Authors: Jason McWhirter
“That’s if Torgan doesn’t look for trouble,” interjected Fil.
“Blue team! White team! Everyone up, it’s time for a night run!” yelled Master Morgan, entering the barracks. “Let’s go, move it!”
“Here we go again. Two nights in a row,” mumbled Bornius.
“Let’s go, Blue Team! Get moving!” bellowed Calden, getting up to put on his boots. All the kids scrambled to put their tunics and boots back on and move out into the cool night air.
***
The Greever flew hard all night. It did not need to rest. Its powerful body was fueled by inert magic, magic born to the beast, and its hunger pushed it relentlessly. The Greever was a demon of a different world, it was born from magic, and the energy of the Ru’Ach pulsed within its veins. Its long leather wings beat the air rhythmically and its piercing red eyes scanned the Finarthian hills for its target. The beast, flaring its nostrils, caught the scent it was looking for. A quick flick of its wing sent it southwest toward the towering city of Finarth.
***
The night’s run was long and Master Morgan had also made them do various other training maneuvers and exercises. The boys stumbled into the barracks, tired and sweaty. Even Jonas’s muscles felt heavy. They crawled to their beds still wearing their tunics and breeches and quickly fell asleep.
Jonas awoke with a start, his chest itching and tingling. He opened his eyes wide with fright realizing what was happening. He looked around frantically, unsure of what to do. Shyann was warning him of something, but what? He couldn’t just wake up the whole barracks.
He silently got out of bed and shook Fil to wake him. Fil, stirring in his sleep, slowly opened his eyes. “Fil, wake up, something is wrong.”
Fil’s eyes focused as he saw Jonas. “What is it?” he asked groggily.
“My chest, something is happening.”
Fil got up quickly, knowing that Jonas’s warnings in the past had been all too real.
“The warning is slight, but I can feel it. What should we do?” Jonas asked with concern in his voice.
Fil got up and climbed down to stand next to Jonas. “We need to tell someone,” he said, putting on his boots.
“But who? No one will believe us.”
“The king will, or Prince Baylin, or even the high priests that know about you,” whispered Fil as he buckled his belt around his waist. “We could tell Master Morgan, he knows about the mark.”
“We can’t go see them in the middle of the night. The guards will stop us.”
“We have to try, Jonas. You know what this means. We are in danger.”
“You’re right. Whatever the warning is, it is probably for me. I should get away immediately so I don’t endanger everyone around me.”
“You can’t do this alone. Let’s go,” Fil said without waiting for his reply. Jonas quietly followed Fil through the barracks and outside into the cool night.
Fil and Jonas ran to the east, towards the knight’s barracks as the Greever landed lightly on the roof of the boys’ sleeping quarters. The beast tucked its long leather wings into the crevices on its back sniffing hungrily for the scent of its prey. The demon smelled its target somewhere near, and its maw opened instinctively, saliva dripping from its long fangs. The deadly hunter leaped down to the ground landing lightly by the north entrance, its dark leather-like skin blending like a ghost into the shadows of the night.
Jonas stumbled, his chest flaring with pain. Fil reached out grabbing his arm to steady him. Images flashed in Jonas’s mind, images of a great beast entering their barracks.
“Fil! The Barracks! They are in danger!” Jonas said, his eyes wide with fear, seeing the images that Fil could not.
Fil and Jonas glanced back toward their barracks. They were near the knights’ own barracks so they wasted no time and sprinted toward the main door. A knight in full armor stood outside the entrance, spear in hand as the boys neared. The knight quickly pointed his spear forward, standing in combat position as he saw the two forms stumble out of the night.
“Who are you?” the knight asked. Then seeing their blue tunics he relaxed a bit and approached them. “What are you two recruits doing out this time of night?”
“Quick, our barracks are being attacked! Raise the alarm!” yelled Jonas.
“What?”
“Do it now!” screamed Jonas grabbing the alarmed knight. Suddenly screams in the distance filled the night.
“What in Ulren’s name is that?” asked the soldier looking out into the darkness.
“I told you, we are under attack! Now get help!” Jonas yelled grabbing the knight’s sword from his sheath and running back into the night towards their barracks.
The knight dropped his spear, grabbed the horn around his neck and blew the alarm. Fil picked up the man’s spear and ran after Jonas. The screeching blast of the horn combined with screams coming from the boys’ barracks awoke the battle hardened knights sleeping nearby.
The Greever walked silently through the barracks, its padded paws making no sound on the rough stone. The demon’s long claws on its feet were retracted so it could walk quietly.
There was warm flesh everywhere and the Greever’s fanged mouth was gaping hungrily. The Greever could almost taste the succulent feast so near. Its long powerful arms reached out as its bony head scanned the bunks for its prey. The demon could smell him; the entire room stank with his stench. To the demon, the boy’s goodness and pure heart left an odor that was disgusting, something to be destroyed by tooth and claw.
One of the apprentices to the Greever’s right got up slowly; something had awakened him. The Greever stopped not more than two paces away, staring at the boy, its red eyes, like rubies, bright with anticipation. The boy’s eyes adjusted to the night and looked directly at the nightmare before him. He shook his head slightly, looking again, his eyes widening in fright as his mouth opened in a scream that never came.
The Greever’s right wing shot from its back and the long spike on the tip speared the boy like a pig. The only sound that came from the boy was a gurgle as the demon ripped the spike from him, but the noise was enough to awaken several boys around him who groggily began to stir from their slumber. The Greever’s jaws opened wide hissing loudly, its powerful body crouching, ready to attack. And that is what it did.
The Greever tore into the young boys, clawed hands ripping and tearing flesh. The demon was a whirlwind of death, spraying blood into the air, covering the walls with crimson splashes. The barracks were alive with the screams of the wounded and dying, and the Greever relished the cacophonous sounds of his carnage as he savored the coppery taste of blood.
Jonas ran through the doorway and was assaulted with the chaos of death and terror. Blood was everywhere and unrecognizable bodies littered the floor. His heart pounded and fear gripped his body, immobilizing him briefly. Many of his friends were dead, and more were dying as he stood just inside the open doorway.
Then anger filled his body and beat away the fear in his heart. Moving further into the room he desperately looked for some way to help his friends that were still alive. It was dark but he could just make out a large form at the far end of the room ripping and tearing, cutting a swath of death as it moved with unbelievable speed. Jonas heard more screams and hoped that some of his friends had made it out the south door.
He held his sword out in front of him, but it seemed so puny against such a beast. In the murky darkness his eyes swept around the room frantically trying to come up with some sort of plan. Jonas prayed silently, pleading desperately for help from Shyann.
Suddenly Jonas felt his body growing warm with an energy building deep within him. The feeling surprised him, but the screaming in the darkness forced him to focus his mind on the warm flood of energy coalescing inside him; and he prayed, concentrating on his belly where the force was centered. Suddenly his body began to glow. It was as if a white light was slowly growing within him, starting in his belly and emanating outward surrounding his flesh. It was not the explosive light that Jonas saw from Airos, the cavalier, but a softer light, growing in strength the more Jonas concentrated. The light’s rays pierced the darkness, beating away the shadows and illuminating the horrible destruction.
The beast pivoted quickly as the light touched it. The Greever didn’t like this light; it felt strange and unwelcome, stinging its flesh, but there, standing not more than fifty paces away was its target. The Greever’s nostrils pulsed with disgust taking in the horrible smell of its target. The demon hated that smell, hated all it stood for. It wanted him dead. It would take more than light to stop it from ripping the boy to pieces and feeding on his warm wet flesh. The hunter crouched, leaping forward with astonishing power and speed.
Fil ran in behind Jonas, quickly taking in the scene. Jonas’s magic light flared brighter, exposing a scene that was beyond Fil’s imagination, but Fil didn’t have time to wonder about the light or the carnage around him. A huge beast with long arms and blood covered claws was running at them with incredible speed, jaws open, exposing long deadly fangs. He felt fear grip him, but he fought it back, leaping in front of Jonas, and hurling the spear with all his might. The spear took the demon in the chest, the impact stopping its charge momentarily. The beast looked down at the spear jutting from its flesh, momentarily shocked by the power of the attack. But a normal weapon could not harm the demon. The creature simply reached down, ripped out the spear, throwing it against the wall with a clatter. The thick leathery skin around the wound closed immediately and the demon crouched low, hissing at the boy who threw the weapon. Leaping toward him, the Greever snapped its wings forward, the sharp dagger like points piercing Fil through each shoulder.
Fil screamed in pain as the spikes ripped through him, piercing through his back. The Greever used its powerful wings to lift the screaming boy in the air and fling him against the far wall.
Jonas, splattered with Fil’s blood, screamed for his friend, a furious anger consuming him. He charged the demon, his god light flaring brighter as his anger surged through him. The Greever hissed angrily as the bright light stung its eyes, forcing the demon to retreat back several paces, covering its eyes with the tips of its wings. The Greever could hear the boy with the sword scream and a few seconds later he felt the minor stings of the sword as it cut its flesh several times. The demon swatted Jonas with its arm, its inhuman strength sending the boy flying through the air, smacking hard against the wall.
“Ulren!!”
The Greever turned toward the new challenge, a gigantic man wearing only leggings, charging from the door. His heavily muscled arms carried a glittering battle axe over his head as he charged. The Greever used its left wing tip as a spear and shot it toward the warrior’s midsection, hoping to skewer him. Graggis, a trained warrior and the best axe fighter in all of Finarth, used the flat side of the blade, deflecting the blow and coming in low at the demon. His colossal strength enabled him to easily wield the cumbersome weapon. He swung the axe sideways and across the beast’s right thigh.
The beast howled with pain, stepping back from the magical blade, a deep laceration splattering black blood onto the ground. This weapon was no ordinary blade. The demon felt the dwarven magic sting its flesh and it hissed with anger and pain, sending both clawed hands out simultaneously, tearing long deep cuts across the man’s chest.
Blood poured from the wounds and Graggis stumbled backwards. More men rushed in through the door with weapons drawn. The Greever sensed that these men were battle hardened warriors, some of whom might possess magically forged weapons as well. The demon looked at Jonas’s body crumpled on the floor and back at the men who were flooding into the dark room.
Graggis, seeing the demon turn its head toward the boy, lifted his axe over his head and threw it with incredible speed and strength. Somersaulting fifteen paces the axe slammed into the beast’s chest. An eerie howl of pain erupted from the demon as it stumbled backwards. The axe head was buried deep in its chest and the pain was unbearable. With a quick flick of its clawed hand the Greever ripped the weapon from the wound, shuffling backwards away from the knights.
It would take too long for this wound to heal. Its inert magic would be unable to quickly seal a wound inflicted by a magical weapon. The demon could probably kill the boy and the larger warrior, but it knew not what it faced with the rest of the men. The mission could wait. With an angry howl the demon pivoted, racing down the body strewn barracks and leaped out the back door into the night. The beast used its powerful legs to jump into the air, unfurl its wings, and fly into the protection of the darkness. The Greever howled again in anger. The hunt would have to wait for another day.
Graggis was kneeling on the bloody floor using his strong thick arms to hold up his weight. His chest was badly torn and blood was pouring steadily from the wounds to pool on the stone floor.
Lathrin and a handful of knights moved toward him, fanning out into the room, their swords drawn and their faces reflecting disgust and despair as they viewed the carnage clearly for the first time. Most of the knights were wearing leggings and night shirts and not much more as the alarm had awakened them from their slumber. The room was dark again. Jonas’s light had been extinguished when he hit the wall, but several of the knights had brought lanterns and they raised them to get a better look at their surroundings.