Into The Abyss (Demons of Astlan) (58 page)

Jenn looked at him, still somewhat as if he were insane, but also as if she just couldn't understand him or where he was coming from.  As if she just couldn't fathom what drove him to such strange thoughts.

“Oh, and who’s boss vaporized a few thousand soldiers in a split second outside his former school?”  Edwyrd asked, “You’re telling me that a mass murderer like Lenamare is one of the ‘good guys’ and the demon that saved your life, twice, was a ‘bad guy’?”

Jenn looked at Edwyrd in shock, her jaw moving, apparently unable to make a response.  “I’m betting that your mentor,” Edwyrd continued, “killed more people in one second than most demons kill in an eternity.”
  Jenn sputtered, harrumphed and turned her back on the discussion.

During the entire argument both Gastrop
é and Maelen had looked on in shock and surprise.  Both totally bemused by the sudden vehemence on both sides.  Rupert had all he could do to keep from cheering Edwyrd on, even as he wondered at Jenn's irrationality. 

All his life he'd wanted to know the answers to those very same questions.  He'd raged day in and day out against those who'd tried to impose such definitions on him.  Here Tom, his father, was arguing the very same argument he'd so often dreamed of arguing with a wizard.  Like father, like son, Rupert beamed.

~

Field Protectator Wylan surreptitiously looked on as the series of suspects succinctly and systematically removed themselves from the local vicinity of his jurisdiction.  He shook his head in bemusement.  This was most serious.  As the last of the felonious
peripatetics disappeared through the opening in the fire, said fire diminished in size until it was reduced to nothingness.  Wylan stepped forth to survey the scene of the suspects' justice evasion operation.  He sniffed the air around the fire, and examined in minute detail the fire pit itself.  "On the encouraging side, they will not have to be charged with reckless forestall endangerment through the unauthorized use of pyromantic techniques."  His assistant nodded in agreement.  "On the negative side, we will have to add evasion of justice resulting in fugitive status to their already long list of criminal convictions."  He looked to his fellow law officer to ensure that the man was writing this down.

Wylan had met up with Assistant Vice-Constable Pyromancer Fiernon a few hours ago.  The two had made judicious haste to the site of the suspects' campsite.  They had observed said suspects for over an hour before the suspects had
suddenly taken action and marched through the fire, failing to emerge on the other side.  "To what location do you believe these vile henchmen of hell have abstained?"  asked Fiernon.

Wylan frowned.  "Your choice of the word hell may not be completely without meaningful merit.  While I am not currently as well versed as some of my fellows in such matters as pertinent to this investigation, it is my belief, judging from the smell of sulfur and brimstone in the air, added to their already admittedly illicit and ill-advised demonic alliances
, that they have absconded to the Abyss."

"The Abyss?"  Fiernon was startled.  "What is the state of our current extradition treaty with the Abyss?"

Wylan shook his head.  "Unfortunately, not particularly good.  What organized government said region has is notably lacking in cohesion and is further noticeably reticent to make any such treaty so as to uphold the due process of law.  Experience has further taught us that their pursuance of the matters of justice is more than even criminally sporadic.  In short, even given the existence of said treaty, it is highly unlikely to be upheld on the part of the Abyssal rulers."

Fiernon nodded.  "This is therefore indicative that extradition via
extra planar extraction is advisable?" he asked.

"Advisable yes."  Wylan stated.  "Feasible no.  Said government, such as it is, is notably objective to incursion by outside elements.  Such actions on our part are often met with severe resistance on their part.  Further given no truly cohesive organized government institution that we can deal with, and no embassy on our part, locating such individuals is also extremely difficult."

"Nefarious nihilists!  For the moment, they seem out of our pursuance.  How I would love nothing more than for the jaws of justice to mercilessly masticate the miserably malicious malefactoring miscreantic malcontents!" Fiernon pounded his fist into the palm of his left hand.

"While the exhaustive exhibition of elegant eloquence in your exhortative elocution is extremely, nay exquisitely exacting in the extreme, and excessively encouraging to me, thus ensuring of my express agreement, I must say, do not give up hope!"  Wylan paced around the campsite, looking for details.  "For, as is well documented, such maloriferous misanthropes as these, frankly mystifying malefactors of malevolent mendacity and mongers of maladictive misbehavior, always return to the scene of their putrescent, puerile and pitiable perpetrations.  To wit, in this case, they will return to Astlan.  Of this you may rest assured."

Pointing to the heavens above, Wylan concluded.  "Therefore, have no futile feeling of fearful fretting, as Justice shall prevail and the rapscallious vagabonds of cantankerous courtly contempt shall pay most dearly for the scandalous, nay, scoundrel-like, misdeeds and misappropriations of constabulary life."  Fiernon bowed his head, grateful for the alliterative, yet nearly allegorical, postulations of reassurance provided by one who was so obviously a truly masterful legal discourser of the first rank.

"You were, as I believe was so efficaciously effected tonight to be demonstrated, correct in your initial estimations as to these villaicious varlets threat to Oorstemoth.  Not only do I concur with your judgment, I feel that I must request that a full lack of judicial restraint be utilized in the capture and subsequent prosecution and execution of these savagely seedy suspects of sin."  Wylan complimented and assured Fiernon.  "I shall even now begin the undertaking of such steps as to ensure the eventual demise and destruction of said parties."

~

Edwyrd was sitting on Tom's throne, rather overlarge for Edwyrd's body
, reviewing his argument with Jenn.  No one had said much afterwards, they simply moved off to corners and sat and waited.  It didn't seem to take quite an hour before Tom felt the summons from Tizzy. 

This time it was similar to Jehenna's last summons.  Much stronger than Rupert's, but without the demand that Lenamare had.  As he felt the pull, Tom let his mind trace the mental path that the summons created.  In a way, the gobbledygook words he'd used to describe what he was going to do, before they'd left were correct.  It was a link
, or mental thread, between Tizzy and himself.  Only in this case the link was created by Tizzy doing the summoning. 

Tom could 'feel' with his mind something like a string or path going to Tizzy and could thus get a view of where Tizzy was.  Wherever that was, was dark.  It seemed to be a large grassy field of some sort.  He reached out and felt himself where Tizzy was.  Simultaneously he felt himself in the cave.  Using himself as the bridge along the link, he mentally dug a hole in the space between locations.

Each time he'd done this gateway, he'd done the visualization slightly differently, but each time it had worked.  This time was no exception; he felt a hole in space opening around him.  Apparently, the visualization wasn't as important as the intent and the knowledge of both ends.  Widening the hole, he brought more of his consciousness to the cave.  "OK, everyone!  We have the gate.  Time to go!"

Jenn sighed with relief, Gastrop
é giving her a reassuring smile, saying he'd known they'd be all right.   Maelen simply stood up and dusted himself off, picking up the donkey's reins. Maelen looked at the dark hole in space near the throne, shaking his head he lead the donkey towards it and then through it.  Still controlled, the donkey caused no problems. 

Next came Gastrop
é who stepped through as soon as the donkey's tail had completely crossed the threshold of the gateway.  Jenn straightened her clothes and moved towards the gateway, looking around the room.  "Rupert?  Where's Rupert?"

Tom looked around the cave.  The boy wasn't in it. 
Apparently, he'd left the cave, no one had noticed.  "I don't know, he must have wandered out."

"Curse that child!"  Jenn said, shaking her head in frustration.  "Rupert!" she yelled.  "Come on! it's time to go!"  They waited for a response but none came.  "Where the Abyss is he?" worry showing through Jenn's voice.

Tom!
  Tom heard Tizzy's voice in his head.  That was strange; it was like telepathy, he guessed.  How was that happening?  Was it this link he had? 
Hurry up, the gateway is spilling light into the surrounding area; someone is bound to see it soon.  What's the matter, what are you taking so long for?  Trying to make yourself another kid?
  Tom just grimaced at the little demon.

"Jenn, we can't keep this link much longer!"  Tom said.

"Well I'm certainly not leaving him here!" Jenn cried almost hysterically.

"No, no!" Tom assured her thinking quickly, "but I'll stay and find him.  You have to go through.  I'll find him and then bring us both back."

"No, I'm not leaving without Rupert!"  Jenn shouted.

Tom shook his head, "Jenn
, you can't go out and find him; your spell won't hold up to the heat.  Mine will.  You go through; I can pull us both out the same way.  You just have Tizzy repeat this summons in...I don't know...three hours or so, at dawn say."

Jenn looked at him for a moment, "No," she finally said.  "I can't leave the boy in the Abyss."

"Jenn," Edwyrd pleaded. "Please, believe me.  I can find him; he will be all right.  I swear to you by all that I hold sacred that I'll find him and bring him through.  You have my word that I won't leave the Abyss until I find him."

Jenn bit her fingernails.  Edwyrd knew she didn't want to leave the boy, he hoped she realized that there was no choice.  "You swear to Maera?  On your heart, upon your soul of souls?"

"I swear to Maera, fervently and devotedly.  May I be doomed to spend the rest of eternity here in the Abyss if I lie, or if I fail."  Rather a hollow promise Edwyrd realized.  For one thing, he had no idea who Maera was, and for the other, he was already doomed to the Abyss for all eternity.  Jenn just frowned uncertainly, but her brow was already lined with sweat from the heat.  She had to know there was no way she could handle the outside temperatures, needed to find Rupert. 

"RUPERT! COME HERE!" 
She yelled one last time with all her might.  They waited several more moments but no Rupert came.  Now Edwyrd was getting concerned.  Biting her lower lip, Jenn stepped closer to the gateway.  "Please find him, Edwyrd, not just for my sake, but for his own?"

"I will
, Jenn; I swear it.  Don't worry, I will ensure his safety."  Jenn gave Edwyrd's hand a quick squeeze then backed through the gateway, looking longingly up the passageway from the cave.  Edwyrd watched her go through, feeling her fear.

As soon as she was through, he called to Tizzy,
Tizzy, summon me again at dawn; I've got to find out where Rupert wandered off to
.

Probably the courts,
Tizzy replied,
every kid wants to see those.
 
See ya later!
   With that last thought, Edwyrd allowed the hole in space to fill itself in with reality. 
Rupert, that kid was more trouble
, Edwyrd thought to himself. 

With the departure of the wizards, the Were Light was also gone.  The cave was quite dark.  It had certainly not been that way before.  Since he was going to be
here for a while, there was no reason to limit himself in his search.  He might as well be comfortable and have all of his abilities available to him.  Quickly, Edwyrd stripped off his clothes and put them on the table.  With that done, he let himself relax completely.

Even as he did so the room began to lighten.  Within moments, no
t only had his viewpoint shifted upwards by five or six feet, his eyesight was able to see everything in the room as well as if it were day.  Marching determinedly, he went up the passageway to the cave's exit.

As he reached the small ledge that marked the cave's mouth at the top of the mountain, he found a pile of human clothes.  It didn't take much looking to realize they were Rupert's and it didn't take much to guess what the kid had done.  Kids
, Tom sighed to himself.  He scanned the red sky above, looking for any flying silhouettes.  He didn't see any.  He then turned his gaze downward toward the valley.

He had to stare for a while, but eventually he found an unusual spot on the valley floor below.  It was only a few hundred feet horizontally from him, but about a couple thousand vertical.  His cave was on a very steep mountain.  He swooped down off his perch towards the speck below.  As he came upon the spot, he shook his head.

A small winged, burgundy humanoid was laying on the ground.  It waved at him as he approached.  Actually, it was sort of tilted over backwards.  It's lower legs, below the knee were stuck in the ground, his upper body bent over and resting on the ground, almost like sitting.  Tom knew the position.  "Legs hurt?" he asked Rupert.

Rupert smiled slightly and nodded strongly.  "Like crazy.  I'm also stuck."

"Flying is not as easy as it looks, is it?"  Tom said with the air of a learned expert.  He had to remind himself that it had only been a couple weeks ago that he'd been in the same position.  "Here."  He reached out his hands so Rupert could grab them.  As the boy did so, Tom pulled straight upward, lifting the boy and his legs out of the hole.   He met a slight resistance and Rupert groaned, and then popped free of the dirt.