. Upon seeing uruks guarding the place, it confirmed our suspicions that these were enemies of the empire. So we scaled the rock face and descended during the light of the false dawn.”