13 The Ambush

Solskin

"Go… to Tartarus... you… bastard." Persephone choked out.

I quickly lashed out with my sword. Electricity arced off the blade, crackling with blue energy. The black figure sidestepped the blade, barely passing over his shoulder. The energy discharged into the air, the force scattering dust and rocks. He chuckled slowly.

"You think you can kill a demon? My, oh my, you are a fool." Shadows coalesced into a blade around his hand. He lunged towards my head, the shadowy blade grazed my cheek, dripping an inky liquid. Pain coursed across my face, and my vision turned black.

"I can't see. Ah! My eyes!" I panicked as memories flashed in my mind.

I heard swords clash together and a slow laugh.

"My lord, you are unwell. Why do you attack me, your sword C'Dor?"

"I am not Kalakrath."

"You will be."

My sight returned. Xavier stood in front of me, breathing heavily. He obviously sprinted here from the inn. His usual confidence was tempered by extreme focus. He was deathly serious about this fight, more so than I had ever seen before. C'Dor swung swiftly and wildly at Xavier, each striking closer than the one before. Xavier struggled to dodge with each strike coming closer to slipping past his swords. With each strike, his eyes narrowed and became almost cat-like. I swore to Odin that they were yellow after he was cut across the arm. It was probably the effects of the cut.

He was strangely calm, despite being slowly pressed down to the ground. His eyes followed every movement of the blade. I could see the calculating glint in his eyes. Realizing that I was still a part of the fight, I rushed forward, raising my longsword over my head. C'Dor glanced at me. Xavier suddenly leapt forward, seizing the slight lapse in the attacks to strike back. His blade cut deep into C'Dor's arm. Keeping his blade pressed into the arm, Xavier stabbed through the thin cloth armour on the figure's chest with the rapier in his other hand. The tip emerged from the other side, coated with crimson blood. Xavier twisted his blade, causing blood to spurt out of the figure. Blood splashed to the front of Xavier, landing on his chestplate. The scene was unsettling. I brought my blade into the shoulder of the figure's other arm. I heard a bone crack as my blade dug deep. But C'Dor was just smiling creepily at us.

"Well, I lost this one. I will see you all soon. I need to go before Astaroth finds out what I have done." He grabbed Xavier's rapier with both hands, and pulled it out slowly. Xavier's veins bulged on his forehead. I could see the muscles bulge underneath his armour, but C'Dor overpowered him.

I was petrified, and C'Dor just walked into the dark of the night, chuckling.

"Damn it all! I couldn't stop him!" Xavier gasped out between breaths.

Persephone got up after being released. The black veins slowly receded as she rubbed her neck.

"Crazy lunatic." She spat. "Why does he show up now of all times?"

I glanced at Persephone. "You know him?"

"He was the one who massacred my home town." Her voice was pointed and harsh. She was seething.

"Oh," I said quietly. "How did he just walk away?"

"Physical wounds don't bother most demons." Xavier rubbed the bandages over his left arm. When he saw me looking at him, he said, "Old wound."

"That is worrisome," Persephone sighed. "Let's head back. Mordred needs to know about this. Then, you are going to tell us everything you know."

Xavier

Persephone glared at me the entire way back. It looked like she had caught on to something. I resigned myself to a long interrogation once we got back to the inn. Mordred rushed out to greet us.

"I heard Xavier run out. What happened?" He stared pointedly at Persephone. She was running her fingers where the black veins were.

"We got attacked." Persephone replied curtly, her voice still cold and harsh.

"By one of the Three Kings." I clarified. "Who was a demon."

Mordred took three steps back. His eyes narrowed. "The demon," he spat. "Who was it after?"

My brows furrowed, confused as to why Mordred reacted so uncharacteristically. I did not answer, instead heading inside the inn, and immediately entered my room, leaving it ajar so they knew to come in.

They did not take long. The group huddled in my room like co-conspirators, talking in hushed tones.

"What do we do?" I said, getting straight to the point.

"You can start by telling us what you are hiding." Persephone instantly shot back.

The group stared expectantly at me. I sighed deeply, already crafting a lie in my mind. "When I was in the army, we were constantly chasing and fighting with a group of demons. Kalakrath and his band of followers. We had a suspicion that after the defeat of Kalakrath, the followers formed the Three Kings gang. If this is true, then there are three demons out to kill us."

Solskin sat quietly on the bed. "I think I know what one looks like. A soldier that was blackened beyond recognition. He was the one that attacked my village."

Persephone pondered out loud. "This is worrisome. We could barely survive one, let alone three."

"This is why we should attack now, when they are unprepared." Solskin asserted as he threw his gauntlet on to the bed. He was furiously stripping off his armour.

"Wait, we mustn't rush into things. From what you describe about the battle to me, what are we even going to do to harm them, let alone kill them? Xavier stabbed the demon through the chest it did nothing. Think about it. If we can't kill them, trap them. Maybe a soul jar? We'll have to ask Ash."

The group argued for hours on the next course of action. Mordred adamantly argued for caution. Solskin was the opposite, screaming at Mordred to use magic to find them so he could shove his sword where the sun don't shine. To which Mordred replied that he do it just to shut Solskin up.

After that, Persephone asked Solskin why he couldn't track them himself. Solskin merely repeated "I don't know how to use magic!" verbatim. That led to questions about his abilities, where the only answer Solskin gave was "I am special."

Eventually, they went back to the drawing board. Persephone remained calm and stated that we needed to prepare to attack them and we should stockpile weapons and equipment, and then plan. The other two stubbornly refused. Rinse, wash, dry, repeat. I sat quietly in the background, contributing nothing. My secret must stay a secret, I resolved in an attempt to calm my fears. Eventually, the group gave up and returned to their rooms, waiting for what the new day would bring.

Solskin

The night was turbulent. I drifted between sleep and being wide awake. I gave up after the fifth time of waking up in a cold sweat. I sat up, whispering Xavier's words over and over. I would never let it happen again. I would never let any of them die. That was how I would repay Erik. Not by joining the royal guard, but by killing his murderer. I felt emotions well up within me. I would have to start training.

Stepping outside, I set up a dummy using a few pieces of discarded wood and rope I found. I hacked at it, focusing on each memory as they appeared. The guardsmen's bodies. The funeral. The monster. The soldier. The darkness. Never again! I slashed again and again. Something haunted me. I knew something more about this. I just couldn't think of it.

By dawn, Mordred went out to get some fresh air. The dummy was all but splinters. Mordred just stared in acknowledgement and sat down next to be, nursing a dark brew of coffee.

"Tough night?"

"You could say that."

Mordred sipped some coffee. "I was up all night studying."

"Can you find them? The sooner we can launch a surprise attack the better."

He snorted, "You are a sorcerer. Admit it already! There was lightning coming off your blade."

"I am not a sorcerer." I sighed in exasperation, "I don't even know the basics of magic."

Mordred rubbed his temples. "I am going go to see if the others are awake."

Mordred

I walked away, yawning. I spent the night throwing myself into my books. It was all for naught. I could make objects appear where I wanted to after banishing them, I could banish objects from greater distances, but I still couldn't sustain travel. I just needed more power. The thought that I might not return depressed me greatly. I sipped my coffee again, reminding myself of my morning rides to college. One hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a strong french roast.

I left the courtyard and stretched in front of the inn door after putting my coffee on the ground. It was all quiet, the other patrons hadn't woken up yet and Solkin was busy hacking away at a wooden pole. Rolling my head from side to side, I felt a chill cut through my morning robes.

"Jesus, it's cold out!" I shivered. Rubbing my hands together, I started to walk to the door.

"Sorry for this, old friend."

I recognized the voice. "A-"

As I turned around to talk, I felt unnaturally cold. I looked down, horrified by what I saw. Right where my belly button was, a long, thin, white object protruded out. A thin misty trail connected us. I felt it move around inside me, constantly changing shape. It tore my insides to shreds, but, eerily, I felt no pain.

Desperately, I clenched my fists and concentrated. The blade shimmered in and out of existence inside of me. I cried in frustration. The blade refused to teleport into his body. Slowly, a crimson red spread up the thin trail. It was my blood, slowly being absorbed by the blade.

"Who do you think taught you magic, boy?"

I felt more and more lightheaded as the blade darkened with more and more blood. Using the last of my might, I lashed out with my magic, severing the connection between us. The blade dissolved. Blood spilled on the floor in a massive pool. Pain gushed through me. All I saw was a large red rune on the side on a familiar face. I twisted my ring. My hand vanished. Blood gushed out of my wrist. My hand reappeared after focusing. Right in the center of his chest.

"You are only hastening your death, Mordred."

"I… am aware."

"What happened to your usual cowardice?"

"What… cowardice?..." I spat blood at his face, aiming for his eyes. "I.. hope… you.. get... ebola."

I collapsed. The ground rushed up to meet me. The world turned black.

"Don't worry, you are still important to me, Mordred. We have plans for you."

There was another voice. "Good, Astaroth. Bring over Dracoth."

It was Xavier's.