The Artifact of Dissium (Demona Book 2) (5 page)

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Demona came to slightly disoriented by the bandanna across her eyes. Demona felt around her and discovered the seatbelt across her chest. The car jerked and Demona finally remembered that she was in the car. She heard Felix’s voice call her name.

“Earth to Demona.”

“Shut it, Felix! I just had a flashback,” Demona snapped.

“Oh…” he said. “Sorry. I thought you were just ignoring me.”

There was a moment of silence in the car.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Molony asked.

“I’m not sure...it was pretty quick and didn’t make much sense. I was standing at a bus stop and Darius stopped to talk to me,” Demona said. “He asked my name and for some reason I replied Demona Bower, not Brennan.”

“Interesting,” Molony said.

“What’s interesting?” Felix asked.

“Nothing just that I wonder why you were using a different name,” Molony replied.

Demona thought aloud. “I have no clue. Maybe I forgot my last name?”

“How can you forget your name?” Felix asked.

Demona turned her head towards his voice. She had heard the concern in his voice and imagined it reflected on his face. “The last flashback I had was a conversation between my parents talking about someone following me. I’m starting to think, that Darius was the person they were worried about.” Demona began connecting the fragments in her mind. “In the vision, what the demon priest allowed me to see kind of fits some of the pieces together. Darius had said he was watching me for a long time, because he knew I was the
Mythos
. I just wish I knew what happened to my parents. Everything seems to point to Darius.”

“Unfortunately, it’s hard to say until more of your memories come back. It sounds like you are already starting to fit the pieces together in order to understand some things,” Molony said. “By the way, we are almost there.”

“Good, the blindfold thing is really irritating,” Demona said. She readjusted the bandana on a side that was beginning to slip down her cheek.

“You can take the blindfold off now,” Molony said. “I think we passed all of the road signs.”

Demona glanced through the window. She compared the view of the mountains back home to the ones that now consumed her vision. The mountains at home had been very rounded and the valleys were mostly flat, or made of gently rolling hills. Now they passed through a steep mountain range. It looked as if most of the roads had been built in areas where parts of the mountains had to be cut out. The roads wound through the mountains wherever it was possible to place them.

As they made their way deeper into the southern part of the Appalachian chain the mountains turned into large hills. They were like miniature rounded mountains gently rolling up and down. Black cows grazed in patches of thick grass atop some of the hills and large rolled hay bales sat scattered across a field. It was like nothing Demona had ever seen before.

They traveled down a gravel road, and it seemed to Demona as if most of the roads that branched off of the one which they traveled on were made of more gravel and dirt. The nice smooth asphalt roads became scarcer the farther they ventured. They continued down the road where cornfields covered several of the hills and forests threatened to take over the land. Demona could not remember the last time she had seen a house.

The road began to slightly incline. The farther they traveled the steeper it became, with twists and turns every few yards. The terrain made Demona uneasy and she gripped the back of Felix’s seat to keep from yelling at Molony for being too close to the edge. The car continued up the dusty mountain road, which they were now attempting to drive on. The tires spun in place momentarily and Demona could not help, but wonder if they had chosen an appropriate vehicle for the trip.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Demona, they reached the top where the road leveled out. This flat surface only lasted a moment, before they traveled down a different road, one that looked like it had had little to no upkeep. The only way Demona had recognized it as a road was by the two tire tracks where cars had passed through before.

They traveled over one more incline, before descending into a deep secluded valley. They passed through a dense patch of evergreens that shut out the sun. The thick tree branches screeched over the roof of the car. Demona gritted her teeth at the noise and held her ears.

It looked as if it had been a while since another vehicle had passed that way as the car pushed through the overgrown brush. They were tossed around inside the car even more as they descended farther into the valley. Demona had trouble making out their surroundings as she bounced in her seat. That was, until they broke through the towering trees and she peered at the valley’s bottom ahead.

“Welcome to Gleannbroch,” Molony said.

Chapter 5:

Gleannbroch

Molony pulled th
e car over into a clearing and Demona and Felix immediately hopped out of the car to get a better look at Gleannbroch. They stared down the rest of the incline at an entire town that was literally situated on top of a lake, which filled the bottom of the valley. The entire lake was covered in primitive looking structures that were connected by docking systems. Wooden guard towers sat in the water on either side of the entrance dock.

It’s like something out of ancient times
. Demona could not help but have a sense of disbelief that something like this place existed in Virginia. She could not make up her mind where to look first.

After Molony had exited the car, Demona and Felix followed his lead. They neared the lake’s edge where two guard towers stood. Inside each of them stood a man with a crossbow in his hand. Demona wondered why they would need guards at a location this remote, she was certain that nobody would ever stumble upon this hidden town.

The men shouted to one another as they approached the dock. One of the guards leaned over the railing of the tower.

“Good to have you back old man!” the guard yelled.

“Oakley Ivers, good to see you as well,” Molony replied.

Oakley climbed down the ladder attached to the tower. He stepped onto the dock which caused it to rock gently with his shifting weight. The man, Oakley, walked towards them. He and Molony patted each other’s shoulders in a gesture of manly affection.

“What brings you to town?” Oakley asked. He eyed Felix and Demona as he waited for a response.

“There is trouble at the northeast headquarters. We have come to ask for the Council’s help,” Molony replied. “And how are you these days?”

“Visitors!” a child yelled.

Demona heard the sound of feet pounding wood. She looked up and saw a young boy running in their direction. She watched as a small form seemed to fly towards them. Demona thought that the boy looked no older than five.

“Slow down, Benen. You’ll fall!” Oakley said. “I’m good. I’ve taken this one under my wing.” Oakley tilted his head to indicate he was referring to the boy. “His parents were killed recently. He’s having trouble…fitting in.”

Poor kid
.

“What a shame. Not making friends?” Molony asked.

“It’s not exactly the lack of friends we’re worried about, as much as that he’s having trouble adjusting to Gleannbroch and the loss of his parents.” Then, Oakley whispered. “He’s a halfling.”

The boy slowed his pace as he approached. He panted and took gulps of air in an attempt to catch his breath. “My...name…is...Ben-en,” the boy said.

Molony chuckled. “My, oh my. Benen, it is nice to meet you. My name is Alistair Molony. You can call me Molony.” He stuck his hand out to shake the boy’s hand.

“Cool,” Benen said. He reached for Molony’s hand and shook it vigorously. “You have red hair.” He hopped up and down trying to get a better look at Molony’s hair.

“Benen, Oakley these are my friends Felix and Demona,” Molony said.

Felix shook both of their hands and Demona reached to do the same with Oakley. Their hands met and Oakley instantly stiffened.

“A dark being. Molony, are you sure about this?” Oakley asked. He would not remove his hand or eyes from Demona.

“She would not be here if I weren’t,” Molony said. “She is okay, Oakley. This is one dark being you do not need to worry about.”

Demona continued to act normal. She knew that her presence might have been met with skepticism. She reached for Benen’s hand, but he just stared up at her in fear.

“Y-you won’t eat me w-will you?” he asked.

“Ha-ha, no. You don’t need to worry little man,” Demona said. She kept her hand outstretched, until Benen cautiously took it.

Benen withdrew his hand and seemed to be relieved that Demona was not going to eat him. “I’ve never met a dark being before,” Benen said. He looked up at her with curiosity. “What are you?”

“Benen, that is not polite,” Oakley said.

“It’s okay. I’m a vampire,” Demona said. She watched the expression change from fear to wonder on Benen’s little face.

Benen’s mouth formed an O. “Wow. You don’t look like a scary vampire to me.”

“That’s because she’s not. Trust me little guy,” Felix rested his arm on Demona’s shoulder. “This one is pretty much a pushover. You just need a cute smile to win her heart.” Felix flashed a smile in Demona’s direction.

Benen smiled at her also. The adults giggled at his innocence.

“Benen, why don’t you show our guests where to check in,” Oakley said.

“Okay! Follow me.” Benen took off running down the dock and it rocked back and forth causing waves to ripple away from the floating platform.

“Sorry about him. He’s a little excitable,” Oakley said.

“That’s okay. He’s cute,” Demona said.

Oakley looked at Demona. “You say that now. He has a habit of becoming a tagalong.”

Molony stepped onto the dock and proceeded into the town. Benen stood farther down the dock waving franticly for them to follow.

The lake was covered in wooden platforms with small round structures settled on top of each of the larger areas. Several of the older looking structures were made of logs with wicker filling in the gaps between. The other structures had been covered in peat moss and were made of stone that Demona speculated must have been mined from the lake bed. Each of the structures had a small opening at the very top with steady streams of smoke billowing into the air.

The platforms were joined together by a series of docks that connected them to one another. Demona was uncertain if there was a method to the docking system, or if they had just been placed randomly to make it easier to get from one platform to another. She spotted a stone tower in the distance that was situated in the center of the lake. The round tower reached into the air higher than any of the other structures and seemed to overlook the lake town.

“Is that a lighthouse?” Demona asked.

“No, that is Gleann Tower, it’s where the Council meets,” Molony said. “Don’t dawdle, Demona.”

With Molony’s words Demona realized she had stopped walking to stare at the monumental structure. She stepped onto the dock and almost lost her balance. It was not sturdy by any means and was simply held up by a series of floating barrels. It took a few moments for Demona to find her sea legs and work out a method of walking, so that she did not step too heavily on one side or the other. She gained momentum and quickly caught up with Molony and Felix.

They neared the first platform where Benen now stood with his hands on his hips. He tapped his foot on the wooden surface below his feet in an almost adult like manner. The boy had so much energy, but also held so much sadness in his eyes. Demona could not help but empathize with his loss.

Molony slowed his pace and stopped in front of the boy. “Thank you, young man, for showing us the way.” Molony mussed Benen’s sandy brown hair. “You may go now. I’m sure we will run into one another again.”

“Glad to help,” Benen replied. “See ya!”

Demona and Felix spoke simultaneously. “Bye, Benen.” They watched the young boy run back in the direction that they came from.

Molony stepped into the doorway of the structure to their right, through the opening in the stone exterior. Demona and Felix followed him inside. The rounded room contained a few modest wooden chairs and a counter made from a slab of pine. A woman sat behind the counter looking at the three of them expectantly.

“We’re here to check in,” Molony said. He handed her some papers and waited for the woman to review them.

The woman looked up at Felix and she passed him over fairly quickly. She seemed to focus on Demona. The woman’s steady gaze made Demona feel anxious.

She knows what I am
.

The woman handed Molony his papers and Molony exited the structure with Felix and Demona in tow. He stopped just outside the structure and turned to the two of them.

“I need to speak with the Council before they have a deliberation about the demon priest. You two can wonder around for a while, but I want you to stay out of trouble. And meet me at the Gleann Tower in an hour,” Molony said. He turned and walked down the docking system towards the high stone structure.

“Alright then, let’s check this place out. I heard there are some great training grounds. Should we go find them?” Felix asked.

Demona shrugged nonchalantly. “Sure.”

They began walking down the dock once more. Demona continued to maintain a steady pace, while the unstable surface below her feet swayed slightly. They stopped at a platform with several stands situated outside of a domed structure. In some ways it reminded Demona of the stands in Terra Hollow, except these stands contained produce from all over the world. There were mangos, pomegranates, sugar cane, potatoes, leeks, and other foods she could not name. Felix purchased a few pieces of star fruit before continuing on their way.

Another platform contained various kinds of baked goods. Demona inhaled the smells of bread and sweets. Felix bought a pastry that was covered in nuts and a sugary glaze. It made Demona wish that she could have enjoyed the food as much as he did. She envied him with each bite that he took. Soon, Felix was sucking the glazed icing from his fingers. They passed other structures that were dedicated to butchers, candle makers, tailors, shoe makers, and so on.

Everyone in Gleannbroch looked like normal humans, but Demona knew better than to think that they were ordinary. Many GLC members had abilities that could not be determined from their physical appearance. Some were probably GLC allied shapeshifters. It was possible that a few of them were neutral beings such as elves and fairies.

They continued towards the Gleann Tower and walked around the circular platform that surrounded the rounded stone obelisk before making their way onto another path of docks. The dock was full of people hustling and bustling about. The Gleann Tower seemed to be the center of activity.

“Demona! Felix!” a child’s voice called. Benen had caught up with them. He stopped and panted before he could speak once more. “Where are you going?”

“The training grounds,” Felix said.

“Cool! It’s this way.” Benen took off running down the docks ahead of them.

Felix smacked his hands against his thighs. “Geeze, what’s that kid running from?”

“You heard Oakley. He just lost his parents. He probably doesn’t want to sit still long enough to think about them,” Demona said.

Felix nodded his head. “Good insight.”

“By the way, what is a halfling?” Demona asked.

“Halflings are half human and half some other kind of being. They can be half dark, neutral, or light,” Felix said. “Why?”

“Oakley told Molony that Benen is a halfling.”

“Oh… in his case he’s probably a half light, or neutral being,” Felix said.

They caught a glimpse of Benen up head. He waved for them to follow and took off farther down the docks once more. After walking past what seemed to be a residential section, they made their way onto shore.

Benen was kicking a stone around while he waited. Then, he looked up to them with a grin on his face. “It’s this way.” Benen pointed down a dirt path that wound around a bend.

Demona heard the sound of metal clanging and people grunting in frustration. They rounded a patch of trees to find a leveled clearing, where two men were sword fighting.