***
Jax had finally caught up with the rest of the villagers. He had left an hour before the sun, and kept a hurried pace through the forest. He knew these woods, and many others, and was at home in them. He stopped only occasionally, doubling silently back on his track, to make sure that he wasn’t being followed. He knew that Mercius wouldn’t follow him, and not because of his multiple warnings. The boy was raised by demons in a world of evil, true, but there was a core of good in him, and guilt. Jax was sure that Mercius would have left them alone if he was simply asked, feeling that he had caused all these people too much harm already. He had wanted to speak to the boy, and find out all he could about the enemy, but he was a cautious man, and wouldn’t open himself to anyone without knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that they could be trusted. Jax had only trusted two people in his life, and one of them was dead. The other was at the front of the caravan he was approaching.
He walked up to Sophia, and placed his hand on the runner of the wagon she was in. They looked at each other for the space of several heartbeats, then the woman gave a slight nod and turned her attention back to the road before her. There were no words needed. She knew that if there was any trouble, Jax would have reported it immediately. He felt comfortable and at ease, walking next to her in silence. They had shared many pleasant days, and several evil ones. Jax had known her for nearly a decade, and at every turn she surprised him with her strength, her honesty, her will. She was a woman that was not daunted or afraid of anything, and took everything in stride. Her husband Halifax, now several days dead, had been infatuated with her, and she with him. Jax had loved them both, as well as their son. Now Sophia was the only one left, and Jax was bitterly hurt when he looked at her. She refused to show her pain, but he could see it hovering behind her eyes. The family she had loved and nourished had been ripped away from her in one ugly night, and even the great well of strength that she possessed was barely sufficient to conceal her grief. Jax’s grief was just as keen, and just as suppressed, but he felt that he had somehow left the emptiness of his despair behind him, at least for the time being. Sophia glanced down at Jax, and asked him to call for a halt of the caravan. The sun was directly overhead now, and they had come into a place where the trees opened up a bit. Jax passed the word down the line that they were stopping to rest. After he reached the last of the travelers, he turned and headed back up the line. Suddenly, he was gripped by a cold feeling of wariness. He glanced at the sky, but saw nothing, not even a bird. He hurried back to where Sophia was standing next to her wagon, patting the donkey that hauled it, and mumbling softly to it.
“Sophia,” he said, his tone grave and urgent, “we cannot stop here. We have to get under the cover of the trees. Now.”
She gave him a quizzical look for the briefest of moments, then nodded and they separated to get the train moving again as swiftly as possible. Suddenly, as one, the villagers froze and cowered, covering their heads. The air was rent by a chorus of awful cries coming from overhead. Marshalling his fear, which made his knees quiver and his blood run cold, Jax looked skyward. The air was teeming with several dozen winged creatures. They were all black against the sun, all different in size and shape. All of them, he saw, carried at least one rider. As he looked, one swooped from the sky and headed for the center of the wagon-train. It grasped the wagon in its talons and hoisted it back into the air. There weren’t any people in it, but the donkey still in its traces shrieked and kicked futilely. When the beast reached the rest of the demon troop, its prize was wrested from its grip, and immediately torn apart. The blood of the dying animal glistened in the sunlight.
Jax looked around, and saw that the paralyzing affect of the demon-wails still held the villagers, most crouched on the ground, covering their heads. “Up, people!” he shouted. “Into the trees! Now! For your lives!” This broke the spell, and they began running chaotically into the cover of the forest. Jax ran to and fro, encouraging people to stand and run; hide where they could. The demons continued to swoop into the clearing, but the wagons and carts were the only thing they carried away, along with the poor, screaming animals that hauled them. Jax made his retreat as the last of the villagers got under cover. He knew that the trees would offer them only temporary sanctuary, but that couldn’t be helped.
Jax pulled the bow from where it hung across his chest, and began firing at the flying monsters as he slowly backed his way into the trees, trying to give the others a momentary reprieve, as well as a head start on the pursuing demons. The shafts were merely an annoyance to the flying creatures, but Jax was able to bring down several of their riders before he heard his name being called behind him. He turned to see Sophia just on the edge of the trees, beckoning him. He ran to her, and reached her just as he felt the ground thump beneath his feet. He turned and saw that the beasts were landing, and the demons who rode them leapt from their backs and charged the woods in his direction. “Go!” he shouted, firing an arrow through the eye of a slobbering imp. “Find somewhere to hide!” He didn’t turn to see if she had listened to him. His mind was a red haze, and rage rose inside of him, steadying his hand. He loosed arrow after arrow, finding a mark every time, even if he didn’t kill the target. He was outnumbered, however. There were over a hundred demons, all running into the woods with no apparent order or unified ambition. Jax shot the ones that were coming at him, but it was all he could do. He knew that soon they would turn to him, overwhelm him, and slaughter him.
As he fired into the chest of a demon charging him, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned as the demon fell, but could not tell what he was seeing. There was a streak of black whirling through the air, but that was all he saw before he was forced to turn his attention back to the demons that rushed him. As he had suspected, they had identified him as a hindrance, and rushed him all at once. He dropped his bow, pulled the two curved, slender swords that hung at his back, and, with a snarl of defiance, waited for death to take him.
Mercius ran with a speed that no human could match. Indeed, very few demons could keep up with the pace he kept, unless they flew. He had managed to keep the flying troop within sight until several minutes ago. Then, they had surged ahead with a determination that spoke of their master’s will harrying them to some crucial obligation. His heart raced, and his mind was sharp. When he caught sight of them again, they were circling, and crying their ghastly, discordant anthems of horror. The trees abruptly thinned, and he was standing in an open clearing, filled with wagons and chaos.
The scene was chilling: the wagons had been abandoned, and were being hauled into the air one by one to the sound of screaming donkeys; people were running madly for cover, filling the clearing with their own screams. Mercius knew that they were only postponing the terrible fate that awaited them. None of them would be spared. They would all be ripped apart, and most would be eaten alive. In the center of the clearing, Mercius could see Jax, firing shafts into the circling troop of demons. He was stunned by the man’s lack of fear; most humans cower at the sight of demons, and their cries are fear and despair. This man, however, stout and huge, stood calmly firing up at them.
Mercius felt helpless. He had no bow, and could do nothing from the ground. As the last of the wagons was carried away, Mercius saw Sophia beckon Jax to her. He went immediately, and turned to face the oncoming horde as soon as he reached the trees surrounding the clearing. Now, as the demons landed and their passengers disembarked, Mercius felt he could do something useful at last. He pulled Illuricht from the scabbard at his back, and headed into the clearing.
There was no order in the demon troop. They were a wild bunch that were bent on nothing but killing. Mercius ran at the one closest him. He landed two strokes: the first severed the thing’s head from its body, the second cut the head in half horizontally even as it fell to the ground. Illuricht sang with the black blood that dripped from its tip. Gl
ancing across the clearing, he saw Jax making a stand at the tree line, holding two curved swords and shifting his weight from foot to foot as he awaited the onrushing horde of demons.
Mercius made his way toward the man, and was never without a foe trying to block his progress. The sword sprang to life in his grasp every time an enemy stepped in front of him. The woods were swarming with Hell-fiends, and Mercius danced gracefully through them, killing each with lithe speed and agility. He lost himself in this dance of death. The air was thick with blood and sweat and snarling noise. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that they were after nothing but killing him, and that the others, going for Jax or loping into the woods, were just trying to sway him from this realization. It made no difference. Illuricht swept, stabbed, sliced, whistled and hummed through Mercius' foes. The blade fed off of the confidence and power of its wielder, and became light as a feather in his grip. Illuricht drank the blood, and gave its power to Mercius, who was like a whirlwind of black as he cut down demon after demon, changing stances and attack patterns as naturally and casually as walking or blinking.
Mercius came to Jax’s side, and the growling battle noise was dimmed: now the snarling growls could be individually placed. There were only a handful of demons left, but they were still persistent and ruthless. Jax glanced at Mercius when he arrived, gave a grim nod, and began hacking wickedly at his next attacker. There, back to back, Mercius and Jax fought on. Mercius didn’t tire, and when he found no more enemies before him, he was somewhat disappointed. This disappointment came mostly from the blade he held, whose feast had come to an end. The battle-rage was in his blood still, and it lasted for several moments of searching the woods for something else to kill before it subsided.
He turned and looked at the hulking man beside him. Jax was panting, sweaty, and covered with blood: black demon blood, and his own, streaming from cuts on his arms and legs and face. They were silent, staring at each other. Mercius was aware of a difference in Jax’s gaze: the man was looking at him now in a different light.
Mercius decided to break the silence: “I know you told me you would kill me if I followed,” he said, his face stony and grim. “If you need to hold to your word, I will not blame you, but I saw that you were being hunted, and hoped only to help. I will leave you now, if you wish.”
Jax thought about this for several moments, then said, “You have done the right thing. Without your assistance, all of these people would be dead or dying by now. I am thankful, and will not kill you. Indeed! I doubt I would be able to if I tried!” He barked a laugh. “I didn’t know anyone could move that fast, and I’ve never seen blade work that came anywhere near what you’ve just shown. I am thankful indeed!”
Mercius was bashfully grinning, and his face had flushed beneath the mask of black splattered demon-blood he wore; he was unused to being complimented, let alone praised. And, somehow, coming from this man, the praise seemed much greater than the mere words suggested. Jax spoke truthfully, and Mercius felt honored; the light in Jax’s eyes touched his soul.
Mercius suddenly spun, Illuricht still in his hand, at a rustle in the trees. He saw Sophia standing there, gazing steadily at both of them. Several strands of her lightly greying hair were slightly out of place, but that was the only sign she showed of the fray that had just taken place. Her eyes flickered towards Jax, then focused intently on Mercius. He felt strange under the strength of her eyes, and acted without thinking: he dropped to one knee and grounded the point of his black sword, bowing his head and placing the knuckles of his free hand in the bloody mud. “Lady,” he said, the words seeming to spill from him unbidden. “I know that I was told not to follow, but I saw the hunting party, and knew it for what it was. I came only to assist, and will now do your will, whatever it may be.” He was stunned by what he had just said, and, again, his face flushed with embarrassment. He kept his head bowed and awaited Sophia’s judgment.
Moments passed that felt like an eternity. Finally she spoke: “The flying demons, will they attack again?”
“No, madam,” he raised his head to look at her, but continued to kneel. “They are a terrible foe, and will kill wantonly whenever they are able, but they are useless in the forest. They were merely transport. They will leave two or three scouts to track you, but the rest will carry their story back to Asgoroth. He will know exactly where you are in two hour’s time, if he does not already.”
She looked at him with that deep, steady stare of hers, then bid him rise. “I have gathered the villagers. Come.” With that she turned and strode away, and Jax and Mercius trailed obediently after her.
The remainder of the travelers were sheltering in a hollow created by an island of rock in the forest which jutted up out of the trees. They were roughly seventy-five in number, and only a dozen of those were men, most of whom were white of hair and wrinkled of face. There was an air of dread about the people: they had known their fair share of fear and despair in the last several days. They had lost friends and loved ones, and seemed to be simply waiting for the end to come. A strange sort of feeling came over Mercius, and he realized shockingly that it was pity. These people, beaten and broken, touched him in a way he hadn’t thought possible. Yet again, he was overcome by a strong feeling to protect them, and he made up his mind right then to do just that, no matter the price. He knew not how he would accomplish this, only that he would spend his last breath trying.
When the walking trio came to the stone outcrop, Sophia told Mercius to wait somewhere out of the way while she tended Jax’s wounds. He found a rock to sit on, and began to wipe the demon blood from Illuricht with a handful of damp leaves. When he was done, he peered along the blade, and checked the edge with his thumb: it hadn’t dulled in the slightest since he had received it. As he sat there, it became apparent that some people had witnessed his timely arrival during the attack, because women continually approached him, thanking him and kissing his hand.
He felt like his face was on fire. The children, of whom there were roughly two dozen, stared at him wide-eyed in awe. The youngest hid bashfully behind their mothers, but the oldest were bolder, and he eventually had a circle around him of ten dirty-faced boys and girls. He was awkward and more uncomfortable under their inquisitive stares than he ever had been in his life. They just looked at him silently. Finally, unable to bear it any more, he cracked a wolfish grin and looked at the boy nearest him. “How many did you kill, young one?” he asked. This, to his surprise, brought a chorus of giggles from the rest. The boy, feeling that he was being made fun of, furrowed his brow.
“None,” he said. “But that’s only because I was protecting my mama, and couldn’t join the battle.” At this, the rest of them burst into outright laughter.
“Well,” Mercius said, finding their amusement contagious, “we’ll have to get you a weapon, so that the next time those beasts come, you can protect your mother and kill a couple of them.” Silence followed this, and he was concerned that he had spoken poorly.
“Will you teach me to fight with a sword, like you did? They say it was like a thunderstorm. They say you killed them all with one hand, and that they ran in fear of you, but you hunted them down and killed them all.” Mercius tried not to laugh at this, and the awe with which it was spoken, but he chuckled nonetheless.
“No, I’m afraid that I didn’t kill them all. Only the ones that came close enough,” he said, with another wicked grin. “But in answer to your first question, I will teach you to fight if your mother allows it. In fact, any that wish to learn to defend themselves, I will instruct.” Their eyes lit up instantly, and they began to chatter giddily to each other. Mercius, not knowing from whence this new promise sprang, but knowing that it was somehow right, raised his voice above theirs and said, “If your parents allow it.” This quelled their enthusiasm, but he could see that he had planted a seed, and would have to follow through with it.
&nb
sp; A girl no more than seven, with flame-colored hair done up in two braids on either side of her head spoke after some time: “May I touch your sword, sir?”
“NO!” Mercius hadn’t intended to shout, and felt immediately sorry. “Forgive me, young lady. This sword is very special, and it would not like it if you held it, and would probably try to hurt you.” His tone seemed to sooth her somewhat, and keep the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling. “All of you must remember that. I will have you all promise, right now, to never touch this sword. Its name is Illuricht, and it is deadly to all but me. If you don’t promise, each and every one of you, then I will take back my offer to help you learn to fight.” A murmur of consternation ran through them, then all at once they began to blurt out their promises. It was all he could do for now.
“Where did you get it?” asked a boy to his left. As he asked, Mercius saw Sophia and Jax approaching, the latter with bandages on his arms and face.
“That is a story for another time,” he said, and saw their disappointment. “I have other things to do right now.” They knew they were being dismissed, but refused to go so easily. They just continued to stare at him and encircle him, as if they would force the story from him through innocent intimidation. Luckily, Sophia came to his rescue: she shooed the children with a kind but stern command to return to their parents, and trouble the visitor no more. They all obeyed immediately, with respectful replies. They apparently loved the woman.
Mercius looked anxiously at Sophia, awaiting what was to come. She didn’t make him wait long. “Your company is requested, if you please,” she said. Her tone was polite, and had lost a certain quality since the last time she had spoken to Mercius that he couldn’t quite place. It was pleasant, however, and he nodded his acquiescence.
They walked to a place that had been set up as a headquarters of sorts: the wounded were being tended to, and those that were not busy seemed to be cool and focused, indicating that they were members of the village counsel; indeed, Mercius recognized most of their faces. Some had food salvaged from the attack, and were distributing it. A woman handed a hunk of bread to Mercius with a smile, and he gave her his own grin awkwardly, not being accustomed to such niceties. He devoured the bread hungrily, then waited by Jax’s side as Sophia made her rounds among the wounded. After she made a complete circuit, speaking a few soft words to each in turn, she addressed the entire assembled crowd: “We have great matters to discuss, and very little time in which to do it. Our plan of running from the beasts, of distancing ourselves from the desert where these creatures dwell, has failed. They have found us, and now know exactly where we are. We are vulnerable, and weakened. Our food supplies have been seriously diminished, our pack animals are scattered or dead, and we still have no clear idea where to go. Few places we could find would be safe, and our journey there would likely be deadly. If anyone has any suggestions, other than utter surrender, please speak them now, so that we may decide what to do.”
Utter silence greeted this. Her remark had been straightforward and direct. Mercius got the impression that most of these people had already known what the situation was, but hearing someone voice it was trying. They had a communal look of defeat. After several moments, the gathered people began to shuffle with impatience and embarrassment. Still no one spoke, and it seemed apparent that no one would come up with any reasonable solution to their problem.
Finally, after what seemed like an unending silence, Jax, with gruff voice, said, “There is a town on the other side of the mountains.” He gestured with his chin off into the forest, but no mountains could be seen through the trees. “The place is called Drurador. It is a town, mind you, not a village. Closer to a city, actually. I haven’t mentioned this before, because it was filled with more people than I could count, on the one occasion I visited there. It is not the quiet, homely life we are used to. People are friendly in general, but not all are friends, and there are strange politics that corrupt and entangle. I left it as soon as I was able, and had hoped never to return. Do not misunderstand me: it is not an evil or vile place; it is just strange to the likes of us, and we would be hard pressed to make our lives happy and normal. There is room there for us, but it will be difficult, to say the least, and impossible to return to life as we knew it.”
Almost immediately, there was an excited murmur that went up from the crowd. All of them now had a look of expectancy and excitement in their eyes. They were all for it, and, now that they had something to strive for, were eager to set off. Jax, however, wasn’t finished. “Before we tear up the earth running for this town, remember that we will have to cross the mountains. This I have also done, and barely escaped with my life. It is not a journey to be taken lightly, and if there is any other way, we should avoid it entirely. Not all of us will survive. The cold is bitter, the wind biting, and the slopes unforgiving. I was forced to wade for three days through snow that came to my chest, and by the time I was done, my fingers were beginning to turn black and my eyes wouldn’t see properly. Furthermore, there are beasts in the high places that I have never before or after encountered. They howl at night and snarl during the day. I know not what they are, but they turned my blood to ice with fear.” There was a collective gasp at this: Jax was not one to be frightened, apparently. “This is not an easy task for the greatest of men, let alone women, children and the elderly. I only mentioned this town because all else were silent, but I gravely warn you against deciding this route. It will be treacherous and filled with grief and hardship at every turn. If any of us survived it, it would be lucky.”
After a moment, Sophia said, “We appreciate your concern and your candor, Jax, but it seems as though this is our only option at present. We cannot go back, and we cannot go on without a clear sense of purpose, as we have already seen. Does anyone else have any suggestions?” No one spoke. “Very well,” Sophia continued. She turned to Mercius and spoke: “Mercius, do you have any knowledge of these mountains, or the things that reside in them?”
Mercius thought for a moment, partly to get over the shock of being suddenly involved in the discussion. “Asgoroth’s eye sees everything,” he said at last, “but I have heard very little of the mountains you speak of. This could mean one of two things: that the mountains were of little import to him and he has long since diverted his attention from them, or that they are of no concern because they are already conquered and well-governed. Either way, as I see it, you have very little choice in the matter. With nowhere to go, you are the easiest of prey for his minions. At least with a concrete goal, however, your hearts will be strong. Do not underestimate this: it is a great weapon against him. As long as you fight fear and submission, he is weaker than he would be otherwise.
“As to the beasts that dwell in the ice of the mountains, I have little knowledge. They have been mentioned to me, but only in passing. I would have to assume that they are the converse of the type that attacked you today, loving cold and ice instead of heat and fire. If that’s true, then their behavior will be similar to those that you are already familiar with. However, the demons of Asgoroth’s dungeon are entirely and constantly under his command, and sometimes will even rage with his rage. These, however, isolated in the reaches of the mountains, may not be as deeply under his sway. That, also, is an advantage.” When he was done speaking, he gave Jax an apologetic look. Jax shrugged it off, however, and returned it with a grin that said he was ready for anything.
“So be it,” Sophia said. “My opinion is that we spend the night here, under the shelter of the trees, keeping posts at all times, and leave in the morning with Jax as our guide. We will head for the mountains, and the town on the other side.” She paused and looked at each of them in turn, then said with stern, proud conviction, “We know not what tomorrow will bring, but we will face it on our feet.” With this, the discussion was ended.
Mercius, however, was left unsatisfied. “Lady, if
I may ask, what would you have of me? You must look to your people, I understand, but I told you I would do whatever you wished of me, and meant it.”
She stared hard at him for several moments before saying, “What would you do, Mercius? What is your wish?”
Mercius said, without hesitation, “I wish to help. I will come with you if you will have me, and defend you, and all of these people, to my last breath. If, however, you wish me to depart from you, I will this very instant.”
Sophia gave a show of pondering his words, and almost immediately the rest of the congregation, with the exception of Jax who remained stoically silent, began telling her to allow the young man accompany them. A small smile creased her face and she said, “Very well. I wish, and so does everyone else apparently, for you to come with us. You have proven useful with a sword at the very least, and I believe that you will prove yourself again and again. Do not prove me wrong Mercius.” She walked away, leaving Mercius feeling strangely gratified and terrified all at once.