A World Apart (51 page)

Jake took a step back, pulling more power in, the blue light of his magic shining against the red of the torches.  "I don't believe it would be that simple.  You want me to be evil, just like you."  He said loudly.

"That is because you have been swayed by rumors and tales."  The demon said, laughing.  "I am reasonable and only seek to have you serve me.  If you will but obey my commands, I will give you whatever you desire: power, riches, women."  It gestured at Keria.  "Come to me now and I will give you the girl as a sign of good faith.  You can do with her what you will; even release her, if you wish."

"Let the princess go first and I'll consider it."  Jake said, trying to figure out a way to save Keria.

The demon's face pulled back in a look of contempt.  "That is not the answer you should have given, boy."  It growled, smoothness gone.  "Do you really expect me, who saw the beginning of all creation, to barter with something as low as you?  You will take only what I give."  It rose to its full height.  "I offered you this girl in exchange for your obedience, but that was a one-time offer.  She is mine and what you want no longer matters.  You are here and I will simply take you, even if I have to break you first.  If you seek to resist me, it will only make it that much more painful in the end."

"I won't allow you to hurt her."  Jake said, his anger now rising with his fear for Keria.  He continued to pull in his magic, strengthening it.

Creatos laughed, cold and cruel.  His lips pulled back into a smirk.  "When I have broken you, you will be made to watch while I use your precious princess, then pass her to my followers."

"Never!"  Jake yelled as he sent a blazing bolt of blue fire at the demon.  His blast forced the demon back a step, their conflicting energies crackling.

"You are stupid if you think you can stand against me."  Creatos laughed, waving off the Imps and half-men as they moved towards Jake.  "I have faced the Creator himself, so what chance do you think you have?"  He sent his own dark might raging at Jake.

Jake blocked the attack, the force of it striking him hard, harder than anything he faced before, driving him back several steps.  Shaking it off, he responded, striking back at the demon.  He continued the attack, sending a steady stream of azure might into the demon.

Creatos laughed as he deflected Jake's attack.  "Fool!  It will take more than that to defeat me."  The demon lord countered, its magic striking Jake, this time knocking him to the ground.  Jake rolled with the blow and struggled back to his knees.

He saw Creatos, with a triumphant look on his face, send another bolt of darkness at him.  Jake deflected it, rocking back from the impact.  Suddenly, the air seemed full of darkness as Creatos began to rain blows rapidly at Jake, the atmosphere staggering from the conflicting energies.  He found himself barely able to fight off these attacks, with no thought of counter-attacking.  He could feel conflicting wisps of fire and ice seeping in as the demon's energies began to break though his defenses.

Seemingly out of nowhere, an enormous blast of clerics' fire slammed into Creatos, rocking him back and freeing Jake.  The demon lost its footing and went to the ground, flesh smoking.  Jake, as he pushed himself back to his feet, looked over to see Jonas, face determined and staff in front of him, entering the cavern through another passageway, his form pulsing brightly, yellow light illuminating the cavern walls, with Hailyn and Marcus following closely behind.

"You are as stupid as the boy, cleric."  The demon lord snarled as it regained its feet.  "You have only ensured your death today."

"You do not frighten me, demon."  Jonas said loudly, voice defiant.  "I am a servant of the One, a wielder of His Light.  If I fall, I know that I will be sheltered in His hand for eternity.  For you, there is only oblivion."

Creatos, staring pure hate at Jonas, attacked, sending his demon fire at him, while calling on the Imps and half-men to kill him.  Jonas deflected the attack, sending the conflicting powers into the ceiling.  The Imps began to attack as well, dark magic flying at Jonas, forcing him to retreat back a few steps.  Hailyn began to strike the nearest half-men and demons while Marcus waded into a group of half-men, shield and sword moving.

Jake returned to the fight, sending his magic into the half-men closing with Jonas, blasting them away.  Creatos turned back to Jake, slamming him with his dark magic.  Jake rolled with the blow, counter-attacking as he regained his feet.  He tried to increase his might, desperate to strike a decisive blow.  His counters began to have some effect, as Creatos' form was smoldering, but nothing was seriously hurting him.

Creatos again began to batter Jake with a constant barrage of attacks, this time signaling the closest half-men.  "Render him unconscious and bring him to me."  Focused on stopping Creatos' attacks, Jake could not spare anything to defend against the six half-men that came towards him.

He was staggered by an especially powerful blast, losing his footing and going down.  Jake saw the half-men start to run towards him, seeking to take advantage.  Jake's hand gripped his dagger as he tried to regain his feet.

Before he could right himself, a shadow passed over him as a figure leapt from a passageway above him, bowling into the half-men.  Jake heard a familiar voice call out as the figure rolled to its feet, sword in hand.  "Get on your feet and fight, boy!"

Dominic!

Jake was stunned for a brief moment as he saw Dominic, who clearly fought his way to them, his clothes tattered and armor dented and scratched, blood running from multiple wounds, engage the half-men, sword moving, putting them down.  He immediately launched himself at the next group of half-men nearby.

Creatos saw him as well, sending a blast towards him to blacken his bones.  Jake lashed out with a flare of blue might, deflecting the attack as he regained his feet.  He attacked again, determined to end this, striking Creatos and forcing him back.

Jake and the demon fought, the clash of their powers echoing and overlapping the sounds of Jonas battling the Imps, the flashes of light from the duel battles making the shadows in the cavern dance.  While Marcus and Dominic were engaged with the half-men, Hailyn was attacking them as well, clearing space around the warriors.  Jake and Creatos circled each other on the outside of that battle, each trying to take advantage, bolts of light and dark blistering the air.

The demon lord delivered a powerful counter, driving Jake down to his knees.  It rose to its full height, black eyes reflecting the reddish light of the torches.  "It is time to end this farce."  Creatos snarled as he advanced.  "Obey me now and I will spare your life.  Otherwise, I will send you to..."  He cut off as Dominic seem to explode out of a nearby group of half-men and ran forward, blade extended.

The demon was caught off guard and unable to move in time.  Dominic ducked under its arms and, putting his momentum behind it, ran his sword through its belly.

The demon screamed a horrible scream, a cry of terrible pain and overwhelming anger, stunning all.  It whirled and backhanded Dominic, catching him on his breastplate, crumpling it, and sending him tumbling across the rocky floor.  His body twisted and turned as he rolled, then came to a halt, limp and motionless.  The demon yanked the sword from its stomach, the metal ringing as it hit the stone floor.  Dark blood flowed around its hand as it clutched at the wound.

Suddenly, all of the half-men began to cry out and fall as Creatos began to drain their life energies.  Jake could almost see the dark energy as it flowed into the demon lord.  Its magic took on a darker hue, pulsing and concentrating on its wound.  Jake could see the wound starting to close.

"The half-men!"  Jake called out, as he swept his power into the writhing half-men, destroying them.  "Destroy the half-men!"  Jonas heard and he and Hailyn sent bright flares of their magic into the half-men, destroying them as well.

Creatos snarled, crying out as the energies began to weaken, attempting to draw in what remained before the half-men were destroyed.  The surviving Imps, stunned by the turn of events and staring in disbelief at their lord, suddenly turned and fled the cavern, leaving Creatos alone.

Jake turned back, striking the demon, staggering it, its wound still open.  It was not allowed to set itself as Jonas hammered it with clerics' fire, Hailyn adding her might as well.  They battered it, not letting up, but it was strong, able to resist their powers longer than expected.  They drove it back, their powers reaching it more and more.

Desperate, the demon fixed its gaze on Jake, hate and contempt twisting its face, then snarled.  "You will still lose."  Jake saw one of its arms, radiating dark fire, swing towards Keria, struggling against her bonds.

"NOOOO!"  Jake screamed.  Suddenly, the magic surrounding Jake's body pulsed with a brilliant white light, blinding, washing out the other lights in the cavern, then launched at the demon.  Jake seemed to collapse in on himself and crumpled to the cave floor.

Before Creatos could react, the white fire slammed into him, driving him back, tearing through the demon's magical protection.  The demon writhed and screamed again as the light burned into its body.  That terrible scream reverberated throughout the cavern, seeming to come from all directions.  The conflicting magical energies coursing around its body sparked and snapped, leaving the demon's skin cracked and smoking, its face ruined.

But Creatos was strong, resisting, trying to use his power to overcome Jake's magic.  Then Jonas struck again, a beam of pure sunlight blasting into the demon.  Abruptly, shockingly quick, the conflicting magics exploded, shattering the air, cutting off the scream and turning the demon lord to ash.

As the sound of the demon's end faded, the cavern went silent.  Jonas let his magic go, face drawn and tired.  Marcus, armor and shield dented and sword covered in blood, ran to free the princess.

Hailyn, crying out, ran towards Jake, her magic at the ready.  Jonas, startled by her movement, followed and caught up to her before she could reach Jake.  "No!"  He said firmly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up short.  "Let me look after him."

Jonas knelt down next to Jake.  Jake was deathly pale, his hair had streaks of pure white it, much more pronounced than before, and his body seemed incredibly fragile.  Jonas reached out to check his pulse, but stopped short.  He wondered if touching Jake would cause the same reaction as when he tried to heal him.  He watched Jake closely and saw the slight inhalation of breath and a pulse in his neck, faint but there.

"He's alive."  He said gently to Hailyn as he rose.  She sobbed in relief.  "Do not touch him or try to heal him.  I need time to study this.  I know you want to help, but this is beyond you.  Go see to the princess and Marcus while I find Dominic."

Jonas quickly crossed the cavern to look for Dominic.  He found him lying on his back, bloodied and broken, face battered and eyes closed.  His armor was pushed inwards from Creatos' blow, his clothing blackened and torn.  He had multiple open wounds and his left arm was twisted unnaturally underneath him.  Jonas, saying a silent prayer, reached down and checked for a pulse.  He finally felt a faint beating, the only indication that Dominic was still alive.

Moving quickly, Jonas used Dominic's dagger to cut away the straps on the breastplate to remove it, gently extracted his twisted arm and straightened it out, then laid his hand on his forehead, calling up his magic in spite of his fatigue, sending it flowing into Dominic.  Jonas healed the most serious injuries first, then worked his way through the other wounds.

As he finished, Dominic's eyelids flickered, then opened.  He looked at Jonas, eyes bright.  "Is the boy alright?"  He asked quietly.

"He lives."  Jonas said, relieved, and slowly stood.  Dominic took Jonas' outstretched hand and rose, looking resolute and strong despite the torn and bloody clothes.  Scanning the cavern quickly, he went over to retrieve his sword lying on the stone floor, then headed back with Jonas to where Jake lay.

The princess, now free, was standing with Marcus and Hailyn, hovering over Jake.  Both Keria and Hailyn were crying as they looked down at Jake.  Marcus was attempting to watch the entrances to the cavern and the princess at the same time, bloody sword still in his hand.  Jonas and Dominic stopped on the other side of Jake.

Jonas spoke to them quietly.  "I have suspected that Jake's command of his magic is not the only thing that is unusual about him.  As he did before during the attack near the miners' camp, he somehow channeled his own life force into his magic.  When I healed him before, he somehow tapped into my life force to replace what he lost.  It was that taking of my life force that healed him, not necessarily my power."  He paused.  "I believe that the only way to help him is to replenish his life force.  He had only used a small amount before; this is appears to be much larger.  If I were to attempt to heal Jake now, it may be that I would not survive the attempt."

"If I must risk it to save him, I will."  Jonas continued.  "However, I will not do it here.  We still have to get clear of this place, so we may need my power."

He looked sympathetically at Hailyn and Keria.  "Jake is alive.  We will take him back to Sanduas where I can study this more closely.  If he worsens, then I will take steps."

He turned to Dominic.  "Dom, I want you to carry Jake.  I'm not sure if my power caused our connection before, but it did not occur when you held him.  Until we know what triggers Jake's ability to draw out the life force, Hailyn and I should not touch him."

Dominic nodded and sheathed his sword.  "We must depart."  He said as he bent down to pick up Jake.  "The demons have fled for now, but they may return."

…

High above the cavern floor, in a darkened opening, a figure cloaked and cowled in black stood quietly and watched as the small group gathered themselves, then left through the opening they came in.  He watched as the tall warrior picked up the boy, cradling him, as the young warrior led the group out, the female cleric, glowing in her power, and the princess behind him.  The tall warrior went next, followed by the cleric with the staff, his aura still shining brightly, guarding the rear.