To know the light of our god is to experience the blessing of true happiness. The tainted blood of the demihumans is a dark cloud separating us from the light. For the faithful, there can only be one path, a crusade to eliminate the darkness in our hearts. Purge the tainted to banish the demons and walk in the blessed light.

  High Cardinal Irving

  said before the gathered faithful

  at the behest of King Nathair

  Solomon was munching on a loaf of bread in the shade when Kastytis, Ulric, and Felix walked into the training area. Felix looked very impressive in his shining plate armour, very valiant and glorious. Kastytis wore a much more seasoned outfit, mostly dried leathers with a chainmail corset. Ulric was speaking to them as they entered the grounds.

  “Felix, you are going as the weakest link today. As such, Kastytis will provide you extra cover.” Ulric said with a frown. “Honestly, I was expecting Zaria to be the least capable, but you need speed and agility training.”

  “Father, I-” Felix stammered.

  “I have spoken. I will hear no more arguments to the contrary.” Ulric said with finality.

  Kastytis spoke up. “Zaldimere and Zaria approach.”

  Solomon’s eyes flickered with interest. This would be his first time seeing either mage dressed for combat. Zaldimere wore a fiery orange robe adorned with hefty rupees and diamond dust. A crown of sorts sat on his head, emanating a magical resonance with his staff. Zaldimere’s staff was as tall as himself and silver with iconic fire creatures carved into it. Zaria, by contrast, was dressed in simpler finery. Light grey and blue apprentice robes wrapped loosely to her body to hide any secrets. She carried a smaller wooden staff with a single sapphire meant for a last-ditch defence if the need arose.

  As the two of them joined with Ulric and the others, Zaria spoke up. “Where is Solomon?”

  Kastytis smiled, and his eyes darted briefly to where Solomon was still finishing up his loaf of bread. “We are all here and ready from the looks of things.”

  Solomon grinned. The arms master did not disappoint – no one else seemingly had noticed him.

  Zaria was confused. “Solomon’s not here?”

  Kastytis pointed to Solomon as the warrior rose to join the group. “He was here first, actually.”

  Solomon raised his hand in greeting and then joined the group. Ulric nodded and said. “Alright, Kastytis oversees this group. You are all to visit the village of Rivenforge. Speak to the village elders to find out as much as possible about the raiders, track them down, and teach them a lesson they will not soon forget. Got it?”

  Felix, Solomon, and Zaria all nodded their confirmation.

  “Alright, Kastytis, take them out, keep them all safe, and show them how they can start being useful,” Ulric said with a grim smile.

  Ulric headed back to the keep as they watched him leave. Zaldimere nodded at Kastytis to lead the way. Grunting, Kastytis started moving towards the castle’s gate.

  “It is about a four-hour trip by foot to the village,” Kastytis said. “We will walk there before dinner, gather some information, eat, then prepare to wait for the raiders. If we are lucky, they will attack the village and then we will not need to chase after them in the woods. We will search the woods tomorrow for the bastards if we are unlucky.”

  Kastytis spoke gruffly, but the plan was a solid one. Felix, however, was not amused and said as much. “We are going to walk to the village?!”

  Kastytis did not even turn around and kept walking through the gate and into the surrounding village, forcing the rest of the group to keep pace with him. “That is right. And no, you may not change out of your armour.”

  “But it is going to be a hot day,” Felix complained.

  “Can you change your skin?” Kastytis asked.

  “What?” Felix said, stunned by the question.

  “Can you change your skin?” Kastytis repeated.

  “Well, no?” Felix said.

  “Your armour is like a warrior’s skin. If you cannot change your skin, then you cannot change out of your armour, and you would still have to carry it anyways.” Kastytis explained. “Now shut up all of you, and let us march.”

  Eventually, smoke came into view from the village as the group crossed a small wooden bridge over a stream. Solomon, with the sharpest eyes of the group, noticed that the town was burning first. Kastytis noticed that Solomon had tensed up and looked for the cause. After a few minutes, Kastytis also saw the smoke trail, and the group at large could smell the faintest whisper of flame.

  Zaria was the first to speak up. “Is it just me, or does anyone else smell wood burning?”

  “It is not just you; it looks like parts of the village are burning,” Kastytis replied calmly.

  “Why are we approaching so slowly then?!” Felix exclaimed.

  “Because we do not need to thunder into the village and cause a panic,” snapped Kastytis. “We will approach slowly as we walk up to their village. Once we are there, we can declare our purpose and offer aid.”

  “But,” Zaria started to oppose.

  At this, Zaldimere spoke up. “What Kastytis is not saying is that this is a dangerous situation for us. Right now, we have no way to tell friends from foe, and the bandits or raiders could still be there, and we may have no way to tell the difference. I am not sure about you two, but some of us would prefer not to receive a dagger in the back from villagers pretending to be in distress.”

  Solomon’s nose twitched slightly. The cloying stench of charred flesh was amongst the smell of burnt wood. The additional scent, once you noticed it, was hard to dismiss. The group continued in silence.

  As they approached the village, they noticed no guards at the gate. Indeed, most of what they did notice was death and destruction. Hewn bodies lay hither and thither. Often body parts were missing, and the bodies were charred. Kastytis’s practiced eyes surveyed the carnage.

  “This attack fell last night, I think, and if any villagers remain, they have been slow to clean up the area. Probably frightened. The smoke is from the buildings that burnt down – they are still smouldering.” Kastytis said grimly. “Let us see if we can find anyone still living.”

  “Zaria and I will summon water elementals to help put out the smouldering remains and cleanse the air. I think Felix should remain our guard, allowing you and Solomon to search the area for survivors.” Zaldimere suggested to Kastytis.

  “A good suggestion,” Kastytis said, squashing Felix’s protests with a gesture. “Solomon, let us go.”

  The grizzled veteran turned to go, and Solomon scrambled to follow, his cloak held closely to prevent it from billowing and attracting attention. Solomon made a mental note to add loose bindings and weights into the seams to reduce the fluttering. Kastytis set a quick pace, and Solomon silently trailed after him.

  After a few twists and turns into the village, raindrops started to fall from the clear sky. Kastytis spares the sky a quick glance and says, “That will be Zaldimere and Zaria. Water bolts into the sky, probably.”

  “Zaldimere said they would summon constructs; why would he not just cast a regular spell for this? From what I have read, it is minor spell work to hold it for a time.” Solomon asked cautiously and quietly.

  Kastytis gave Solomon a searching glance. “True, but Zaria would become fatigued quickly if she continuously summoned water bolts. Her skill does not let her do such large workings yet. Large workings are also rather draining – Zaldimere will be strategizing on how he can minimize his energy usage while potential threats lurk.”

  “Hmmm.” Solomon made a noise as he wandered from one broken and burnt structure to another. “That is true. Also, I do not think this was a simple raid.”

  Kastytis’ eyes snapped to Solomon’s face. “What makes you say that?”

  “I think something big came through here – an ogre or a giant of sorts. Not a troll, though; the fire makes that clear.” Solomon reasoned quietly. “And there are many smaller prints, and those will be orcs, goblins, or both. So it is more like a strategic strike, perhaps testing an alliance?”

  A snort broke the silence after Solomon’s last remark as Kastytis started to laugh. Solomon sighed and looked around. Laughing amidst such brutal destruction seemed wrong somehow. Still, as someone far more experienced in battle and war, Kastytis was desensitized to such sights. Solomon heard crunching embers suddenly and glanced around. Two children with bows were taking aim on the second story of one of the few still standing buildings.

  Solomon drew his blade without hesitation. He pushed Kastytis behind some cover as arrows whistled through the air above his back. Kastytis could only wheeze and gasp – Solomon had shoved the air out of the warrior. Looking down at his teacher, Solomon whispered, “Two kids, second floor. Probably survivors of whatever happened here.”

  Still catching his breath, Kastytis nodded. “Do you think you can get to them?”

  Solomon peaked out – the kids were still there. He looked at Kastytis and nodded. “You will distract them?”

  “Yes. Do not harm the kids. Just take their weapons and bring them to me.” Kastytis instructed. With that, he darted forward, startling the kids who shot wildly inaccurate shots.

  Solomon followed Kastytis’s example but in a different direction. Solomon hopped over the crumbled remains they had hidden behind and ran full speed towards the building the two kids were hiding in. Nearly colliding with the building's side, Solomon ran halfway up the wall and jumped for the last short portion catching a handhold and hoisting himself onto the burnt balcony with the two kids.

  The kids scrambled and screamed when Solomon made his appearance. Solomon reached out and took their bows. One of the kids had crapped their pants. With a sigh, Solomon spoke to them. “Calm down. I will not hurt you unless you try to hurt me again.”

  Snivelling, one of the kids spoke. “You are not a demon?”

  It was a frightened little girl. Solomon felt guilt whither his stomach a little. “Nah, my name is Solomon. I am a guest of Lord Ulric - the local lord near here. He sent my friends and me here to help, but it looks like it might be too late.”

  The door at the back of the room swung open, causing Solomon to whirl and face it, sword bared and ready. He did not keep the blade out long, however. Solomon sheathed his sword as the wizened old man walked through the doorway.

  “I am Katan, the village chief.” Croaked the old man.

  “And these two?” Solomon asked.

  “Mallon and Talon, the only children left alive in the village,” Katan replied. “Please come below. You were sent by Lord Ulric, I heard?”

  “Yes, with the rest of my group. I will gather them and meet you below. Are there any dangers in the village now?” Solomon said.

  “No, they are gone for now,” Katan said sadly.

  With a nod and a wave, Solomon jumped from the balcony and landed lightly on the ground below. He glanced upwards at the three villagers looking down at him. Solomon moved quickly but quietly, returning to where he and Kastytis had left the mages and Felix.

  Rounding the corner, he saw that Kastytis had indeed joined them. Solomon strolled to join the group. Kastytis asked for a report.

  “The two kids were Mallon and Talon, villagers. I spoke with the village chief, an old guy named Katan. They’ve invited us in.” Solomon reported.

  Kastytis nodded. “So Katan is still alive – the old rascal. We will head over to him now unless Zaldimere and Zaria are still working on putting out the fires?”

  “No,” Zaldimere responded. “We are done for now. Let us go. I could use some food.”

  Kastytis grinned. “Exactly what I was thinking.”

  With that, the group returned to where Kastytis and Solomon had run into the kids and their bows. They circled the damaged but primarily untouched building until they were at the front. As they ascended the steps, villagers pulled open doors with hooked tools they could wield as weapons if needed. Kastytis paid them no mind and entered, and the rest followed him.

  The interior matched the exterior – sections of the building were charred or broken, but otherwise, the structure seemed untouched. Pieces of finery had been placed to enhance the status of the place previously. Still, most of it was now cast aside and neglected in favour of preserving lives. Straight ahead in the hall was the chieftain’s chair with Katan waiting for them.

  Katan’s eyes alighted upon Kastytis. “You! Lord Ulric sent you to our aid?”

  “My greetings, old friend, it has been a while,” Kastytis said with a grin.

  “Lord Ulric allowed you to leave the castle? This is unusual! And to help me of all people, eh?” Katan’s amazement was a little overdone, but Solomon and the others could tell that these two were old friends.

  “What happened here?” Kastytis asked, letting his eyes drift to the numerous injured villagers in the room.

  “We were attacked – mostly orcs and goblins, but there were also a couple ogres and even a pair of dark elves,” Katan replied. “Alone, we might have resisted quite a while, although the dark elves would have hurt our chances considerably.”

  “So, there is more to the story? Katan, a coalition like that is cause for enough concern.” Kastytis said worriedly.

  “Follow me,” Katan said. The older man walked into a private chamber behind the chair.

  Kastytis looked at the others. “Solomon, you are with me. Zaldimere, see if you three can help the injured and wounded in any way.”

  Zaldimere nodded. He could use some healing magic, and Zaria had a bit of a talent for it. They would not be as great as true healers or priests, but they could ease the suffering of many.

  Solomon followed Kastytis into the next room. Katan spared Solomon a look but did not wait too long to continue his story. “You were at the castle when the empress died. Were you not Kastytis?”

  Solomon jolted in surprise. This was news to him. Kastytis did not look at him, though and responded readily. “Yes, I was there. However, I did not see her die; I had other duties that day.”

  “Lucky you. The damage to the village was done by the raiders’ leader. Kastytis, it was a creature not of this world. I am sure it was a demon.” Katan’s voice broke with fear. “I have never been so frightened, so sure that death had come.”

  Kastytis sighed. “Katan, demons do not-”

  “Do not say they do not exist, fool.” Katan snapped. “I was there on that day years ago. I saw the empress fight, and I saw her do battle, and I saw her fall. And I saw that demon-tainted traitor take up his sword and strike a blow into the darkness.”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Katan took a steadying breath and continued. “When that creature passed by me, its evil stopped my heart for a moment. I could feel its malevolence, its hatred of life. We could not fight it then, and we cannot fight it now.”

  “We will be here to help you if you need it,” Kastytis said. “We can help you start rebuilding, and then we will attempt to track this demon and the other raiders. That is all I can do for you.”

  Katan nodded. “It is enough to help us rebuild our lives. If they come again, we will likely abandon this cursed soil.”

  With the exchange completed, Kastytis spun to leave the room. Solomon watched him go. His mentor’s behaviour was out of place – this is not how Kastytis would usually handle the situation. As Solomon turned to go, Katan spoke again.

  “Warrior guest of Lord Ulric, wait, please,” Katan said.

  “My name is Solomon,” Solomon said hesitatingly.

  “No matter. When you face the demon, do not fear. Stand by Kastytis; he will need you.” Katan instructed.

  “Why? And why is he so… stiff?” Solomon asked.

  “You do not know? I suppose he keeps his secrets to keep himself safe,” Katan trailed off, evaluating Solomon. Apparently liking what he saw, he continued. “Years ago – when we had an empress – he served in the royal guard, and he feels that he failed in his duty then.”

  “But the king slaughtered the enemy that killed the empress with help from the royal guard!” Solomon said.

  “Yes, which is why he does not brandy about his past. I do not know how he escaped the fate of the rest of the guard, but this secret could mean his death. Keep him safe, young lord.” Katan closed his eyes. “You look a lot like your mother.”

  “My mother?” Solomon asked. “Did you know her?”

  Katan waved Solomon’s question aside. “Go, help Kastytis and keep him safe.”

  Solomon had a lot to digest from that brief exchange. Lost in thought, he too turned to rejoin the group. As Katan watched him go, a thought crossed his mind. A memory of the empress before her death.

  Kastytis cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. The group had helped heal the villagers for the remainder of the previous night. Solomon had been hard at work helping to rebuild the village when the sun crested the horizon. Solomon and a handful of villagers had repaired and even improved upon the wall defending the town. A zigzag of fallen trees stacked on each other created a high wall – a problematic barrier to traverse with a group. They had also cleared much of the village of the rubble. The work went quickly with Solomon’s enhanced strength from daily training and specially crafted weapons.

  The group had gathered themselves up around noon to wait for Kastytis. He would make the call of whether they would go searching for the raiders or head home to report on the state of the village and the supposed demon. It was a tough decision to make.

  “So, our mission was to remove the raider threat, and we have helped the village start reconstruction and healed many villagers. We have been told that the raiders are led by a demon – this puts us into an awkward position.” Kastytis said.

  “What do you mean?” Felix asked. “Why is our position made awkward? The trail for the raiders is fairly obvious.”

  “Has your father never told you?” Zaldimere countered. “Reports of demons are investigated by a special unit appointed by the king. Interference is seen as an unlawful act.”

  “And that causes our current dilemma,” Kastytis concluded for the group. “Do we head back and report on this, or do we continue and verify the truth of the situation?”

  “Kastytis, if you are after a vote, then I vote we continue,” Zaldimere said. “I do not believe in demons, regardless of the reports here. We should verify, and we can always run away to report it later.”

  Zaria added her agreement. “We must ensure that the raiders will not or cannot harm these villagers further.”

  “And the point of this was to test us in battle,” Felix complained. “We have yet to even draw our blades.”

  Kastytis looks at Solomon, who was standing silently off to the side, brooding. “Solomon?”

  The young warrior stood there, deep in contemplation. He spoke cautiously. “If we do this, we need to be cautious.”

  “Cautious? Cautious how?” Zaria asked, confused.

  Solomon sighed. “If we do this, we are potentially breaking the kingdom’s laws. If everyone is set on this, we should track them at a distance using Zaldimere’s magic. We can then confirm if there is a demon in the same manner and then back off if confirmed.”

  “And if no such demon is present?” Kastytis inquired.

  “I am not opposed to going on the offensive,” Solomon responded.

  “Alright,” said Kastytis. “Then we are all in agreement. We will head out now into the forest. Solomon, you are our primary tracker until you think we are near the enemy. At that point, we will have the magicians take the point in the tracking.”

  The veteran campaigner glanced around at each member of the group. They were all packed and ready. The younger adults were prepared to go, their eagerness hard to hide. It was even infecting Zaldimere, who tried hard to pretend to be above the whole affair. Kastytis continued, “Alright, folks! Let us head out!”

  Solomon did not need much in the way of a prompt. He was moving away briskly before Kastytis had even finished his command. They exited the village out of one of the more official exits – now marked with a cleverly hinged gate. The gate looked massive at nearly twelve feet high and towered over them as they made their way out of the village. Solomon caught Kastytis’s eye as they left and saw an approving nod. Solomon smiled in response and concentrated on their task as they approached the woods.

  Trying to track the creatures that had caused the carnage would have been nigh impossible in the village. However, following the tracks from the town around its edges was a much simpler task – less interference from goodly-minded folks that had accidentally obscured essential details about the supposed demon and its compatriots.

  The group started to circle the village as Solomon zigzagged back and forth across the ground. Solomon halted and turned around as they walked by a series of puddles on the ground. He knelt next to a pool and inserted his pinky into the murky waters, measuring. Closing his eyes, Solomon meditated on a spell that he had once read about in an older tome – spectral sight. Pausing to contemplate the magic, Solomon considered whether Zaldimere would detect the magic. Solomon did not want to get caught casting an enhancement enchantment. Still, he did not believe it would be noticed by Zaldimere. Spectral sight required minimal magical energies, and Solomon practiced magic without incantations or other components.

  Solomon enacted the enhancement without hesitation and wrapped it in a cloaking spell as a precaution. The magic caused his vision to go greyscale but glancing back at his companions, he could see the magic was functioning correctly. They glowed with an inner radiance that made their positions highly visible. Looking back at the puddles, Solomon could see that his hunch was correct. The pools were formed in the tracks of something enormous that had gone this way – and as Katan had advised, it was demonic in origins.

  Unfortunately, Solomon was in a bind – no one else was aware of his abilities. It was safer for him if he kept it that way. With no other viable choice left available to him, he was left to track the raiding party.

  “Something large, probably the supposed demon, headed this way into the forest,” Solomon informed the group. “The puddles are formed in its footprints.”

  Kastytis and the others stared at Solomon blankly and then at the puddles. Zaldimere was the first to recover. “Those puddles are huge. You are sure of this?”

  “Yes,” Solomon said.

  “Probably a giant of some kind then.” Piped up Kastytis.

  Solomon remained silent but shook his head. He followed the faded residue of the demon’s footprints into the forest. The forest was old, with a menacing feel – the villagers probably tried to stay away from it whenever they could. The demon’s footprints are less evident in the underbrush. However, the trail of fiendish energy was still clear due to Solomon’s enchanted eyes.

  The group was making good time despite obstacles that the forest would throw at them. Rivers, ravines, poisonous shrubs… These quite often had to be circumvented. With Solomon leading, however, the group barely slowed. Hours passed unnoticed by Solomon, and the moon rose higher and higher into the sky. The tracks were no longer faded; instead, they glowed with the demon’s presence. They were getting close.

  Solomon reeled in shock by cancelling his eye enchantment by stopping the flow of energy to his eyes. It was past midnight and very dark. He said to the group, “Sorry all.”

  Kastytis looked up at him sharply. “You lost the trail?”

  “No, nothing like that. I lost track of time in my hunt.” Solomon said. “We should be fairly close; the tracks are around thirty minutes old.”

  “Zaldimere, can you?” Kastytis stated.

  “Sure.” Said Zaldimere.

  Zaldimere pulled out a small and very rusty tool from deep within his robe. The device looked very similar to a cross, with sharper edges. Underneath the rust and blemishes, the occasional sparkle could be seen. Initially, the item had been made of platinum with various precious gems embedded into it. He knelt on one knee and held the object in front of him. Flicking a glance at Zaria, Zaldimere mumbled the complex conjuring incantation exceptionally quietly.

  A white glow burst out from Zaldimere’s hands. It floated in front of him, slowly transforming into a ghostly imitation of a human being. These spiritual beings are generally conjured to address risky requests for the summoning magician. Spying and enemy tracking were amongst the spirits’ common uses. Typically, spiritual beings are invisible to most folks. Still, it is possible to make them visible and solid by conjuring them into objects. Rare folks like Solomon could discern their presence and form unless the summoner was intentionally cloaking the spirit. After appearing, the soul did not stay long. Controlled by Zaldimere’s will, it soared upwards and eventually disappeared.

  Zaria sat down next to Zaldimere. Solomon positioned himself to defend the direction the demon’s tracks led. Kastytis and Felix took up positions to his left and right accordingly. They settled down to wait in silence.

  Fortunately, their patience was not tested for very long. Before the hour was out, Zaldimere gasped and retched, shaking violently. Somewhere his spirit spy had met a grisly end.

  “Run,” Zaldimere struggled to choke out the words. “They are coming.”

  With that, the mage collapsed, senseless. Solomon moved to help pick the old man up, but Zaria got there first – followed closely by Felix. Between the two siblings, they managed to lift Zaldimere.

  Kastytis took charge and barked out commands. “Take him and run. Go towards the village and do not stop running no matter what.”

  “But,” Felix said.

  “No time for arguing,” Kastytis said as he drew his sword. “Run.”

  The grim tone in Kastytis’s voice was telling. Felix and Zaria ran off with Zaldimere suspended between them as fast as they could. As the three disappeared into the thick underbrush, Kastytis looked at Solomon.

  “We will wait for as long as we think they need for a head start. Then we will tail behind them slowly.” Kastytis instructed. “I do not know what we might face here but fight well if they overtake us.”

  Solomon closed his eyes and silently cast a spell to locate the incoming demon. Sure enough, the demon was closing in fast. They had minutes at most. “The demon will be here shortly. I will try and ambush it from above when it attacks you.”

  Kastytis looked at Solomon carefully, judging. “You just used magic, did you not?”

  “Does it matter?” Solomon asked.

  “Not now, but later, maybe,” Kastytis replied. “We can talk if we live through this. For now, prepare yourself.”

  Solomon leapt straight up into the closest tree. Kastytis stared for a moment, then hunkered down to defend himself. Within moments, the demon rushed into the open area. Demons are rare, but they are easily identified due to the void flames generally emitted from various spots on their bodies. This demon was no exception in that regard, with void flames raging around the demon’s feet and hands. The demon stood upright on two legs in a grotesque mockery of the human form. It had reddish-grey skin and a white mane of hair. Its eyes were black and soulless pits on its squashed face.

  Kastytis looked small with his sword and shield bared, facing the demon. The demon towered over Kastytis. It spoke, and its voice was like fire and brimstone. “Ha, it seems the mage had an accomplice or two? Tell me how many were in your group, swordsman, and I shall kill you quickly.”

  Kastytis, despite his fear and nearly unbearable terror, snorted in response. The swordsman would never give up his charges, even before a demonic foe. He countered with a question of his own. “What is your name, demon?”

  “I am Tichaz’ama, fiery hunter of Nath’eliz – a third area of the void dimension humans refer to as hell,” Tichaz’ama said with a touch of boredom.

  “Well,” Kastytis said. “It is good to know the name of a foe you will soon slay.”

  The demon laughed and drew his sword. He spoke again, overcome with curiosity. “So, tell me before I slaughter you – who are you, you who has courage greater than most heroes?”

  “I am Kastytis. I serve High Lord Ulric Wolfsbane, who slew the greater demon wolf, Kelth’aziar, at the side of the Empress.” Kastytis shouted, lunging forward to meet the demon in combat, blade to blade.

  The demon drew a sword that looked to be blacker than a starless night. With seemingly little effort, Tichaz’ama’s sword met Kastytis’s blade. With a screech of metal on metal and a grunt, the demon repelled Kastytis’s assault. Not to be deterred, Kastytis re-engaged the fight repeatedly, even nicking the monster on his leg during one of the passes.

  Looking at his wound, black blood trickling down his leg, Tichaz’ama hissed. “Well struck mortal. I can well believe you fought us in the dragonkin’s ancient war.”

  Panting heavily, Kastytis responded. “I was a member of the empress’s royal guard.”

  Tichaz’ama leapt backwards, tattered wings spread wide. It asked Kastytis with a touch of fear in its voice. “You are of the dragonkin?”

  Kastytis paused for breath. Unknowingly the demon had positioned itself below Solomon. “Honorary only, I am afraid.”

  During these exchanges, Solomon had not been idle. He had cast numerous reinforcement spells on his sword, armour, and bones. Solomon had cast several strength spells of various potency to enhance his strikes. And finally, to best harm the demon, he had woven several light enchantments into his sword and dagger.

  The demon lifted its arm high above its head, sword pointed downwards. Solomon leapt into the sky. The force of his jump, fueled by magic, shattered the tree. The tree collapsed, shielding Kastytis from the demon and causing Tichaz’ama considerable startlement. Surprised himself, Solomon did not hesitate. Not having any wind or flying spells handy, he focused on what he could cast easily – a weight spell. Pulling his blade out and falling into a dive, the weight spell came into effect, briefly increasing Solomon’s weight into that of a small fortress.

  Solomon crashed down upon the demon, similar to a bolt of lightning, his blade stabbing through the monster’s neck and lodging itself deep into its gut. Tichaz’ama screeched in pain and agony, bringing Solomon to hope that the thing could indeed be killed. The weight spell dissipated, and Tichaz’ama threw Solomon clear in its pained contortions.

  “Ouch! Bastards, cowards!” Tichaz’ama raged. The demon had never felt such pain before. Nor been so severely wounded, both in body and in pride. For a mortal to strike such a blow! The demon was quivering with the pain of the blade thrust through it. Reaching through the pain, the monster quickly managed to grab hold of Solomon.

  Solomon was in a bind. Dangling upside down with the demon’s hand around his leg was not ideal. Solomon drew one of his daggers and infused the blade with holy fire. Swinging himself, Solomon folded himself in half and struck the dagger deep into Tichaz’ama’s wrist. The demon shrieked in agony, the sacred flames eating away at its form. The blade was yanked from Solomon’s grasp and continued to pour golden flames into the demon. The holy fire was deteriorating the demons’ hand.

  “What have you done to me?” Tichaz’ama shrieked.

  Pulling out his other sword – not the one sheathed along his back, the one on his hip – Solomon spelled the blade, empowering it with more holy fire. The sword rippled and glowed with the sacred flame. Leaping towards Tichaz’ama, Solomon thrust the blade into the demon’s gaping mouth. The sword sliced into its skull with minimal resistance.

  The demon’s form collapsed, disintegrating as the monster howled in fury. Tichaz’ama’s corporeal form was destroyed, but the demon’s spirit would endure and reform on its plane of existence eventually.

  Kastytis had finally managed to escape the tree Solomon had smashed earlier to separate the older soldier from the demon. “You managed to kill it?”

  Solomon nodded and let his enchantments fade away. As they did, he felt the fight catch up to him, particularly when the demon grabbed his leg. Groaning, Solomon slumped to the ground.

  “Solomon!” Concern and surprise were apparent in Kastytis’s voice. “Where does it hurt?”

  Solomon laughed. “A bit everywhere. I am sore. But my ankle hurts.”

  Kastytis looked at Solomon’s ankle and then touched it lightly. At his touch, Solomon flinched and hissed quietly, surprised by the waves of pain.

  “Does not seem broken – just a strained muscle or bruised tendon or something,” Kastytis grinned. “I guess you are now a demon slayer.”

  “And I guess you are an ex-member of the royal guard,” Solomon retorted.

  “Yes, well. I guess we are both going to have secrets.” Kastytis sighed. “Both deadly to the other, and in my case, shameful.”

  Solomon looked at Kastytis keenly, ignoring the implications of the exposed secrets. “Shameful because you have survived? Shameful because you have preserved her memory?”

  Kastytis was silent. When he spoke, his voice was laden with deep pained sadness. “Shameful because I failed her.”

  “By not dying with her, like the rest of the dragonkin?” Solomon dug, eager to learn more.

  “No,” Kastytis responded. “Jurate and I – both non-dragonkin now, but members of the royal guard, nonetheless. We were charged with protecting the Empress’s children during the attack.”

  Now it was Solomon’s turn to be silent. He waits in pained silence for Kastytis to continue his tale.

  “The empress had protected her children and us with magic. An assassin struck to kill the babes – how they had circumvented us, I do not know.” Kastytis explained. “The magic triggered but did not work correctly. It was supposed to keep us together and to keep them safe.”

  Kastytis paused again, recollecting. “I woke up, alone, in a forest, probably a year after her death. My armour and possessions that had been on me at the time had been destroyed, deteriorated somehow. I searched for Jurate for years hoping the babes were with him. They never turned up.”

  “Eventually, I joined up with Ulric. He did not recognize me at first, but he granted me a place with him when he realized who I was. In exchange, I would serve as captain of his guard and train his kids.” Kastytis summed up.

  Solomon extended his hand, and Kastytis grabbed it and yanked Solomon to his feet. Together they started to walk in silence, back through the underbrush. As they escaped the forest to the edge of the village, the sun crested the horizon.

  “Thank you,” Solomon said.

  Kastytis laughed. “Do not thank me yet – we are still going to talk about the magic you used today. It wasn’t low-ranked tidbits, but some powerful stuff.”

  A cheer went up in the village as a sentry spotted them.

  Felix, Zaria, Zaldimere, Kastytis, and Solomon walked into the keep’s throne room to meet with Ulric and discuss their adventure results. The group was tired, and the trip had not gone as expected for any of them. Felix was put out that he had not been involved in any combat. Zaldimere had remained silent and brooding during the walk back, embarrassed that he had passed out during all the action. For Kastytis’s part, he focused on how he would explain all this to Ulric. Solomon spent his time during the walk back thinking about his upcoming talk with Kastytis.

  As they walked into the room, various staff burst into chatter. High lord Ulric sat on his throne in full battle gear, his standard for such sessions. His broadsword – “Wolfsbane” – was lying across his lap. Kastytis led the group before Ulric and knelt.

  Ulric spoke first. “Welcome back, Kastytis, Zaldimere. I see my children and guest were kept in one piece as instructed, so well done!”

  Zaldimere bowed his head slightly, acknowledging the praise. Kastytis spoke. “My lord, thank you for your kind words. Our mission to aid the village in distress was a success, and Katan and his folks are well on the way to rebuilding.”

  “Even better then.” Said Ulric. “Is that all you have to report?”

  “No, my lord.” Kastytis looked uncomfortable now. “The village elder, Katan, reported a demon as the leader of the raiding party that had struck his village down.”

  Gasps could be heard throughout the room. Ulric was frowning. “I suppose we will have to contact the king then. Is the demon verified? Still in the area? What do we know?”

  Kastytis choked a little and flushed red. “Uh, due to our disbelief that a demon was leading the raiders, we attempted to scout them, to poor results.”

  “Meaning?” Ulric said with a frown.

  “I screwed up.” Interrupted Zaldimere. “I cast a spell to scout the group – spirit magic – but the demon was immediately aware of me. It brutally ended my spell, knocking me out.”

  Kastytis continued from where Zaldimere left off. “Felix and Zaria carried him out while Solomon and I acted as rear guard. We gave them a few minutes’ head start, which was enough for the demon to catch up with us.”

  Kastytis cast a quick glance at Solomon. “The demon did not hesitate to attack us, so we fought it to buy the others time. With a touch of luck, we managed to eventually kill it. Solomon did exceptionally well during the fight, embedding several blades into the demon’s body – restricting its movements and causing huge amounts of damage.”

  “Hmmm. Well, we still need to inform the king of this event. He likely will not be pleased about it, but I am sure he will understand. Moreover, you will be able to tell him your story directly.” Ulric said. “He sent word earlier today. He will travel here in a week to check up on our lands.”