Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (46 page)

"Of course you've never done this before, very few people have."  Tom just shook his head .  He got back down on his knees and once again took Rupert's hands in his own.  Wincing slightly as his palm got jabbed by Rupert's fingernail, or maybe even a finger bone from beneath Rupert's burned away flesh.  He couldn't tell since he'd covered Rupert's hands along with the rest of him. 

He closed his eyes again, leaning his head lightly against the boy's shoulder.  Rupert's breathing became stronger, but shallower. 
Occasionally he moaned or twitched.  A couple times he even shuddered.  Tom didn't know how long he sat there with the boy, maybe another five to ten minutes.  Finally though, he decided he couldn't stand the boy's pain any more. 

He carefully stood up, slowly and methodically disentangling his hands from Rupert's rather long fingers, under the blanket.  As he freed himself, Rupert just whimpered, but said nothing.  Apparently in too much pain to say much.  Tom shook his head sadly.  He noted that the cover had gotten pulled forward at the end of the bed.  Tom reached down and carefully pulled it to cover Rupert's hooves.

Hooves?

Tom blinked.  His eyes must really be playing tricks on him.  He quietly adjusted his position to get a better view and pulled back the blanket over Rupert's feet.  No, hooves was the correct word.  Rather than the feet he expected to see, Tom saw black cloven hooves.  Extremely similar in nature to his own, although smaller.  He pulled the blanket back further.  Hooves weren't the only
anomaly.  Rupert's skin was a deep burgundy in color, a fine scaling starting to show through.  Like Tom, his hooves were where his toes should be, his foot looked like a lower leg, his heel more like a backwards ankle.

Tom shook his head and moved to the other end of the bed.  Rupert was definitely taking up the entire bed now.  Why he hadn't noticed in the shadows a moment ago, he wasn't sure, but Rupert's bald head was also
burgundy.  His ears, no longer looking like blackened potato chips, were pointy and getting pointier by the minute.  Large black knobs seemed to be growing from Rupert’s skull as well.  Where his burnt off nose had been, was a small snout. 

Tom gently pulled back the rear part of the blanket, sure enough, there were wings, and lower, a spade
-like tail.  Replacing the blanket, he lifted the front of the blanket to verify Rupert's long black nailed claws.  Naturally, his biceps and other muscles seemed to have swelled a bit, and seemed to be continuing to do so.

Tom stepped back and ran his fingers through his hair.  He wasn't sure, but unless he missed his guess, Rupert looked exactly like a smaller copy of himself.

Tom sat hunched on his knees again.  His hand resting lightly on Rupert's shoulder.  Shock did not quite seem adequate to describe what he felt.  Rupert was a demon!  It did explain certain things that hadn't made a whole lot of sense before.  Actually it explained a lot of things, the more he thought about it.  What couldn't be explained is why Rupert looked like Tom.

Rupert shuddered suddenly.  As Tom looked down at the boy, demon, Rupert opened his eyes.  He'd stopped breathing also.  This
, however, did not worry Tom, since he wasn't breathing at the moment either.  "So Rupert?"  Tom smiled at the boy,  "anything else you forgot to mention?"

"Heh...no, I think this was the only big thing."  Rupert's voice had easily dropped an octave or two.  Tom simply continued to stare concernedly down into Rupert's eyes.  "I don't hurt quite so bad, but I do feel rather funny, and I ache."

"Yes, well I'd expect so.  But experience tells me the aching will go away."

Rupert closed his eyes again for the moment. "Tom?"

"Yes."

"What do I look like?"

"What do you look like?  You mean you don't know?"

"Heh, well, I have a rough idea, but I've never let myself go all the way."

"What?"  Tom was startled.  "You mean you've always looked like human Rupert until now?"

"Yeah,  actually, until I was ten, I really did look like human Rupert."

"Until you were ten?"  How old was the kid, Tom could swear he wasn't any older than ten, or hadn't been earlier in the day.

"Yes, a year ago, just before I came to Lenamare's school.  Up until I turned ten and then puberty started to kick in.  Only it was a lot worse for me.  I started growing a tail, and horns, you know." 

"Fun." 

"Yeah, well, mom had always denied the rumors townspeople spread.  But as soon as it became obvious to others in the town what was happening to me, we were driven out.  They don't seem to like demon-get for some reason.  They, they hurt her...bad."  He paused for a moment, Rupert thought he was going to cry, but of course, demons didn't have tear ducts.  Rupert took a deep breath.  "I eventually learned to suppress the changes by force of will, but it was too late,  she died.

"I'm sorry."

Rupert sniffed.  "Yeah, well, anyway, I managed to lock my old form in, from before I started to change.  I then managed to get myself enrolled in Lenamare's school.  It wasn't easy, but by passing myself off as two years younger than I really was, I looked like a prodigy."

"Why would you enroll yourself in Lenamare's school."  Tom was curious at such a notion.  Seemed rather antithetical for a demon, or half-demon as Rupert claimed to be.

"Well, I had to do something to eat, and have a shelter."  Rupert said.  Tom decided not to mention the fact that demon's didn't need to eat, nor did they really need shelter.  "Besides, I wanted to become a great conjuror."

"Conjuror!  Why in the world would you want to become a conjuror!"  Obviously the kid was a bit strange even for a demon.

Rupert paused at this.  "Tom, tell me,  what do I look like?"

Tom did a double take at this evasion.  Since Tom hadn't answered this question yet though, he did now.  "Quite handsome really," he said with a smile, "you look exactly like a smaller version of me."

Rupert smiled widely then, and seemed suddenly to relax a great deal.  Any human would have been terrified by the smile, Edwyrd got chills down his spine, but Tom recognized the expression.  "I wanted to be a great conjuror...so I could summon you."

Tom's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.  "Why? Why would you want to conjure me?"  Tom was completely flabbergasted.  This was not at all the sort of answer he'd expected.

Rupert smiled again, and when he spoke, Tom finally thought he understood what it was that Jenn and Gastrop
é seemed to enjoy about fainting.  "Why," Rupert answered, "doesn't every kid want to meet his father?" 

His father?  What?  Tom didn't know what to make of that response
; he was completely at a loss.  Why would the kid think... "Jesus..." was all he could say.

Rupert tilted his head on the pillow, "Who?"

Tom waved his hand, "never mind..."

"Where is he?  I've got to see him!"  Jenn's voice came loud and clear from outside.  She was apparently trying to enter the sterncastle.  "Get away from the door!"  Tom couldn't hear Evert's response
; Jenn was obviously screaming for her voice to carry so well.  He looked to Rupert, Rupert looked rather concerned.

"Can you shift back yet?"  Tom asked.   Rupert seemed to gulp and concentrate, then shook his head negatively.  Tom closed his eyes for a moment, thinking what to do.

"Let me through, I said.  Maelen claims he's dead for Goddess' sake!  Then this captain claims Edwyrd took his body to the cabin!  I've got to see him, I know healing, I can help!"  There seemed to be a small scuffle.  "Curse you to the Abyss, I'll summon a demon so damn big it'll bite your stone-filled head off in one chomp!  Get out of my way!" 

"I'd better see to her.  You just rest, she won't get through."  Tom stood.

"Thanks."

Tom just nodded and turned to open the door.  As he did so, he realized that he was completely naked.  He stopped, looking around.  He shrugged slightly to Rupert, then borrowed his blanket.  While Tom didn't care about being naked, he suspected it wouldn't improve his credibility when trying to convince Jenn to stay away.  He wrapped the blanket around his waist and slid out the door, firmly closing it behind him.

As he opened the outer door, it bumped slightly into Evert's back.  Evert, surprised, stepped aside.  As he stepped out, again closing the door firmly, he noted that the second door to the stern castle was being guarded by another soldier.   Jenn was glaring evilly at Evert, and now at Edwyrd.  Maelen and Gastropé were standing a ways away watching the situation.

"What seems to be the problem?"  He looked directly at Jenn, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"He," she pointed to Maelen, "claims Rupert is dead!  He!" she pointed to the captain, also watching from nearby, "claims you took his body inside."  She put her fists on her hips.  "I will see him now!"

"No," Edwyrd replied equally forcefully, "you will not
!"  He raised his hand before she could utter another protest.  "Rupert is very much alive, but he was hurt very badly.  I've done what I can to heal him, but he needs to rest.  In private and with no interference."

"You! heal him? What do you know about healing.  If he's really that bad he surely needs more than a few bandages." 

"You're right, he did."  Edwyrd admitted.  "However, I am an animage.  I can also do some healing."  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maelen looking on suspiciously.  "I've done all that is needed.  You have my promise that he will be fine.  He just can't be disturbed, by you or anyone."

"But I can help!  I should at least check your work!"  Jenn protested.

"No.  It's a very tricky process and you'd only be tempted to interfere.  While you probably wouldn't do him direct harm, you would disturb him.  That would be bad.  He needs all his concentration and all the power I can give him to heal properly.  If you go in and disturb him now, it will only slow the process and prolong his pain."

"But..."

"No.  I am his cousin.  I really care for him."  Edwyrd was looking very intently into her eyes, trying to be as earnest as possible.  This last was really true, he did care for Rupert, even if everything else he said was a lie.  "I will not let any harm come to him."  He already had of course, but that was another story.  "You must believe me when I say he'll be fine shortly.  You just have to wait.  Maybe in a few hours you can see him."

"Edwyrd..." Jenn said with a sigh.

He placed his hands on her shoulders.  "Jenn, you know as well as I that undisturbed rest is essential in any healing.  In just a couple hours you can check on him.  If you prove me wrong then, and everything isn't OK, you can exact whatever punishment you want.  Including a demon to bite my head off."  She blushed with embarrassment at this last.

She nodded slowly, then looked at him with a determined glare.  "If you are wrong, Edwyrd, you won't face any demon but me.  You should fear me worse."  She then turned and walked back to Gastrop
é and Maelen.  Gastropé took her arm and led her off to a far rail.  Edwyrd turned to Evert and nodded.

"Thank you for doing as I asked.  If you could stay a little bit longer as an added precaution, I'd appreciate it."

"Certainly, Master Edwyrd.  Anything sir."  Evert made a sort of saluting motion with his hands.  Tom was slightly disconcerted by the obvious respect in the young man's voice.  He turned his head and smiled and nodded to the other guard.  That man also returned the nod with a small salute.

As he shook his head and turned to look out again at the ship, he found Maelen had snuck up on him again.  "Healer as well?  Is there any limit to your abilities
, Tom?"

"Aaahh,"  Edwyrd didn't know how to respond.  He was sure Maelen had seen the whole fire thing. 

"Rupert was dead.  I know.  I've been healing people for seventy-five years now; I think I know dead when I see it.  His spirit had evacuated his body."  Edwyrd tilted his head back and forth, trying to come up with an answer.  "Even I can't cure death yet.

"Not that I wouldn't like to
, mind you.  And not that some people can't.  Physically, of course, the mechanics aren't so bad. It's just getting the soul back somehow that takes work. That can be difficult, you have to find it and bring it back to the planes of men.   Then even after healing, you've got to reattach the soul to the flesh."  Maelen scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"I have to admit, you impressed me mightily with the Living Flame.  Further, your final all
-out attack proves to me that what my sight read of your aura is true.  You are a very good animage.  However, in order to bring back the dead, you'd have to be at least as good in at least three other disciplines as you are in Pyromastery, and nearly as good in a few others.  While there are probably less than few dozen animages in the world capable of your level of  Pyromastery, there are not many more animages capable of raising the dead.  I don't know of anyone that overlaps between Pyromastery and healing to that level."

Edwyrd coughed. He'd have to come up with something that would convince the guy.  He tried to dredge up some of what Boggy had told him about souls and planes and other junk he'd read in fantasy novels.  "Well, actually.  Rupert did a lot of the work himself."  That was certainly true.  Maelen looked on, skeptical.

"What you saw was true.  His spirit did leave; but Rupert is capable of projecting his spirit out of his body via astral projection.  When his body got so damaged, he did this, and used everything he had to keep his silver cord connected, tenuously, to his body.  I noticed this when I went to him. So I just took him to the cabin to work and then just healed his flesh.  Something most anyone could do."  Edwyrd had no idea if this was true about animages, but..."When it was sufficiently healed, he was able to reenter his body with me providing a little extra energy."  Edwyrd shrugged, trying to decide if the intent stare meant Maelen believed or not.  "Naturally it was very traumatic, he's a little bit tired now, and needs to regain his strength."

Maelen turned his head, looking out over the sea.  He chewed his lip, deep in thought.  Edwyrd had no idea if what he'd said made any sense at all.  From Boggy, he knew that what he'd done at the party was basically astral
projection, the wizards had severed the silver cord tethering him to his body. Maelen tilted his head and looked back to Edwyrd, scowling slightly.

"What you said could have worked
, I suppose." He paused for a moment, then started pacing slightly in the cramped hallway. "It is certainly--more plausible than you being the greatest animage on the face of the planet.  Further, given that Rupert also seems to share an aura similar to yours, and I know what you can do, I won't disbelieve he could do what you claim.  However for a little kid to be able to know so much..."

"Well, he is older than he looks, and he is extremely bright."  At last Edwyrd was able to say something that was true.  Maelen stopped, looked at Edwyrd, shifted his jaw and shrugged.

"Ok, I'll at least allow myself to believe this for now.  It is better than anything I can come up with.  But I would like to look at the boy after he's rested."  Edwyrd nodded in acknowledgement of the demand, what else could he do.

This seemed to satisfy Maelen as he nodded his head in satisfaction.  "Fine then, do you have any more clothes? or would you like to borrow some of mine?"  He glanced meaningfully down at Edwyrd's blanket wrapped torso.

~

Rupert lay on the bunk.  He'd have liked to roll over on his back, but his new wings made that a bit difficult.  He closed his eyes in contentment.  The aching was disappearing.  He felt a bit strange still, but it felt right.  He'd gone for so long
suppressing his true nature, his true self, that he hadn't even noticed how bad it was until he'd shed his old self.

He hadn't realized the constant tension, the pressure he'd put on himself.  Now he could relax.  For the first time, he was as he was meant to be.  A demon, he was a true demon, just like his father.  Rupert smiled.  True, Tom hadn't reacted quite as positively as he'd hoped when Rupert had revealed what he knew, but he hadn't denied it, hadn't laughed.  Of course, it would be pretty hard to deny it.  Tom himself said Rupert looked just like him.  Tom hadn't rejected him, he'd even gone out to keep Jenn away, to help Rupert.

Even though Rupert had known, or hoped he knew why Tom had come, known that Tom had come to claim his half-demon son, he'd still been afraid he'd been wrong.  Afraid that Tom hadn't come for him, hadn't even known Rupert was his son.  Worse yet, been afraid maybe he wasn't Tom's son at all.  Now though, it was clear. Since no two demons ever really looked alike, how could Rupert be anything but Tom's son if they looked so much alike. 

All those years as a child growing up with only his mother to ease the pain of the taunting of the other children.  Children mimick
ing the fears of their parents.  Then when his mother had died from the stoning,  he hadn't know how he'd go on.  All he knew was that he'd have to find his long lost father.  Before she'd died, his mother had described his father.  That was one way that Rupert had been able to recognize Tom.  Oh, true, a few small differences, but given the time, the circumstances and the fact that she'd been on her death bed, there could be no mistake.  Especially after he'd come to Rupert in his hour of greatest need.

At first he'd been overawed by Tom's size and might.   Then to find out what a really great person Tom was as well as being the most ferocious looking creature in
existence.  Rupert wished he had a mirror.  He wanted nothing more than to be able to see himself.  See himself in his full glory, his true form.  See himself as the gods had intended him to be.

Thinking back on it now, it was hard to believe he'd managed to suppress this for so long.  It just felt so good!  While in reality he was really drained, quite tired actually, his limbs and whole body still felt supercharged.  He felt better than he had
in a long, long time.  In fact better than ever.  Actually, he really rather dreaded changing back.

This was him!  He really didn't ever want to be human Rupert again.  It was
as if he'd lived his entire life in some sort of trunk or wardrobe. He'd finally broken free and he didn't want to get back in it.  He felt as if his new self wouldn't even fit.  He had the crazy urge to get up and go out on deck and say, "Hey world! I'm the demon Rupert, son of Thomas! Look on me and live with it!" 

Jenn of course would fall through the deck and out the bottom of the ship.  Gastrop
é would jump overboard.  He was sure Tom would be proud though.  Proud, at least until he got after Rupert for making Jenn go through the floor and sink the boat.  Rupert smiled, his tongue running over the back side of his unbelievably long teeth.  He knew it was crazy.

Even though it was crazy, he really kind of wanted to do it.  He twisted his head to look out the window behind him. He'd love to just be able to go out there and fly through the sky.  He'd never flown before on his own
;  Tom had carried him, of course.  He could imagine soaring through the skies, like a giant bird of prey.  Rabbits and deer running like mad as he swooped down from the sky.  Tom would be there, they'd fly high, up until the sky turned to night.  They'd then soar at high speed toward the ground, pulling up at the last moment, only to do it again. 

His wings twitched.  He stretched as best he could, it wasn't easy on the small bunk.  Rupert looked down to his feet.  If he stood up, he was sure he'd be nearly six feet tall.  Someday, when he was full grown, he'd be as big and tall as Tom.  As he stretched, he tried to wiggle his toes.  It was
weird not having any toes to wiggle; or only two sort of toe hooves on each foot.

He swung his legs over the edge and tried to rotate himself out of bed.  As he brought his head up, his head suddenly jerked.  It wouldn't go any
further, but he hadn't hit the top bunk.  He pushed again, wood creaked and his head seemed to get stuck.  That was weird.  He raised a hand towards his head, admiring his beautiful ebony claws.  He got shivers of joy just looking at them.  Feeling carefully above his head he quickly realized the problem.  His horns were stuck.   He'd forgotten about them.  They were long enough above his head that they gouged into the wood of the top bunk before his head hit it.  He had to jerk his head down a few times before his right horn came free, but it did.  He twisted his head to look at the bunk above.  He'd left a really big gouge in the wood.  He would need to be more careful.