Destiny (50 page)

In horror, Lar watched as the human warriors swarmed over their enemy in desperation as their borrowed battle-axes flailed uselessly against the demons’ natural armor. Still the humans drove on fighting with everything they had as if by will alone they could beat their enemies down.

Even as a new respect for the human warriors welled up in his chest, there was no doubt in Lar’s mind that Driscoll was going to die before he could close the distance. As if reading his mind, the stomping demon suddenly snatched Driscoll up in a clawed fist, but instead of squeezing the life from her soft body and consuming her soul, the demon roughly shoved the woman into a large sack at its waist.

Lar didn’t have time to consider the implications. His one thought was that he still had a chance to save her. As the demon snatched up another human for its bag, Lar launched himself at the creature’s broad back as the blades of his Wolf Gauntlets blazed with runic power.

“For the Imperium!”

The black armored head left the demon’s neck as Lar’s hooves slammed the lifeless body into the rocky ground. Whipping around with his duel gladiuses at the ready, Lar saw Garilianus and Viridio standing astride the last demon’s lifeless body with Liberalis at the ready behind them.

“Liberalis, look to Legionnaire Trebellius Angelus. Garilianus, Viridio help the wounded humans the best you can.”

Rolling the demon corpse over Lar recovered the bulging sack strapped to the creature’s waist. Quickly slitting the side from top to bottom as he knelt, Lar retracted his blades as he gently pulled the unconscious human woman into his arms. Blood ran down her face from a scalp wound. Applying pressure to the gash on her head, Lar hurriedly ran his hands over the woman’s body searching for injuries, when he heard an angry shout as something heavy slammed into his armored shoulder.

“Get your stinking hands off of her you dirty cow!” Turning his head around Lar saw the angry black male from earlier threateningly holding one of his people’s battle-axes over his shoulder ready to swing. Again the human yelled at him angrily. “I said to get your stinking hands off of her!”

Lar’s black lips spread into a wide grin as he studied the fear in the human’s eyes. He didn’t need to understand the words to comprehend their meaning or the implied threat. The males of his people were known throughout Irlendria for their rage duels. Even more humorous, the male obviously thought he held some claim over Driscoll, but from her interaction with the man, Lar doubted Driscoll would agree to that claim.

Still, a fight between them would be without honor, nor would it help their current situation. Lowering his voice, Lar sternly spoke pointing a tinnearlian encased finger at the human.

“Summitte armis et adiuva me aut pedem movere.” (Lower your weapon and help me or step back.) Seeing the man’s hesitation Lar tried again pointing to the ground next to Driscoll. “Sedere!” (Sit!)

Slowly the black man lowered the battle-axe and knelt next to Driscoll. As Lar went back to his visual inspection of the head wound, the human pulled a flask from his belt and began to dab water at the wound with a piece of green cloth ripped from his uniform. Once the wound was clean, he saw the man’s unsure look as he called out to the handful of human survivors around them.

Immediately several of the humans gathered around them talking loudly, but it was obvious none of them had any healing poultices to offer. Even so, Lar still had the gift of Akras and a partial flask of elixir ignis. Ignoring the bickering humans standing around him, Lar lowered his head and began cleaning the oozing wound with his thick tongue.

“What the hell … I think I’m going to be sick.”

Lar didn’t understand the words, but he could hear the disgust loud and clear in the black man’s voice. Fools! Had the idiots no concept of treating injuries on the battlefield? Lifting is head Lar checked the wound again. Already the blood had stopped flowing. Fishing the flask from inside his armor Lar pulled the top open with his teeth and carefully pressed the opening to Driscoll’s lips. It shouldn’t take much.

“Uuuaaaggghhh!” As soon as the dark liquid slid down her throat, Driscoll bolted upright coughing and hacking, while the humans around them backed up swearing. Slowly Driscoll caught her breath enough to meet Lar’s eyes. “

“What the hell is that stuff?” Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Driscoll repeated the words again, this time in common. “What the hell is that stuff?”

Smiling, Lar bowed his head slightly. “Decanus Driscoll, it is good to see that you yet live and that you experienced your first taste of the elixir of fire.” Seeing the blank look she gave him, Lar swallowed a laugh clapping her roughly on the back. “The elixir is a common drink amongst the Legions of the Imperium. It renews strength, gives warmth and helps the healing of any wound.”

“It tastes like vodka and red bull. God, I think I’m going to be drunk.”

“Do not worry. Although the elixir of fire is a powerful drought, it is no fermented wine.”

“Whatever.” Shaking her head, Driscoll pushed herself shakily to her feet as she looked at the demon corpses. “How are you here? I thought you made it aboard the ship?” Unsteadily she gripped his upper arm to stop herself from swaying.

“Careful Decanus Driscoll, you took a sharp blow to the head.” Lar put an arm around her for support as Driscoll gripped his bicep even tighter. “We made it to your people’s ship, but the priestess sent me back to find you.”

“That was stupid. Why the hell would she have done something like that?”

“For some reason, she believes that our fates are intertwined together.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Pressing a hand to her forehead Driscoll glared at him as she jerked out from under his arm. “Seriously, who the hell even talks that way?” Seeing the evident confusion on his face, Driscoll held up her hand cutting off his response. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. What I need is help recovering my soldiers. Those creatures have been dragging anyone they find back to the pit. Any idea why?”

“This cannot bode well.” Tugging on his braided goatee Lar frowned thoughtfully at Driscoll. “Demons are soul eaters; they do not take prisoners.”

“Obviously, they do. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been stuffed in a sack!”

“I’m not questioning the evidence we have both seen, Decanus Driscoll. The fact that they sought to capture you is not what I dispute. I just do not believe they are taking your people as prisoners. If anything, it is for something much direr.” Looking back towards where they’d climbed out of the pit, Lar could only see what looked to be the rim of a massive crater. Quickly he came to a decision. “Show me what you have seen and I promise to help your people if it is at all possible.”

For a long moment, Driscoll just studied his face with a hard frown planted on her red lips. So similar, yet so different. Looking at her like this, Lar was taken back with just how much she resembled a heifer of his people. Human females were much more attractive than the spindly Elven females of the Great Forest. Standing up, Driscoll gave him a quick grin.

“If we’re going to do this you’d better start passing that flask around to the rest of my people.”

Surprisingly enough they were moving out within a matter minutes. By the time Lar had Viridio and Liberalis got Angelus into a two-bull carry, Driscoll’s had her people organized and ready to go. Taking up the lead with Driscoll at his side, Lar headed for the crater.

Loud echoing roars rang out in the skies above them as the humans’ strange flying machines repeatedly passed by overhead at amazing speeds. Explosions shook the ground beneath Lar’s hooves as fire and smoke flared into the air at the far side of the crater. Although they saw small demon patrols in the distance, none were close enough to be a threat as they climbed the ridge.

Reaching the rim, Lar looked back at his charges. Humans and Minotaurs alike clung to the side of the rocky crater like shadows. Although the stark fear was obvious on the hairless faces of the humans, they still performed their duty without complaint like a legionnaire. If they could work out an alliance and arm them, Lar could see these humans being strong allies. Maybe that was why the priestess had insisted on Lar returning to aid the survivors.

Making sure the rocky rim was clear Lar used legion battle-speak to call Legionnaire Garilianus to his side. Seeing a startled jerk out of the corner of his eye, Lar turned to see Driscoll looking at him oddly. With a shake of her head, Driscoll began flashing similar hand signals to her warriors as the humans quickly and silently moved up into position behind them.

This time, it was Lar’s turn to give Driscoll an evaluating look. Once again he chided himself for comparing these humans to the savage primitives that he’d first met upon their arrival through the portal. From everything he’d seen from these warriors’ skills and professionalism it shouldn’t have surprised him, but sometimes it was hard to change a first impression. He’d have to work on that. Meeting Driscoll’s hard eyes with a sharp nod Lar crept to the edge of the rim.

Instantly Lar froze at the grisly scene unfolding below. The cavern where he’d awoke was completely gone. All that was left was a massive gaping hole. At its flattened bottom, the portal to Irlendria pulsated with an eerie green light reflecting off the twenty demons that stood unmoving along the outer edge. Inscribed on the stone before their clawed feet were the glowing glyphs of a greater circle of power. Huddled on the rocky ground before them where at least a hundred ragged humans cowering in fear. At the very center of the pit, standing atop a pile of bloody corpses, was a black cloaked figure holding a choking blonde-haired woman by her throat in a white scaled fist.

“Who in the hell is that?” The sharp hiss from Driscoll pulled Lar’s eyes away from the horrific nightmare.

“My people’s greatest enemy.” Dread filled Lar’s voice as he met Driscoll’s enraged face. “A Dark Priestess of Loviatar!”

***

Location Earth / Helice:

High Priestess Helice’s burning red eyes bore into her helpless victim’s face as she held the dying female aloft in her clawed hand triumphantly for all to see. Her long tongue tasted the red gore that dripped down the white scales of her arms as the soul power of the dead beasts thrummed through her body. Throwing her head back, Helice shrieked in holy fervor.

“To Loviatar’s everlasting greatness!”

Around the circle the demons that she and her dead sisters had summoned held out their sacrifices to be slaughtered. None of the otherworldly beings contested her will. Even though they were born of the Abyss, the demons knew their true master.

Again Helice threw back her head, but this time, the laughter rolling from her forked tongue was of pure evil. She was the avatar of Loviatar. No other High Priestess in Tuonellian history had ever held so many bound demons at one time. Just more proof of the glory of Loviatar.

None of her dark sisters had survived the Gorgonean invasion. It didn’t matter that out of all of the lesser races the Gorgons were the closest match in power to that of her own people, the Echidna. They were failures the lot of them. She alone had survived to rain down Loviatar’s retribution!

Lifting the kicking female high overhead Helice prepared to cast the spell that would bind Irlendria to this new world. Just as she was drawing her clawed fist back for the killing strike, several hard objects suddenly slammed into her face.

Helice’s eyes jerked away from her sacrifice in outrage. Who dared to disturb her ceremony to Loviatar? Whipping her glowing red eyes along the high walls of the portal chamber, Helice saw the small group of Minotaurs and Humans that dared to attack her. They must have escaped the demons earlier sweep.

“Vepxhal!” Helice heard the scrape of claws on the stone behind her as the demon leader approached at her summons.

“Dark Mistress, how-?”

“Adflictio!” Instantly the gravelly voice roared in agony from her seal of punishment. As soon as the demon collapse to its knees behind her a cruel sneer spread across Helice’s scaly lips. Obviously, even the Abyss had their failures to contend with.

”Vepxhal, if you cannot even gather up these lesser beings as commanded, then what use are you?” With a wave of her clawed hand, she released the seal.

“Dark Priestess-“

“Silence! Go and do my bidding. If you fail me again, I will send you back to the Abyss without your share of souls.”

Turning her focus back on the blonde haired female choking to death in her grip, Helice plunged her fist into the animal’s chest as the twenty demons around the circle drove their fists into the chests of their blood sacrifices. Immediately power thrummed through the air as the glyphs within the circle consumed the soul energy in a crackling blaze.

“At last, it is time!” Tossing the lifeless carcass to the ground Helice lifted her arms above her head when a sudden movement behind her back broke her concentration. Why had Vepxhal still not left to do her bidding?

Before Helice could confront the demon, its clawed fist slammed through her spinal column and burst through the front of her chest. Looking down unbelievably, Helice saw her own beating black heart clutched in the demon’s clawed fist. As her eyes rolled back into of her head, she heard the demon’s guttural voice roar in her ear.

“Now that you’ve completed charging the circle for me, I will bind this portal to the Abyss so that my Master can consume the souls of this world!”