“It’s too quiet,” she muttered.
“Hmm? What do you mean?” Michelle asked.
“Where are the animals, the birds? The forest is usually teaming with life…”
Michelle tilted her head and listened out for sounds as they continued to ride. “You’re right,” she said, a moment later. Her hand automatically reached for the sword by her waist.
“The animals have sensed a new presence here,” Martial said, his horse now between theirs. “Means the demons that we’re about to face are fresh out of Hell. Animals can sense stuff like that.”
“Have you fought many demons?” Michelle asked.
“Killed more than I wish to remember,” Martial replied. “Fresh out of Hell demons are a little tougher than the ones that have been on earth for a while. They’re a bit more savage. They fight to the death.”
“Don’t all demons fight to the death?”
Martial shook his head. “Not all demons are the same,” he mumbled. “Getting harder to tell the difference though.”
They rode on silently, Martial riding between them. As the sun set, they reached the other side of the forest. It gave way to grassland. The fog grass grew a meter tall, the purple flower heads growing at the end of the stalks swayed in the light breeze.
Cassie brough the party of men to a halt as she stared at the grass. With the sun now gone, her visibility was weakened, though it was still stronger than the rest of the humans. She studied the grass, watching for movement. Dozens of demons could be hiding in that grass.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Martial said.
“About what?”
“About demons hiding in the grass, ambushing us. Demons don’t think like that. Especially demons fresh out of Hell. They see humans as weak, not a threat. They see hiding as cowardly, something only humans do.”
He gave a gentle tug of his reins and his black stallion rode out onto the fields of grass. After watching him a moment, Cassie sighed and set off after him. She could believe him that demons saw humans as weak and cowardly. She just wished her belief wouldn’t end up having them all killed.
They rode through the fields at a steady pace, Cassie, Michelle and Martial leading the way. Behind them, the men on horses jumped off to let those walking take a turn. In the distance were the low hills. Beyond the hills, the ground was flat once more, and beyond that, the mountains rose. The mountains that marked the northern border between the humans and the demons.
They passed the grassland without incident and Cassie was glad that Martial was right. Dismounting at the foot of the hills, they set up camp. The men collected firewood and set up two small fires. Soon, meat was cooking and bread was being passed around.
Cassie was hungry. They’d all skipped lunch and ridden for most of the day. It felt good to stretch her legs and get some food. The meat was burnt on the outside, and raw inside, but still, it tasted good. After eating, she and Michelle found a spot by the foot of a hill and leaned back, each girl in each other’s arm, they stared at the fire before them.
Martial sat to their right, leaning against the same hill, he had a flask in hand and he drank from it. She hadn’t seen him partake in eating. Getting off his horse, he’d slumped against the hard rocky surface of the hill and pulled out his flask.
Cassie’s eye drifted as she watched him. Her last thoughts before she fell asleep was the blankness in Martial’s eyes as he stared ahead into the darkness.
* * *
They woke early the next morning, before the sun rose. After a quick breakfast of more meat and bread, they set off. The hills were low, rising no more than a couple of hundred feet, the trees grew close together, wrapped around vines.
Martial rode with them, twenty meters ahead of the rest of the men. They moved silently, knowing later today, either way, they would face the demons, if they did not before that. The men that road with them had never battled demons before. Most of them had never seen one. Most had never even battled before.
It was supposed to be Immortal Queen Margaret who was to protect them. She had forces that patrolled the borders. Aptly named as the Border Patrols.
There were outposts too, dotted along the top of the mountain ridge. Growing up, Cassie used to wonder along these hills and beyond. She didn’t have a mother or father to tell her otherwise.
Cassie had seen the soldiers that patrolled the mountains. The first time she’d wondered upon a patrol, she’d been in awe. They seemed so big on their horses, they wore shiny armour, and the captain had a red cloak that flowed behind him.
It had been over a year since she’d last seen any of the Queen’s soldiers. A few months earlier, when rumours began to spread of demon attacks nearing the settlement to the south, Cassie had set off for the mountains. Travelling three days, riding hard, she made it to the nearest outpost.
There were no soldiers there.
The place was deserted, had been for many months.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Cassie had returned to their settlement worried. She’d spoken to Mayor Stout about evacuating. She hadn’t mentioned the abandoned outpost, but Mayor Stout knew of the settlements that had fallen, of Polwarth north to them that their Mayor though to evacuate.
But the old man was stubborn. He refused to listen, said they would stay and fight for their homes.
Then, rumours spread of a Legacy moving from settlement to settlement, killing demons as if they were nothing. Mayor Stout sent men from Coldstream to meet with him, convinced him to come to Coldstream, to save them.
The Legacy brought hope with him, hope for the settlement and hope for a future for Cassie and Michelle.
And it all led to this. A march into the mountains to fight the demons.
Even if they won, Cassie knew it would only be the beginning. The decades of relative peace were coming to an end.
* * *
Late in the evening, they came to the end of the low hills. Beyond them, the land was flat, the ground was black. Nothing grew on it. No trees, not a single stalk of grass. There were no animals either.
This place had been the location of a great battle once. A battle between demons and humans, hundreds of years ago, back when humans were more advanced, when they had weapons that could kill demons from a mile away. Farther even.
Beyond the flat charred earth rose the mountains, their peaks touched by beautiful white snow. At the bottom of the mountain, beyond the black land, a week earlier, Cassie had seen the demons set up camp.
Squinting in its direction, she could see a wisp of smoke rising. Cassie pointed at it. “They must still be there.”
“I see it,” Martial said.
“What’s the plan?”
“I walk in, challenge their leader to a duel, kill him, tell the others to fuck off.”
“That’s going to work?”
“Usually does with demons fresh out of Hell,” Martial said.
He gave a tug on the reins. His large stallion set off on a bolt. The horse’s black skin blending with the burnt ground, but the skin shining, it was like watching a shimmer speed across black water.
“What the hell’s he doing?” Michelle asked. “Is he going to kill them all by himself?”
“He’s definitely arrogant enough to do it,” Cassie muttered.
She set off after him, her white horse galloped across the hard surface. Michelle joined her. They left behind the men that was supposed to form the bulk of their army in fighting off the demons, dashing into a camp full of demons. This was madness, and Cassie felt her pulse racing.
The distant mountains edged closer as Cassie rode her horse hard. Her chest thumped in beat with the galloping of her mare. Though she had eyes only for Martial, she could feel Michelle beside her. The smoke she had seen as a wisp from the hills now resembled a small tornado.
They were close, and still, she couldn’t catch up with Martial. His black stallion was strong, much stronger than her own horse. It was a magnificent beast,
much like Martial. He was getting away from them.
What was his plan? Was he on a suicide mission? What sort of person rode into a demon camp all on their own? Not even Immortals did that…
In front of her, the flat charred land stopped and the trees began. Amidst it, at the foot of the mountain, she could see the black and red colours of the demon tents. They were still there, and worse, the numbers seemed to have grown. Where before she had seen fifteen to twenty tents, now there was double that amount.
Martial’s horse came to a halt a hundred feet away from the tree lines. He jumped off and stood with his hand placed against the horse’s muzzle, whispering words to the beast. His pause allowed Cassie to catch up.
She jumped off her horse, not bothering to speak to it, and marched up to Martial. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Martial continued to whisper to his horse, so quietly, not even her Legacy ears could make out the words. When he was done, he turned calmly to look at her.
“I’m going to kill the demon leader.”
“How?” Cassie asked. “There are hundreds of them. We couldn’t do it even with our little army, who you’ve left miles behind, by the way,” she fumed.
Michelle, who’d joined them too and stood beside her, frowned. “Kill the demon?” she asked. “Not demons?”
Martial nodded. “I’m going to go in there and challenge their leader to a duel. I’m going to kill him. His demons will surrender and leave.”
“Why?” Cassie fumed. “Why would he duel you when he has the advantage? Why would the demons even let you walk into their camp? They’ll kill you before you even get a chance to see their leader.”
“You need to calm down,” Martial said. “You’re being too loud,” he sang the words, grinning foolishly.
Cassie glanced at Michelle. “What?”
“Watch and learn,” he said. “Watch and learn.”
Martial turned and began to walk towards the trees and the demon tents that lay beyond. With the sun now low in the sky, a red haze spread across the land. Cassie and Michelle followed after Martial, though they both kept ten feet behind him.
Cassie’s hand rested at her waist, beside her sword. Her heart thumped in her chest. Beside her, Michelle took in deep breaths, before letting them out slowly. Both girls were nervous. They were Legacies by birth, but not by experience. They had little experience with battle, and even less against demons.
This wasn’t a Friday night in Coldstream, where both girls kept the peace by pushing away drunken revellers.
They were walking straight into a demon camp full of demons. Three humans. Sure, they were Legacies, but Martial was the only one with experience. Cassie wasn’t even sure if he was a Legacy, or at least, a proper Legacy.
“What do you think of him?” Cassie whispered, as they continued to walk.
“He’s handsome,” Michelle replied. “I was tempted to put myself up as one of the girls to be judged to sleep with him last night,” she giggled.
Cassie frowned. It wasn’t like Michelle to do something like that. Michelle had never slept with a man before… Cassie didn’t have much experience in the men department either. Somehow, the two girls had drifted together from a young age, and being Legacies, growing at a slower pace than everyone else, getting into relationships with normal humans was hard.
“I think he’s a little crazy,” Michelle said quietly. “Maybe that’s what we need right now, with everything going on, maybe we need someone a little crazy, a little bold?”
Cassie had told Michelle about the empty fort at the top of the mountains. She had to tell someone. Both girls knew something strange was going on. This wasn’t the normal skirmish humans and demons had. Something had changed. Times ahead were going to be tough.
Before them, Martial reached the tree line. As he walked into the forest, a blue demon stepped out from behind a tree. He was a big fella, three small black horns on his head, he carried a large sword in his hand, shaped like a scimitar.
Martial didn’t even pause to the point where Cassie was about to scream out a warning to him, afraid Martial would walk past the demon, only to be cut down from behind.
Martial did walk past the demon, but as the blue-skinned beast swung his enormous sword, Martial ducked his head, his own sword came up and buried itself in the demon’s chest. Martial pulled his sword out, not stopping even for a second, he continued on.
Cassie and Michelle exchanged glances.
It was the first time they had seen him in action.
He was good.
Cassie felt her nerves calming just a little. She began to feel hope. What if this Legacy was almost as good as he said he was?
Both girls broke into a run to catch up with him. They passed the demon as he hit the ground, his hands pressed against his chest, trying to stop the red blood that poured out.
Demons had red blood pumping through their veins, and it gave both girls more confidence. They may look frightening, but at the end of the day, demons were still flesh and blood.
A hundred feet in the forest, the trees had been cut away to make space for the tents. They rose up high, round, but with a tall triangular roof. They were painted red and black, but with no coordination. It looked like children had been given red and black paint and given free reign.
Martial had killed three more demons on his way to the mouth of the camp. He stood now, his arms parted like a messiah as the demons in the camp stared at him.
“I’m here to challenge your ruler to a duel to the death. If I win, you will all leave. If he wins, he will have my girls as spoils,” Martial roared out loud.
Cassie and Michelle, who were now a few feet behind Martial, both stopped dead in their tracks, each staring at the other.
“Did he just…” Michelle whispered.
The demons that stood before them, they stared at the two girls, hunger in their eyes, their lips spread into evil smiles. Some stepped forward, eager to loot the prize before battle had even begun. Cassie and Michelle both drew their swords out, and pressing their backs against each other, they stared at the demons that now slowly surrounded them.
A muscular demon with a large black horn in the centre of his forehead stepped away from the encircling demons and roared, his teeth bared.
Cassie’s breathing stopped as she focused on the demon as it charged towards her. She held her sword before her, planning to step aside as the demon charged like a bull, and cutting him from behind as he passed through the spot she had stood.
But before she got a chance to do that, Martial came before them, standing in between the demon and the girls, he sliced the demon’s horn off clean, before tripping the guy, sending him tumbling to the ground.
The demon jumped to his feet, roaring in rage, now anger in his eyes, he came at Martial. The Legacy remained calm, nonplussed. He even sheathed his sword by his waist and raised his fists, as if stepping into a boxing ring.
And that was exactly what happened.
Martial traded blows with the demon, punching him in the face, his fists were fast. The demon took the punches like demons did. Despite being hit by a Legacy, he remained on his feet, taking the punishment. And then, he caught Martial with an upper hook.
As the Legacy hit the ground, her heart in her throat, Cassie glanced at the growling demons eyeing her up, taking in her body, her breasts, her curves. She knew the stories of human girls kidnapped by demons, taken into sexual slavery.
It had been her one fear, of not dying in battle, but being a slave to a demon, of being used and abused, raped and tortured, passed around like a piece of meat, humiliated, degraded.
She’d never imagined something like that would be a real possibility so soon.
Martial climbed to his feet slowly. There was blood on his lips. He wiped it away, a smile on his face. “Oh, yeah. You’re not a complete bitch, are you?” he taunted.
“What are you doing,” Cassie hissed at him.
“Getting him angry. Their alread
y small brains get smaller as they get angrier,” Martial said.
“We’re going to die,” Michelle muttered.
Worse, Cassie thought. They were going to be taken as slaves. As the battle between the two resumed, Cassie began to look for a way out. In front of them was the camp, behind them were the trees, surrounding them were demons.
If both girls worked together, they could barge through the line of demons and make a run for their horses. They would have a chance of escaping.
But then, the demons would come after them in their hundreds. They had held off because they knew there were Legacies in Coldstream. If those Legacies flee with their tails between their legs, the demons wouldn’t fear them any longer.
And the men from the settlement, the ones that were now slowly trudging their way towards them, the demons would slaughter every single one of them. They would then make their way to Coldstream, a settlement completely unprotected. Every woman there would be raped, most would be murdered after, only the pretty ones taken away as slaves.
This was a bad idea, coming here with a small and ill-trained, ill-equipped army. They’d followed Martial, a Legacy who had faced demons many times before. He had a confidence about him, one that inspired the men, the elders in Coldstream to trust him.
Cassie hadn’t been so sure about Martial, but she had no other choice but to lay her faith on him. It was all up to him now. If he fell, she would fight to the death. She would not flee.
Martial continued to trade blows with the demon. He punched high, aiming for the demon’s forward, and his legs danced, he always moved out of the away from incoming strikes. Almost always. He got caught in the chest and ribs a few times, but he stayed on his feet, constantly punching the demon’s forehead.
It was where the horn had previously been. Martial cut the horn off, and now he punched away, making the space a bloody mess. Blood that covered the demon’s eyes. The demon roared in rage as Martial hit him again. It was a hard punch, and the demon fell back and hit the ground.
Legacies Page 4
