Sword of Light (39 page)

…

On the morning of the sixth day since they left the lake, Jake had risen before Hailyn, as was their normal morning habit.  He had finished dressing, his armor and weapons on, and was saddling Hailyn’s horse when it and the packhorse started acting nervous, snorting and stamping their hooves.  Dontas began to rear up, whinnying loudly.  Jake took a step back, wondering what was happening.  He glanced back at Hailyn, who had sat up in the blankets.  Suddenly, her eyes went wide and pointed behind him.  “JAKE!”  She screamed.

He spun, reaching for his sword, and he saw a large brown and tan lion leaping at him.  The lion resembled a mountain lion, only larger, more like an African lion.  Jake saw its long fangs as the cat opened its mouth, its claws extended.

He threw up his left arm to protect his face, unable to get out of the way.  The lion caught his forearm in its mouth as it collided with him, driving him to the ground.  His armor protected his arm and chest, but the cat’s hind claws sank into his thighs, sudden points of agony causing him to cry out, his voice adding to the chaos as the horses reared, whinnying loudly, and struggled against their restraints.

Jake could smell the fetid breath of the lion, inches from his face, the sound of its front claws raking against his breastplate sounding in his ears.  Desperate, he reached down with his right hand and found his dagger.  He drew it and slammed it into the lion’s side.  The cat shuddered and began to convulse as Jake yanked his dagger out and drove it home again.

Suddenly, the cat leapt off of Jake, rolling on the ground, its legs moving, but unable to stand.  Mewing, it collapsed on its side, panting and oozing blood.

Jake, shaken and in pain, tried to move, but his legs were too badly damaged.  As he tried to get control of his pain, Hailyn was there, her hands on his head, her magic streaming into him. The pain from his wounds faded in that gentle heat, the wounds sealing.  Once the healing was done, with Hailyn supporting him, he stood.

He looked over at the lion and saw its efforts weakening, blood now visible on its muzzle.  Jake wiped the blood off his dagger, sheathing it, and drew his sword.  He moved to finish off the cat when Hailyn stopped him.

“Wait, Jake.”  She said, putting her hand on his sword arm.  “Don’t kill it.  Let me heal it, instead.”

“What are you freaking talking about?!”  Jake asked, incredulous.  “That thing almost killed me.”

“It was only doing what it knows.”  She said, face firm.  “It is a creature of the One and should not be killed unless we must.”

“So, if you heal it, what is to stop it from attacking us again?”  Jake said starkly.  “I know that you feel strongly about this, but we can’t take the chance.”  He started towards the lion, again.

“Jake, please.”  Hailyn pleaded.  “It has lost a lot of blood.  Even if I heal it, it will be weak and will most likely crawl away.”

Jake could see that she was not going to bend on this.  Shaking his head, he said.  “You are flipping crazy to do this, but alright.”  As she started towards the animal, he stopped her.  “But, if the cat even looks like it is going to do something stupid, I will cut its head off and you will have wasted your time.”

Nodding, Hailyn approached the lion slowly, coming around to its back.  The cat did not move, its breath slowing and body quivering.  Kneeling down, she laid her hands on it, her fingers gently gripping its fur while Jake moved up to stand by its head, his sword raised and ready to strike.  Her body began to shine and her power flowed into the lion.

As Jake watched, he saw the runes on the bracelet suddenly come to life and pulse, sending specks of white into the lion.  The cat’s wounds healed, closing and fading and it began to move.  Once Hailyn lifted her hands, Jake reached down and pulled her up, dragging her behind him, his sword aimed towards the lion.

The lion licked at the blood near where its wounds were, and then pushed itself to its feet.  Jake saw that it was shaky, its body unsteady.  The cat turned towards them, its large yellow eyes regarding them.  Unexpectedly, it crouched down and began to purr, sounding like a large chain saw.

Jake was staring at it, not sure of what to think, when he realized that the horses had gone quiet.  He looked over towards them and saw them standing still, looking over at the lion.  Shaking his head, dumbfounded, he turned back to see Hailyn moving towards the lion.  He started to reach for her, but she pushed his hand away.

She cautiously approached the lion, which was watching her with, at least to Jake, a curious look in its eyes.  He shifted, sword ready, as she knelt down and slowly put her hand on the lion’s head.  The cat flinched slightly, but then began to rub its head against her hand, its purr growing louder.  It stood suddenly, causing Jake to raise his sword and move forward, but it simply began to rub its head and body against Hailyn, like an overgrown housecat.

Jake watched for a few moments, not really believing what he was seeing.  Finally, he sheathed his sword and stood there observing.  The lion left Hailyn and came over to Jake, causing him to tense up.  The lion licked his hand, its rough tongue like sandpaper against his skin.  Cautiously, he reached out and scratched its head.  The cat began purring again, moving close to Jake and rubbing against him.

“I guess we have a new friend.”  Jake said, looking over at Hailyn, who was smiling at them.

…

With the lion following them, they continued on their journey.  Jake could still not believe what had happened, glancing back again and again at the lion.  However, he was the only one still somewhat bothered.  Hailyn seemed content with how things turned out and the horses were no longer troubled by the lion’s presence.

At camp that night, the lion stayed near Jake and Hailyn, curling up nearby when they laid out their blankets.  Praying that they or the horses did not end up as breakfast, Jake watched the cat for a while, finally drifting off.  He was a bit startled when he awoke to find the lion curled up at their feet.

As they traveled the next day, the weather turned colder and the terrain became rougher, the hills steeper and paths for the horses few.  They struggled through the hills, each hill they traversed followed by what seemed its twin.  The constant and seemingly endless challenge of the hills began to grate on Jake; he really wanted some flat land for a change.  As if the fates responded to his request, in the late afternoon, they made it to the crest of a large hill.  They stopped when they saw that the hill suddenly ended at the top of a large cliff.  A cold wind blew up the cliff, causing their clothes to whip around as they stared ahead.

Spread out in front of them was a large open valley.  The valley was almost barren, made up mostly of dull gray stones and wind-swept dirt.  Across the valley, barely visible on the horizon, was a line of tall, snow-covered mountains, their peaks covered by the gray clouds.  Despite the white snow, Jake sensed something dark and forbidding about the mountains.

Hailyn pointed towards them.  “That is where we have to go.”

Jake nodded, resigned.  “Let’s find a place to camp.  In the morning, we will find a way down.”

…

As the waves crashed against the rocks behind him, the froth seeming to glow in the moonlight, Martis climbed out of the small boat that had brought him here.  He was in a small cave that opened to the ocean, facing a rough-hewn set of stairs that went deeper into the cliff.  Despite feeling venerable without Ranech, who was still aboard the main ship, he slowly began to ascend the stairs.

His mysterious benefactor had been true to his word.  Late that evening, his cell had been unlocked and he and Ranech were led away.  They were taken through some tunnels, following their guide, and found themselves near the docks.  They were hustled aboard a medium-sized transport ship and hidden below decks.  When the morning came, the ship had sailed from the harbor and made its way north.  They had stopped at sea for several days, waiting until two more transport ships joined them.  Once they were together, they resumed their travel.

He was here to deliver his benefactor’s message in person, he had been told.  Due to his past associations, he was the perfect person to deliver it.  He was not sure what that meant, but he would do almost anything to avoid the headsman’s ax.  His freedom and money would be waiting for him when he completed this mission he had been assured.

When he reached the top of the stairs, nearby torches burning brightly, there stood a tall man, an Aletonian, dressed in armor and a sword.  The man looked him up and down with contempt, a sneer on his dark face.  Having been around them for years, Martis knew instantly that this was a half-man.

“Come along, old man.”  The man said, roughly grabbing Martis’ arm.  “The Master will want to see you directly.”

While he tried to affect an outwardly calm, Martis shivered.  After all that happened to him, the last thing he wanted to face was another demon.  Knowing he was committed and had no choice, he hoped that he could deliver the message quickly and leave.

Martis was taken down a long hall and pushed through an opening at the end.  He was in a small room, dark and cold, the stone wall unadorned with only a few torches lit.  The man escorting him kicked him behind the knees, forcing him to the ground, and then knelt next to him.  “The messenger is here, Master.”  The man said.

Martis felt that familiar chill as the demon, an Imp, stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the room and approached him.  Trying to keep his teeth from chattering, Martis clenched his jaw shut and focused his gaze at the floor.

“What is the message, worm?”  The demon asked, its voice frightening.

“I was told to say that the time has come for the cock to crow, Master.”  Martis said quickly.  He had no idea what it meant and he did not care.

“Anything else?”  The demon asked.

“Nothing, Master.”  Martis replied.

“Excellent, worm.”  The demon said.  “Rise and follow me.”

Martis was dragged to his feet by the half-man and shoved after the demon.  He caught up and stayed behind the demon as it led him through a long tunnel.  At the end of the tunnel, a wide cavern stood.  When they reached a landing that jutted out into the cavern, Martis saw other demons and at least two hundred followers moving about the cavern.

“Here is what I have been able to gather.”  The demon said, smiling.  “With surprise, we will have success, bringing about the change that my Master had requested.”  It looked over at Martis, those black eyes reflecting the torchlight.  “You should consider yourself lucky to be a witness to it.”

Martis swallowed nervously.  “Forgive me, Master, but I am only a messenger.”

“Not anymore.”  The demon said, those sharp teeth gleaming as it smiled.  “You will accompany us on this mission.”  The smile fell.  “I insist.”

“Of course, Master.”  Martis said quickly, bowing, though he wanted to run and keep running.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
T
HREE

With the light cooling mist from the spray of the bow reflecting the bright sun, Dominic observed the city of Danelias as
Wavemistress
approached the breakwater and the harbor entrance.  He was standing alone, leaning against the rail at the bow of the ship and enjoying the fresh sea air.  While the day was hot, especially in the direct sun, it was blessedly cooler than the brutal heat of Parshalthia and the desert surrounding it.

They had escaped the ruins, making their way stealthily down the deserted street back to the horses.  They rode away, stopping only to recover the water wagon, and continued on.  Even though night had fallen, they made their way back to the fortified hilltop before stopping.  Despite the loss of Kalisia and the soldier, they were in good shape overall, so they started back to Far Southern the next morning.  They kept a close guard, expecting to be attacked at any moment, but other than the unrelenting heat, they encountered no threats.

Brelis was true to his word; the
Wavemistress
was moored at the dock and ready to sail when they returned.  Dominic made the decision to leave immediately, loading the horses as quickly as possible while they still had light.  As night was falling, the ship slipped out of Far Southern’s port and turned north.

They encountered some headwinds and a small squall as they traveled north, slowing their progress.  Today was the sixth day out of Far Southern and Dominic was ready to be back on land.  While sea travel did not bother him, he preferred horses and solid ground.

He shifted his gaze from the city, looking along the coast.  There were several ships heading for the harbor, a couple of smaller fishing vessels near the breakwater and three transport ships in the distance.  He noticed a couple of trading ships passing by the two towers that guarded the harbor, sailing out to the sea.

Brelis maneuvered his ship towards the harbor mouth, a little closer to the breakwater than Dominic would have expected, then swung to port, staying close to the rocks near the southern tower.  At first, Dominic was not sure if Brelis was not just showing off his skill, but then saw a small boat carrying an official, likely a harbor master, come out from behind the breakwater and pull alongside.  Brelis’ sailors threw down a rope ladder and the man climbed aboard.  Dominic watched as the man went up to the wheel deck and spoke with Brelis.  After the man finished, Brelis shouted out orders to his sailors.  The main sail came down, leaving only the smaller one in the front, slowing the ship.  Brelis steered the ship as the man pointed and gestured.

Soon, they were approaching one of the stone docks.  Dominic could see Commander Farrious, his war hammer on his shoulder, standing amongst a group of Queen’s Guard on horses, waiting for them to dock.  As the ship slowly approached the dock, a sailor ran past Dominic to throw the bowline to a waiting worker while another sailor did the same from the stern.  The workers on the dock pulled the ship close, then tied off the lines, securing the vessel.  Brelis had the gangway lowered, then descended to the main deck as Farrious came aboard.