Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (19 page)

The golden rays of the morning sun had not yet struck the scrub land on which they camped, when Jehenna stepped from her tent.  She looked around her in grim satisfaction to see her people
almost loaded.  All that remained was for the soldiers to pack her tent and for everyone to get the cooking gear cleaned up and stowed.  She saw one of the two soldiers who had set up her magnificent red satin and gold trimmed tent, and motioned him to come and begin taking it down.  He came reluctantly, motioning for another of his friends to come help him. 

As they passed her on the way toward her tent, Jehenna looked towards the school.  She could still sense the powerful wards, even at this distance; after all, she had been their center focus.  They were still going, which meant that Lenamare still had Exador's men fooled.  Good, with luck
, by the end of the week, she and Lenamare would be in Freehold with the book, and ready to pursue vengeance against Exador.

~

Jenn finished hooking Chestnut and Drecilla to her and Jehenna's wagon.  As she'd suggested last night, she and Trisfelt had switched horses, she'd given him Timber Leaf and taken Chestnut.  Actually, she knew Chestnut, had even ridden him a couple of times when she'd first arrived at the school.  She'd always loved horses, and riding had been one of her few pleasures at an otherwise unpleasant school, at least until she'd come to know Rex and Alvea.  She'd eventually gotten so busy with her studies and doing things with Rex and Alvea that she'd only rode sporadically, but still she enjoyed it. 

All of which made it seem even more strange, Chestnut was one of the gentlest horses she'd ever met, and he was certainly no fiery
young stallion anymore, which was why he was reduced to pulling this wagon on the trip.  Not that he wasn't still a fine horse, but only the fastest horses were ridden, all the others were drafted for pulling the wagons.  In fact, the whole incident had so shook her that she'd even forgot to take her diary out to record the day's events, not that there had been any light to write by, but she did have a small candle she could have used.  Jehenna would have had a heart attack if she'd used Mage Light.  Anyway, whatever the reason for the horse’s behavior, further inquiry would best wait until they got to Freehold.

~

Rupert finished scouring the kettle with the cleaning sand, and stood up.  He walked to the back of the wagon and morosely hung it on its peg.  The other kids were already in, so he just put his foot on wooden end rail and climbed in.   None of the others said anything to him, they had heard from the adults’ conversations what had happened, and they apparently couldn't think of anything to say.  Which was fine with  Rupert, he really didn't feel like talking about it to anyone, he didn't want to have to answer any questions.  Thankfully, the only things anyone had said to him since the event were all work related.  No one said anything, but he knew they were puzzled.

At this point Master Trisfelt climbed aboard the driver's seat.  Grabbing the reins, he looked back and said, "Are we all in?"  Sydney and Chass simply nodded, Gloria murmured "yes sir," and Rupert just stared ahead, unwilling to meet Master Trisfelt's  gaze.  His eyes were still red, he couldn't help it, he'd cried some more last night before falling asleep; he really just didn't want anyone to notice.  Taking the quiet responses affirmatively, the hefty wizard turned around on his seat and made a clicking noise and gave the horses the signal to begin following the wagon ahead.

The wagon train rolled out in the same order as the day before.  They had camped just below the entrance to the first pass, so it only took about fifteen minutes before they hit the trail that would take them through the mountains.  As they went on, the trail climbed higher and higher along the side of the first mountain.  The trail was on the south side of a mountain, and to the left the ground quickly dropped away to a narrow valley between mountains.

Rupert and the other children sat very still in the wagon. They had looked over the edge of the wagon once, and seen how narrow of a trail they were following.  They quickly decided not to move lest they throw the wagon off balance; even though Master Trisfelt had assured them that the trail was perfectly safe, and that there was no danger as long as they didn't start a wrestling match going.  The trail continued onward occasionally crossing small streams, or descending long grades to the bottom of a valley, only to climb again, up and around the next mountain.

At lunch time, they stopped along a slightly wider area to eat.  The trail was still narrow enough that the wagons had to remain single file, but wide enough that people could walk alongside the wagons.  Master Trisfelt climbed in the back of the wagon and began rummaging to find some meat and cheese for their lunch.

"Mind if I join you," came a voice from the rear of the wagon.  Rupert looked up to see Jenn's smiling face peering at them from around the corner.

"Oh, I don't know if we'll have enough..." said Master Trisfelt, who had just produced a giant haunch of roasted beef from a sack along with a five pound wheel of cheese.  "After all, we do have these growing boys to think of!"

"Don't you mean your growing belly, to think of?" inquired Jenn with a sweet smile.

"Ahem," Master Trisfelt said with mock dignity, "surely you jest, ma'am, certainly you can see that we have children here, who are on the brink of starvation."

"Uh huh, oh yeah, I can see that clearly."  Jenn climbed up into the back of the wagon, "however, I do bring fair recompense for your hospitality."

"Oh truly?" inquired Master Trisfelt, his curiosity peaked.

"Yes, this."  Jenn produce a bottle of wine from behind her back and handed it to the wizard.

"Hmmm, Scorzio wine, and a remarkable year at that.  How did you get it?"

"Why, I'm sure it is simply payment from my lady for driving her wagon."

"You stole it?  My dear," he said with a broad smile, "you're finely coming around."

"Hardly--actually, I brought it myself, the night before we left, I tried practicing with Fermi's Fermentation Spell.  I fear, it simply happens that the bottle was an empty one I found while helping pack my lady's belongings."

"Hmmm," replied Master Trisfelt, crestfallen.  "Fermentation spell eh?  Well, maybe...have you tried it?  I mean those things more often make vinegar than wine.  Especially, when not performed by a Master such as myself..." he said while waving his nose haughtily in the air.  All the children laughed at his imitation of Lenamare, even Rupert smiled.

"I leave that honor to you, as my glorious instructor
...it is your duty to test my work."

"As most assuredly I shall," and with that Trisfelt pulled off the cork, snapped his fingers to conjure a wine goblet, actually it had been up his sleeve, and poured.  Sniffing the wine, as a true connoisseur, he rolled his eyes slightly, and with a slight grin took a sip.  Rolling it around in his mouth he appeared to think for a moment, "
Aaah," was all he said as he swallowed.  He took another, larger drink, smiled and looked towards the sky.  Once again he sighed after swallowing, and then pretended to notice Jenn sitting there watching him.

Quickly, he shook his head, and gave her a formal look, "Ahem, I suppose it is passable
...you'll have to do better next time though.  Naturally, of course, I shall judge that one also."  The children giggled.

"Oh really. I think you liked it."  Jenn accused the wizard.

"Actually, Jenn, damn good.  It tastes like the real thing."  Admitted Master Trisfelt with a pleased look, "you really are remarkable when it comes to these spells...I must admit, this wine is as good or possibly--and I remind you only, possibly--better than I could have done myself."

Jenn smiled, "thank you, you're too sweet."

"Aaah, I know.  However, now on to lunch, shall we?"

Lunch was finished in short order, and all parties managed to take care of personal business, so they were soon on their way again.  The sky overhead was a brilliant purplish blue, not a cloud in the sky.
Truly a lovely day
, rejoiced Jenn as they rode along.

About an hour after lunch they road down
to the bottom of a slightly wider valley than they had yet seen in the mountains.  This one actually had moderately gentle sloping sides and even grass at the bottom.  The hill sides were strewn with large boulders, everywhere. The basin, however, was easily wide enough for three wagons abreast.  As the wagon train spread slightly out into the valley, Jenn suddenly felt a fluctuation in the air that signaled strong magic. 

As she whipped her head up in the air, automatically thinking up counter spells in her mind, Jehenna stood up and raised her arms.  From her lips spilled hasty words of warding, the air around their wagon shimmered, and just in time.  For not six seconds after she felt the first twinges, their wagon was engulfed in a roaring ball of fire.  Jenn could see nothing but flames all around her.  Fortunately, nothing in
their wagon was damaged because Jehenna had got the fire shield up fast enough.  It didn't take long; the flames were quickly gone.  Without taking time to think, Jenn did what she'd been instructed early on to do in a battle of wizardry.  She reached out her mind, seeking the source of the magic. 

To her dismay, she found that it came from all around them, there were at least four wizards out there.  Even as she searched, two more fireballs came roaring down the mountainside to engulf the wagon behind them and one of the peasant wagons at the rear.  She only had time to note that the soldiers were already down, the largest group of them had already been roasted alive along with their horses.  Most of the grass in the bottom of the valley was on fire.  Lightning rained from the cloudless sky.  Sick at heart, she reached out to the nearest wizard.  She called to the grass at his feet to rise to her command.  Shouting words she herself couldn't even hear in the roar of the fireballs and the flames from the burning grass and other wagons, she caused the grass around her target to rise to three times its normal height and begin to entwine her enemy.

The grass began to strangle him, it tangled his hands and arms so he couldn't cast any spells, it would take a while to kill him, but she didn't know what else to do.  Now that she had quit the conjuration part of her spell, she no longer needed to shout, all she needed to do was concentrate.  She just about lost her concentration, however, when she heard what Jehenna was saying beside her.

"Tomasedwardperkinje, by thy name and this ring I thee summon.  Come! I command thee obey.  For I
, Jehenna, art thy Master, thou art my servant, thou art bound by the power of this ring, by the Covenant of the Ring.  Thou must appear.  Aid me now, in this time of need.  I command thee."  Jehenna shouted at the top of her lungs.

Jenn was having all she could do to hang onto her concentration. 
It wasn't enough that they were under ambush, the madwoman was summoning a fourth order demon with a ring alone!  No protections, sigils or triangles! The damn bitch was insane!  What would they do? Only Jehenna's will and the ring would keep it from destroying them.  True, Jehenna would probably be safe with the ring, but everyone else?

In front of the wagon, the flames rose even higher, towering up and up, easily shooting twenty feet into the air.  A roar louder than any so far grew with the flames.  Out from the flames stepped the demon.  A true creature of nightmare.  Towering as high as Jehenna who stood in the wagon, the thing's evil body gleamed purplish red in the flames.  Flames danced behind it and within its eyes. 
Sparks seemed to jump from its horns.  It bared its giant fangs in a grimace of hatred; it stood with its hooves planted four feet apart, its tail swinging angrily back and forth.  Its huge phallus, there between its legs, a monstrous obscenity to the ways of nature.  Its forearms stretched outward from its sides and flexed their razor sharp ebony claws.  It seemed to be flexing its legs, as if to spring upon the wagon and rend them limb from limb.  Small puffs of smoke rose from its nostrils, while its giant bat like wings fanned the fires around it, to quickly speed the destruction of the wagons.

"WHAT WOULD
ST THOU HAVE OF ME?  THIS DAY I COME OF MY OWN WILL.  SPEAKEST QUICKLY LEST I DESTROY THEE IN MY WRATH!"  bellowed the foul creature; the voice shook Jenn to her very bones, and as it spoke, her concentration at last broke, and she could no longer maintain her spell, knowing full well that she was about to die.  She offered a silent prayer that the thing would get careless, and forget, and kill her first, before it raped her.  This was pretty much all she could think of as she slid to the foot rest of the wagon.

The wagon, on the other hand, was doing its best to come up and meet her. The horses were going absolutely insane at the presence of the demon.  They were rearing and screaming, kicking and jumping.  Every movement that the harness allowed them, they performed.  In quick frustration, Jehenna, trying not to lose her concentration, pulled Tanthor's Wand of Paralyzation from her robe and quickly zapped the horses, with it.  They fell to the ground with a large crash, breaking the guide poles on the wagon, but due to the nature of the wand, were unharmed themselves, simply unable to move.

~

Trying to regain her equilibrium, Jehenna continued, "know oh demon, Tomasedwardperkinje, that you are mine to command
...you must do as I say." Jehenna's brow was sweating mighty heavily.
Something wasn't right, it just didn't feel right,
she thought.  "We have been ambushed by our enemies, I command you go out and destroy those who attack us!"  The demon leered at her, its evil grin, giving even her a slight pause.  Slowly it looked at the horses on the ground, apparently hoping, in its lust for destruction that they were dead.  It then looked at her; and then around at the rest of what was left of the wagon train, as if sizing up the situation.  It didn't move to follow her orders.