Sons of Evil: Book 1 Book of Dread (11 page)

Kaelesh walked to the side of
the bed. “I’d like to introduce you to an acquaintance of mine. He has a way of
getting people to open up when they are burdened with a secret they can’t bear
to keep any longer. He’s kind of quiet actually, but that’s part of his charm.”

Something seemed to rise up
behind Kaelesh, indistinct but somehow ominous. It flowed around him and came
at Kevin, and as it did he understood this thing, whatever it was, had been in
the room all this time, and that it was the source of the terror that gripped
him. It glided over the edge of the bed, went up in the air a few feet, and
then arced down to fall upon him. Just before it reached him, Kevin could have
sworn he saw a well-muscled upper torso, two long-nailed hands reaching for
him, and a face—an unearthly face—with a snarl of cruel intent etched upon it. When
it reached him there was no weight to be borne by his body, but the feeling of
unbearable pressure was all too real.

When Kevin’s tongue was
finally loosed he let out a scream, a wretched cry of unfathomable despair and
horror.

The small size of Barlow’s
abode had allowed him to avoid deciding whether or not to offer hospitality to
his new companions in light of the fast-approaching evening, and he and Silas
parted company with promises that the group would rendezvous soon after sunrise
the next day in New Bern, to gather supplies for the coming journey. Barlow was
used to rising before dawn, and when the appointed hour came he had already
been waiting nearly fifteen minutes on the east side of the bridge that crossed
the Vale and carried the narrow road into the city proper.

“Sleep well?” he asked,
feeling more chipper after seeing the drowsy looks on their faces.

“Well enough,” Silas said. “Found
a few rooms at Mother Ellis’ Inn, and had a decent meal, too. Good suggestion.”

Barlow nodded at the
compliment, then went on. “We should buy what food we can carry for the trip,
as well as some warmer clothes. Not sure what we’ll find for food and shelter
as we move north, so we best be prepared. I’ve got enough money to cover us
today, I’d think. Real money,” he added with a knowing glance at Adrianna. “I
want to be on good terms with the merchants when I come home.”

He paused a moment, waiting
for Adrianna to snap back at him. When she didn’t, he said, “Let’s go to the
market first. Then we’ll see about the clothes.”

New Bern’s market wasn’t what
it once was, but that wasn’t unusual in Corterra these days. The trouble that
plagued the world made crops scarcer and trade more difficult, and the
selections invariably carried higher prices than what folks could commonly
afford, so the crowds were small and more selective as well. The companions
brought some fresh fruit and vegetables, but only what they could eat in the
next few days. The rest was dried meats, hard cheeses, and other items with a
bit more staying power. Even so, knowing they had an arduous journey ahead and
would need to carry everything they purchased, the food they could take
amounted to very little.

“We’ll just have to replenish
our supplies along the way,” Darius reasoned. “Not easy where the armies have
been, but I’ve seen some soldiers scavenge a decent meal from what seemed to be
a wasteland.”

“If we’re lucky there might be
some game once we pass Elysium’s Neck and move further north,” Adrianna added.

They checked out the meager
wares of a half-dozen clothing merchants who were at market and had decided to
move on to the regular shops, when the sounds of growing panic reached them
from the south. They only managed a few steps toward the screams and shouts
when Luke called their attention skyward.

The swarm of bat-things
blotted out far too much of the sky, their numbers even more impressive than
they remembered. The creatures circled and dove, striking at unseen targets
below, but clearly the mass of them was moving to cover the city.

“Get inside,” Barlow ordered
in a calm voice.

“May not help much,” Silas
said, “based on what we’ve seen. But he’s right.”

The first wave of fleeing
citizens started to stream towards them. Some ran blindly, others dove into
doors or under stalls, hoping to find some refuge. The lead group of the winged
monsters was in close pursuit, diving to bite and claw at the panicked people
of New Bern.

For a minute, the travelers
stood frozen, watching the spectacle before them. Finally Darius shoved Luke
toward the still-open door of a tanner’s shop. “Let’s get inside before we’re
locked out!” Having started the group moving, Darius acted as shepherd,
touching each of his companions on the shoulder as they passed. He came up one
short.

Barlow remained affixed in
place, his gaze intent on the flying creatures, his left hand on the hilt of
his sword.

“Come on, Barlow!” Darius
called. “You can’t fight those things with a sword.”

“Get inside,” Barlow repeated.

Darius’ shout had stopped the
others in their flight to the dubious safety of the shop. Luke had just reached
the door, which he now held open against the tanner’s first half-hearted
attempt to close it. Adrianna was a step behind. Silas moved back towards
Darius and his friend.

“Barlow, don’t be a fool! Get
inside!” Silas shouted.

Barlow spared him a glance. “Go
on. I’ve got things under control here.” His words and calm demeanor were
ironic considering the swirl of confusion and panic around him. For a lingering
moment it seemed that maybe there was something to his steadiness, perhaps a
reason that he kept to himself that he was safe amidst the attacking creatures.
They took no notice of him, their focus drawn by the panicked motions of those
trying to flee. Was he playing possum, successfully?

Whether that was Barlow’s plan
or not was rendered moot by a single bat-thing that decided Barlow was a likely
target. It swooped in, screeching at its prey, claws outstretched and wings
spread wide.

Barlow swatted it aside,
sending it sprawling in the dust. He resumed his former stance, but the sudden
action had drawn unwanted attention, and now, standing still as he was, he
became an easy mark. Dozens of the creatures flew at him.

“Stupid old fool,” Adrianna
muttered under her breath. She brushed past Silas to get a clear line-of-sight
to Barlow, raised her hands, and said a few words in some arcane tongue. A
sphere sprang into being about Barlow, invisible but for a slight blue hue. The
first beasts that reached Barlow simply bounced away as they struck the sphere.

The sphere had one other
effect. The composed façade Barlow had worn was gone in an instant. Even as he
could see the creatures’ attacks blunted by it, he screamed at Adrianna,
“Remove the cursed magic, sorceress! I don’t need your help!”

The bat-things learned
quickly. Barlow they marked as unreachable, but there were other easy targets
merely feet away. The street here was clear of other living targets, the wave
of townsfolk now indoors or still running further on. Luke found himself in an
escalating fight with the tanner, whose attempts to close the door of his shop
were becoming more forceful. Luke begged him to hold on, but refused the
tanner’s invitation to come inside himself. He feared leaving his brother and
his friends to fend for themselves while he waited behind a closed door, one he
feared he might not be able to open again without a fight. For now his foot,
which was lodged in the door, and his shoulder, which pushed against it, were
being punished but were still maintaining a path to shelter. If only the others
would come to the door now…

Darius held his sword aloft,
swinging it randomly over his head to ward off the creatures. Silas was using
his staff to protect himself and Adrianna, but it was obvious he could only
hold out a very short time. The bat-things were starting to approach in groups,
sensing many could succeed where one might fail.

“Move toward the door!”
Adrianna pleaded to Barlow. “I can only hold it for so long.”

“Don’t hold it, then!” Barlow
replied.

One of the creatures caught a
claw full of Adrianna’s hair. It continued the arc of its flight long enough to
force her to twist her head slightly, then was met by a clean blow from Silas’
staff. It fell aside, dead.

A pair of the beasts fluttered
around Luke, and he tried to shoo them away with his free hand. As his weight
shifted, the tanner managed to slam the door closed. Even with the shrill cries
of the creatures all around him, he could hear with sickening clarity the lock
on the door being turned.

Barlow turned to face
Adrianna. He closed his eyes and let out a breath to compose himself. “I know
what I’m doing. Dispel the sphere. Please.”

Barlow got his wish without
Adrianna making a conscious decision to comply. As she returned his gaze, she
was thrown off by the sincerity of his expression, and then a pair of the
creatures managed to avoid Silas’ protective swipes—which took out three of
their fellows—and strike at her. They were moving too swiftly to do any real
damage, merely able to scratch with their claws but missing the mark with their
snapping teeth. But the blows snapped Adrianna’s concentration and the spell
was broken. The sphere vanished.

Any lingering hope that the
bat-things lacked intelligence was dispelled with the disappearance of the
magical sphere. Understanding the old man was no longer invulnerable, and seeing
he still made no movement to flee, they sensed a defenseless target, far easier
to hit than the four that had been fighting them off with hands and weapons. As
if by unspoken command almost all the creatures in the immediate area went for
Barlow.

Silas had reflexively reached
for Adrianna and had helped her keep her balance when she had been struck. Unable
to react physically in the instant he was given, he simply shouted his friend’s
name, a cry of impending loss.

Darius started to move toward
Barlow, unsure what he could do to help, wondering if he grabbed the old man
and tried to drag him inside if it would be his death as well as Barlow’s.

Since the attack began, other
than a single backhand swipe at one of the creatures, Barlow had maintained a still
but ready pose, his hand on his sword. Now, as the bat-things descended upon
him like some noxious black cloud, he drew his weapon. He did not swing it at
the encroaching horde, but rather simply held it aloft, making it as visible as
possible.

The sword cast off a white
light so intense that the weapon itself was no longer visible. Barlow could
feel the vibration it gave off as well, a low hum that approached a tonal
quality one might term a barely audible song. Barlow’s companions, as well as
any of the townsfolk looking out the windows, were forced to shield their eyes
from the sword’s dazzling radiance. The bat-things, unable to do the same, fled
with shrieks of mingled agony and frustration. It was not just the creatures in
Barlow’s immediate vicinity that departed; the entire flock gave up the city
and dashed off in search of easier prey.

As the sounds of the creatures
faded in the distance, Barlow lowered the sword, swooned, then fell to one
knee. He sheathed his weapon just as Darius reached him.

Darius had shielded his eyes
with his hand while the sword blazed, only daring to peek through a small crack
between his fingers to see what was happening. As he went to Barlow to steady
him, he noted a cross was engraved in the sword, and it was from this that the
light had emanated, the last glow fading as the creatures moved off into the
distance.

Barlow turned to see that it
was Darius who helped keep him upright, and he offered a weak smile. “I’m
okay,” he said. “Help me up.”

As he got to his feet, Silas
was there, whispering, “I told you you still have much to offer.”

Uncomfortable with the
compliment, but not wanting to answer or to try to refute Silas’ conclusion,
Barlow looked away. He saw that Luke regarded him with slack-jawed wonder,
while Adrianna offered him a nod of congratulations.

The creatures were gone, but
what they had wrought remained. The moans and cries of the injured and dying
soon filled the air, while those who had avoided harm come out from their
shelters to lend aid and start the process of cleaning up.

Silas was able to lend much
assistance to those suffering, but for many of the injured, it was again Barlow
who had the most to offer, calling on his paladin healing skills to counteract
the effects of the creatures’ bites. He worked tirelessly through the day and
well into the night, until exhaustion overtook him and his companions saw him
to one of the many homes offered up by the grateful locals for sleep and
nourishment.

When Barlow awoke the next day
he found Silas at his bedside. He motioned for some water and drank it slowly,
the trembling of his hands betraying the fact that he was not completely
recovered from his ordeal. He tried to sit up, but was hit by a wave of
dizziness. Yielding to common sense, he lay back down. Seeing Silas’ concern,
he said, “I just need a few minutes to collect myself. I’m fine.”

“That was quite a display
yesterday. You almost had me believing age was catching up with you, but then
the way you dealt with those flying monstrosities…”

“Standing and letting power
flow through me isn’t the same as fighting. Yesterday proved nothing other than
I can still be His instrument if He so wills it. You know what this means,
though.”

“The fact that your sword
behaved as it did?”

“Yes.”

Silas nodded, a slow, grudging
acknowledgment. “We need to tell the others.”

“Are they about?”

“They would not have wondered
far off. I’ll bring them in.”

“I can get up,” said Barlow,
rising up on his elbows.

Silas gently pushed him back
down. “Take a bit more rest while you can. And here is as good a place as any
to talk. We need to meet in private.”

Ten minutes later Darius,
Adrianna, and Luke had joined them in the small bedroom. Silas got right to the
point.

“Those creatures we faced
yesterday were evil. That is why Barlow’s sword took on such a brilliant
radiance, and they fled from such a holy light.”