Demiourgos (22 page)

“Please don't.” Rose pleaded more than said. “Let me go, come with me!”

“I cannot. These shackles bind me to the service of my masters and it has been as such since they captured me when I was young. I do not even remember my own name, just the one they gave me because I created such a ruckus when they brought me here.” He shrugged his shoulders and stared at her for a moment.

“Talk with me for little while then first?” She said from her seat in the chair. “What are those things that were holding me?”

“They are called molluskids, they are a symbiotic parasite. Their venom enfeebles and keeps creatures in sleep. They help with blood flow and keep the host alive just as the host nourishes them.” He motioned toward the now-still creature with one hand. “When they do not have a host they lie dormant until one comes closer. Then they attach themselves and begin feeding.”

“You are a kurenai?” Rose inquired curiously. “I have never heard of your kind before this day, not even in my books and short-lived travels.”

“We are a peaceful, quiet people. We like to keep to ourselves most times. The only problems we had in the past were demons and the infernis elves.” He looked around the room for a moment. “Obviously I fell to the demon side of the spectrum when I was taken.”

“Rose, you are different from the others here. Many are bad people and creatures not fit to walk the earth anyway. I still say it is a shame to put you back under.” He lumbered toward her. “Please do not fight, I do not wish to harm you.”

“What if I can remove the shackles?” She said quickly as he approached her. She closed her eyes for a moment and shifted them into the spectrum of magic just like Leonidus had taught her but when she opened her eyes she was blinded for a moment by the brightness of the room around her. The shackles in particular were very radiant. “I think I can remove them Ruckus.”

“Hope is something I shed long ago young one. Your pleas will do nothing for you.” He shook his head and subsequently his shaggy beard and continued approaching her.

Rose let her eyes shift back again and thought to her training with Leonidus. He had taught her how to control the amount of magic she absorbed and from where but she had never attempted to drain a magical item before. As he came closer she grabbed the chain between his shackles and forced her body to pull the magic from the enchanted items. It fed her slowly at first but steadily it grew to a strong flow. She reached her usual capacity quickly but she continued on, feeling the burning sensation within her body. Rose fell to her knees and sobbed softly against the growing intensity within her.  “Oh gods it burns.”

“Stop! Stop this!” Ruckus shouted as a humming drone echoed through the room and threatened to deafen them both. “I will be punished!”

“No.” Rose replied with determination as she gritted her teeth. “You will be free.”

Finally the shackles unlocked and fell to the ground leaving a stunned Ruckus staring at her in wonder. The burning inside of her was intense but nothing like what had happened in the desert when she had gained her freedom. Rose grunted and bowled over clasping her midsection and looked up at Ruckus. “Can you lead me out of here?”

“Ruckus!” She yelled at him as he stared down at her in stunned silence. “Lead me out of here!”

“Quickly then.” He said as he walked over to the door and waved his hand. “I cannot shape the stone! The shackles affected my ability to shape; apparently it has been retarded in some way now that they’re gone.”

“Back away.” Rose stood up shakily and waved him back as he tried to help her. Holding her hands out in front of her she imagined a gout of molten rock melting the door down to nothing. Using her hands she made undulating motions with her fingers as if she was shaping the stone herself. The small room got hot quickly but the door began to melt and pool down on the rock below it. Unable to concentrate for long she burned a hole in the door large enough for them to pass through. As she used a large chunk of the raw power stored within her she felt the burning start to fade a little. “Go, I'll follow.”

Rose watched him leave the room and followed right behind him stepping over the pile of cooling rock and heading out into a long hallway with several doors of similar construction. Behind each door she spied any number of creatures she did not recognize. “We should free them.”

“No, I would not unleash some of the horrors in the place on the world lightly.” The kurenai replied to her as he took her hand and helped her along. “They will not be long to confront us now that the shackles have been removed. We have no time to waste.”

“My equipment, I need my things.” She said through her teeth as she fought to hold on to the magic boiling over inside of her. As they rounded a corner he turned to talk to her only to stop dead in his tracks. Standing down the hall was a tall red-skinned humanoid with a head like a canine and leathery bat wings hanging from its back. The powerful-looking creature was tall enough for it to have to crouch down in the hall. Ruckus fell to his knees but Rose stepped past him and looked the monster right in the eyes. “I am going to pass and you're going to let me.”

“Little mortal, your limbs will be so tasty.” It spoke in broken common through a slavering maw that dripped green slime down onto the floor. The thing charged forward and held its claws out before it. “I will tear you apart.”

Taking a large chunk of magic from her surplus she knelt down and put her hands on the floor. Her eyes closed as she fought to control the massive amount of power stored within her. The floor before her wavered and she watched with satisfaction as the disgusting creature fell forward into it like he had stumbled into a lake or pool. She removed her hands once the creature was out of sight and pulled Ruckus to his feet. “My weapons, now!”

“This way.” He said sheepishly while taking the lead again. Down the hallway he led her into a side room and returned from within carrying her weapons, shoes and backpack. He had one on himself, which caused her to arch a brow.

“Supplies, if we are to survive the wild dark we will need them.” Ruckus replied quickly as he handed her belongings over.

Slipping her shoes on she donned the rest as she ran and tried to keep up with him. His long strides were hard to match. The corridors around her became more rough-hewn and natural than chiseled and she took that as a good sign. When they reached the mouth of a cave leading into a large central room he stopped. “What is it? Which way do we go?”

“I don't know. I've never been out of the complex before.” The kurenai looked over at her apologetically and shrugged.

Rose sighed and pulled the last overcharged chunk of magic from its storage place within her body and ran her hand around the mouth of the tunnel exit. She watched as the rock above the arched cave mouth shifted and melted downward, forming a wall of solid stone between them and any pursuit. She figured it would buy them a little time. “Okay, I need to get back to the surface.”

The circular cavern in front of them was strewn with rocks and debris; two tunnels led outward, one across the way and the other to the east of that. Her guess would be as good as his so she just pointed to the northern cave entrance. “That way then, we just need to get some distance between us. I need to rest soon.”

They took a slightly less hurried pace mainly because Rose was having problems keeping up after casting so rapidly and in such large amounts but moreso after absorbing way more than she should under any circumstances. Her blind trust in this former slave was well founded.

She felt that he had been taking direction so long that he no longer knew what else to do but take orders. “Tell me about where you come from, your people.”

“Well my people are kurenai, stone children. Long ago it is said that the makers, your people, brought us deep beneath the earth and gave us a city to call our own. They taught us how to shape the stone and mold it to our will, showed us how to survive in the lightless caverns so we could mine gems and metals from the earth.” At many points Ruckus had to pause and gather his thoughts as if he were waking up from some sort of drunken haze. “Eventually the makers stopped returning for the tributes they asked of us but we continued to hold up our part of the bargain as we had been taught. However, as we stocked our metals and gems we began to run out of space so we started using the tributes ourselves, making more than just weapons and tools out of the metal. We crafted armor, statues and works of great art in hopes that one day the makers would return and be pleased.”

“That's some tale.” She said reverently as she listed to him talk. “You've kept to your word all this time?”

“Aye, we are loyal to those who showed us the way to fend for ourselves.” He replied with a nod, looking as if he was taking some pride from her commentary. “That was the story our elders taught us when we were young.”

“How old are you?”

“I honestly don't know anymore. I have lost count of the years I have served them.” He retorted sadly.

“I'm sorry. You have your freedom now though.” She knew how it felt to be a slave so she felt badly for this man. It was definitely sympathy for a kindred spirit.

“I have no direction now; I don't know what to do.”

“I can relate.” Rose put a hand on his shoulder as they walked and decided to tell him her story, at least part of it. “I was a slave as well; I gained my freedom not long ago. I also felt no direction or purpose when I was pulled out of my former life. I know your confusion. My purpose was as a pleasure slave in a pasha's harem. Freedom for me was bittersweet, I got thrust into a strange world I'd never seen before and pushed into events beyond my control.”

Rose paused for a moment and leaned against the wall. “Please, I must rest.”

“For just a moment then.” He stood not far from her and stared hard down the corridor behind them, obviously alert. “It seems I have been swept up into these events you describe as well. That and I owe you a debt for my freedom; I will stick by your side until that debt has been repaid.”

“That is not necessary; I would not take your freedom away again after just giving it to you.” Rose leaned against the wall behind her and slid down to a sitting position, her head resting wearily against the uncomfortable rock. Holding in such energy was never good for anyone and beyond that she was still weak from whatever substances her captors had given her.

“Am I not making a decision as a free man then?” He challenged back at her, taking his eyes off the long corridor to lock his gaze with hers for a moment. “I give you my oath here and now that my debt to you will be repaid and I will not leave your side until it has been. But we are not out of the demonfire yet. I am not such a valuable slave. You were brought in under heavy guard and I was instructed to keep a special eye on your cell while my captor was away. You seem to be a very valuable asset to them; they will not give up pursuit so easily.”

“It seems no matter where I go there's always someone who wants to chase me down and kill me. So far I have been adept at removing myself from their clutches.” Rose closed her eyes for a moment and leaned her head back as if she were staring at the ceiling.

“Your magic is strange, different from any I've seen before. I do not think people in this day and age are ready for such a thing. It gives you a distinct advantage now but it may not work forever.” Ruckus said with a simple but elegant logic. Suddenly he tensed and turned his head to the right, intent on something Rose could not hear. “They come, we must go.”

“By the hungry dark, they released Trelilok.” Ruckus grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet, making no apologies for his abrupt interruption of her rest. “We cannot tarry!”

“Trelilok?” She mimicked, trying to catch the inflections properly. “What is that?”

“You do not want to know.”

He began running in the direction they had been headed so Rose followed. It was then that she heard a long keening noise that sent a shiver up her spine so intense that she almost lost her footing. The powerful sound traveled along the cavern ahead of them for quite some time before it resounded again, this time closer.

~~~~

“What do you mean you lost her?” Leonidus yelled at the top of his lungs as he regarded both Nina and Liostro with an angry eye. The queen had been keeping her composure the entire time but Leonidus was fuming mad, ready to strike down the wounded warrior where he stood. “Tell me what happened right now!”

“Calm yourself father, he is in need of medical attention before we begin piecing together the course of events. Ware your temper in my presence, revered elder or not you are out of line.” She warned him with a tone to her voice that would brook no argument.

“Do not begin to lecture me.” He hissed through his lips as if it were a curse. Leonidus approached her and put one of his fingers in her face while simultaneously shaking it up and down as if trying to dislodge something. “You know not what has happened here! The prophecy is going all wrong. There is some major player attempting to thwart our efforts. If we fail, this place, our homeland, will be destroyed.”

Leo walked over to Liostro and tossed him a clear liquid stoppered in a tube-like vial topped with sealing wax. “Drink this and then continue on.”

“By your command.” Liostro quaffed the sweet-tasting liquid and breathed a sigh of relief as his pain started to subside. “The journey was going alright until we met up with a tribe of forest-dwelling ashkanti. Their leader was after us. Once we shook them a dream eater attacked us in the night. We got to the ruins and as soon as we stepped onto the cobblestones Rose passed out and we were attacked by a pack of creatures I believe to be demons. They had the stink of brimstone and the abyss about them. During the battle Nina and I were forced to carry Rose into the ruins of an old keep. It was there that I was able to retrieve the artifacts but when I ordered Nina to retreat with them the enchantment grabbed us both but left Rose behind.”