A World Apart (47 page)

"You're in charge?"  Dominic asked as they made their way to the building, gaze scanning the area.  "Miners are known to be stubbornly independent types."

"We needed to band together to survive in these woods."  The man said.  "I am Petrous, leader of this camp.  The other miners elected me since I was a soldier once, long ago."  He opened the door of the building, revealing ten men lying on the floor, some covered in blankets, all injured.

"Which one is in the worst shape?"  Jonas asked as he moved into the room, his shining form brighter than the candles burning, chasing away the shadows, looking closely at the injured men.  Petrous pointed to a man near the back, looking dead already, with a vicious-looking wound across his face and one arm hacked off at the elbow, the bandages soiled and reeking of infection.

As Jonas made his way through the wounded, some reaching out for him, begging for help, Dominic turned to Petrous.

"How did this happen?"  He asked, nodding towards the men.  "Those look like battle wounds, not mining accidents."

"Around a week ago, Niso…" Petrous indicated the wounded man in the back that Jonas was healing "…and Hander were scouting out near the main road.  We often go up there to see if there are any threats coming our way.  They were in the woods off the road when they saw a group of half-men ride by, heading east.  They normally would have stayed quiet and let them pass, since we see the half-men in the woods from time to time, but they noticed something strange.  There was an Imp as well, but that was not the strange thing.  What made this different was that Niso swore there was a young woman riding with them."

Dominic contained his surprise, only asking.  "What happened?"

"Hander, the stupid fool that he was, decided that he had to rescue this damsel in distress."  Petrous spat, shaking his head.  "He sent a couple arrows into the demon, yelling for the girl to ride towards them.  The demon sent the half-men into the woods instead.  Niso and Hander turned and fled, riding back here as hard as they could."

"They were almost back when another five half-men and an Imp suddenly came out of the woods to join their pursuers.  The demon fried Hander in his saddle, but Niso made it to the gates.  Fortunately, we have an excellent bowman named Frondis who feathered the demon, keeping it at a distance.  The half-men attacked, but we were able to overwhelm them.  After several minutes of hard fighting, the demon called back those still alive and left."

Dominic had looked over at Jonas as Petrous was speaking, watching him make his way through the wounded, almost finished with healing them.  He noticed something odd, his hand drifting towards his sword.

"You said this battle took place a week ago?"  He asked and Petrous nodded.  "Then why are some of these men's wounds fresh?"  He finished, voice now hard, eyes focused on Petrous.

Petrous stepped back from Dominic, holding up his hands, recoiling from that gaze.  "I had not gotten there yet.  After that battle, we saw no signs of the demons or half-men until today.  A group was coming back from the mines just before dark when they encountered a large party of half-men and demons moving through the woods.  Most fell, but the freshly wounded are the ones who made it back."

Dominic felt a chill go through him.  "Jonas, we have to go now!"

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
S
IX

In the low light of their small fire, Jake was sitting on a log, talking quietly with Hailyn.  Marcus was sitting nearby, close to the wagon, honing his sword.  The soldiers were positioned around the small campsite, keeping watch.  With clouds masking the pale moonlight, the woods seemed darker than the night, the fire creating a small circle of light against the oppressive dark.

Without warning, one of the soldiers screamed as an arrow ripped through his leg, then went silent as another arrow took him in the throat.  The other soldiers ran to aid him when more arrows flew in from the night, raking them with multiple hits.  They collapsed, crying out as they fell.  Marcus had risen, sword in hand and his shield on his arm, when several arrows streaked into the light towards him.  He raised his shield, the arrows splintering against the hardened steel.

Jake had risen as well, pulling Hailyn behind him, his magic suddenly lighting up the area.  Another arrow came flying in, striking him before he could react.  The arrow shattered against his armor, Jake feeling only the impact of the collision.

"I need him alive, you fools!"  Jake heard a demon cry out in its inhuman voice.

He reacted at the sound, sending his magic into the tree line, sweeping across his front.  He heard cries of pain and the sounds of his power turning some into ash.  In the light of his magic, he could make out large groups of half-men deeper in the woods.

"Marcus, come over here!"  Jake shouted.  "We need to stay together!"

Marcus moved towards Jake, shield raised, eyes watching the tree line.  Across the clearing, an inky blast of demons' fire streaked towards him.  Jake sent his magic out to deflect the attack.  He was joined by Hailyn, her yellow fire colliding with the darkness as well.

Hailyn stepped out from behind Jake, her power shining.  As Marcus joined them, the half-men came rushing out of the trees towards them.  Jake sent a bolt of blue fire into the nearest half-men, destroying some and blasting the others away.  Hailyn's power was flaring as well, striking out.  Marcus stepped out slightly in front of them, engaging two half-men that came around the edge.

Jake and Hailyn were sending their magics into the crowd of half-men, driving them back.  Into a gap in their lines, an Imp stepped forward, engaging Jake, its dark magic seeming to chill the air.  Jake deflected the attack, but the demon required all of his attention, leaving only Hailyn and Marcus to handle the half-men.

As more half-men appeared, their situation became direr.  They were exposed in the clearing while some of the half-men were working their way to their right, trying to flank them.  Marcus recognized the threat and called out.

"We have to move!"  He shouted, blocking a half-man's axe with his shield and slashing his opponent.  "We cannot properly defend ourselves here."

Jake nodded, hammering the demon with his power, driving it back.  He attacked again while the demon, form smoking, desperately tried to block Jake's magic.  Suddenly, Hailyn sent a bolt of clerics' fire into it, overwhelming its defenses and reducing it to ash.  Motioning Marcus, Jake swept the half-men with his magic, forcing a gap to develop between them.  With the half-men stopped for a moment, they turned and ran.

They made their way into the woods, Marcus leading and Jake bringing up the rear.  The light from Jake and Hailyn's powers blended, giving everything a greenish glow.  They ran up a hill, hearing the pursuing half-men coming behind.  On the other side, there was a bowl-like clearing.  They charged down the hill and started up the other side.  They were halfway up when more half-men appeared along the edge of the bowl.  They stopped and fell back to the center, looking all around.  The pursuing half-men appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat.  They were surrounded on all sides.

Along the rim, two Imps appeared.  One shouted down at them.  "Surrender yourself, boy, and we will let these two live.  Don't let your companions die for you."

Jake was racking his brain to figure out how to get out of this.  "Any suggestions?"  He whispered to Marcus.

"I don't believe that the demons would let us live, even if you surrendered, so we can only fight to the end."  Marcus replied grimly, gripping his sword tighter.

"That is what I thought you would say."  Jake said, then turned to Hailyn.  "What do you think?"

"You cannot give yourself up to them, Jake."  Hailyn said fiercely, grabbing his hand.  "We will stay and fight with you."

"Look, they want me alive."  Jake said, a plan coming into his head, trying to ignore the surrounding enemies.  "I agree that they will probably kill you if I surrendered, so what we need to do is clear a path for you two to escape."

Hailyn shook her head no, but Jake spoke over her.  "Listen to me, we can't win.  We're too outnumbered.  I'll stay and hold them off as long as I can.  If you two get away, you can find Jonas and Dominic and come back.  With Jonas' power, we have a much better chance."

"I won't go."  Hailyn declared, face set.  "I will stay and fight with you.  Marcus can escape and bring Master Jonas to our aid."

Jake looked over at Marcus, a plea in his eyes, hoping he understood what the look meant.  Marcus stared back, then nodded.  With that, Jake spun and launched his magic into the demons, twin bolts of dazzling blue racing across the distance.  The demons were struck and staggered back, unprepared for the assault.  With a cry, the half-men started forward, streaming down the hill.  Jake then spun back and struck out at the weakest point of the surrounding half-men.  He blasted away, striking the half-men, reducing them to ash.  For several moments, he continued to sweep the area, clearing an opening.  Hailyn, startled at first by Jake's attack, joined him.  Between them, they made a large gap in the half-man line.

"Now!"  Jake shouted.

Before she could react, Marcus grabbed Hailyn, lifting her off the ground and ran towards the opening.  She cried out, punching and kicking him, trying to get him to release her. She sent her magic into the half-men closing on Jake, knocking some away, watching as his shining form disappeared behind a wall of half-men.

…

"Let them go!"  Jake heard one of the demons shout.  "Get the boy."

Jake was glad that part worked out, but now he was faced with an impossible task.  He knew that he could not hold off this many enemies for long.  He focused on strengthening his defenses, his aura growing brighter.  He sent pulses of magic into the surrounding half-men, driving them back.  But since he could not focus his power effectively, he was only hurting them, not destroying them.

The demons then joined in, attacking Jake with their power.  He was staggered as he struggled to defend against them while keeping the half-men back.  They pressed him, forcing him to continue to draw more and more power.  So focused was he on defending, he had nothing left to launch an attack.

He could see that the half-men and demons were getting closer, his magic causing them pain, but not enough to keep them from him.  As he looked into the eyes of the demons, he began to panic.  He knew they wanted him alive, but the reality of falling into their hands was something he realized he could not bear.  As they closed the distance, fear began to overwhelm him.  He desperately lashed out with his magic, trying to gain more space, open a way out, but it did not work.

He could feel his body begin to tire slightly, as Tomaris said he would.  He knew he only had minutes left before he would be taken.

That only added to his panic.  The demons got closer, the half-men pressing in.  Despite his best effort to keep his magic flowing, he watched with horrified eyes as one of the Imps, its arm sheathed in its dark power, reached towards him.

It was hurt by his magic when it touched his aura, the powers sizzling and snapping as they collided, but continued to reach for him.  When its claw touched his arm, its fire burning him, his panic peaked and, screaming, everything went white.

…

Marcus slipped as he reached the top of the rise, falling and losing his grip on Hailyn.  She rolled away and started back towards Jake, sending her magic into the press of half-men.  Marcus ran after her and grabbed her again, pulling her up to the rim of the depression.

Hailyn fought against him, desperate to help Jake.  She could see flashes of his magic flaring into the sky.  He was still fighting, she knew.  As she twisted her body and broke free again of Marcus' grip, she turned back towards Jake, her power shining.  As she felt Marcus reach for her again, Jake's scream sounded and a rolling ring of white fire exploded out of the mass of half-men, consuming them or flinging them away.

The force of the explosion drove her back, causing Marcus to lose his footing.  They tumbled backwards, down the hillside.  Hailyn was desperately trying to stop her momentum when she hit her head on something hard, driving away consciousness.

She was drifting in darkness when a golden light flared, warming her.  She came awake, feeling the healing power of the clerics coursing through her.  She opened her eyes to see Jonas kneeling down next to her, glowing brightly as he worked his magic.  Once he was satisfied, he helped her to her feet.

She immediately saw Marcus standing guard, near Shadow and Dontas, watching the woods.  The horses were sweating, clearly ridden hard.  She glanced around, then cried out.  "Jake!"  She began to head back when Jonas caught her arm.

"Dominic went to find him."  Jonas said gently, eyes sympathetic and knowing.  "Wait with patience.  Tell me what you remember."

She was telling Jonas about Jake's battle in the depression when Dominic appeared over the top of the rim, striding quickly, carrying Jake in his arms.  Hailyn, a low cry in her throat, started forward at the sight of Jake.  He was limp in Dominic's arms, head rolling from side to side as Dominic moved.  His skin was pale, chalk-like.  When Dominic placed him gently on the ground at Jonas' feet, she could see some faint streaks of white in Jake's hair, his face hollow-looking.

"Is he dead?"  She asked softly, voice cracking, her heart breaking at the sight.

"No, girl."  Dominic said, looking down at Jake.  "He is still with us."

Jonas quickly knelt next to Jake, examining him.  With a slight frown, he placed his hand on Jake's forehead, closing his eyes.  His power flared as he began to heal Jake.  Suddenly, Jonas' eyes flew open, wide and in shock.  There was a radiant burst of white light between Jake and Jonas, flash-blinding Hailyn.  When her eyes cleared, she saw Jonas, power gone, laying on his side next to Jake, twitching and eyes fluttering.

She knelt next to him, probing him with her power.  There was nothing physically wrong that she could find, but she was able to sooth his body and he relaxed.  After a few moments, he began to slowly move his head.