Chapter 5: The Golden Eye

Upon learning that Jorael had a grandmother, the trio retired for the night as per their custom.

Suddenly, a knock echoed in the still of the night, jolting the family awake.

"Who could it be? Have they discovered us?" Joanna murmured anxiously to Roland.

"I'm unsure, but I'll find out…" replied Roland, climbing out of bed and grasping his sword.

"Mother?" Jorael questioned.

"Rest easy, Son… Your father will handle it. Stay by my side," Joanna comforted her child.

As Roland neared the door, another knock punctuated the silence.

This time, a voice accompanied the knock.

"Hello! Is anyone in?...

We're travelers in search of temporary shelter in this icy wilderness…"

"Humans…" Roland murmured, standing just behind the door. Raising his voice, he called out:

"Greetings, wanderers.

Why should I open my home to strangers?"

"Ah… Someone's there…" The voice responded amidst a chorus of soft chuckles. He continued:

"Odd for a fellow human to choose to dwell in such a place...

But you should assist your fellow man in his time of need…

Didn't the temple of Kalipso teach you to aid those in distress? ..."

Laughter sounded as the speaker finished.

"Yes, I offer my prayers to Kalipso each dawn…

But I'm still unsure whether you truly require my assistance," Roland retorted before dashing back to his bedroom to alert his family.

"Love, there are humans outside. I can't determine their intentions, but something tells me they mean harm. Guard our boy," Roland commanded before heading back to the entrance, sword in hand.

"Roland! Be careful! Please!" Joanna pleaded, gripping their son tightly.

Again, the humans knocked.

"Hey, woodland recluse, why are you ignoring us?...

It's suspicious… A human dwelling here…

Are you an apostate or are you concealing something?...

You best open this door in the name of Kalipso or we'll breach it!" demanded the voice. Without hesitation, Roland unlocked the door, delivering a powerful kick, and sent it crashing onto the speaker.

After a quick glance outside, Roland counted six figures.

"Curses! This is too many for even me…" he muttered, stepping over the fallen door.

"You b-bastard! Move! MOVE!" the man beneath the door yelled.

"Ha! He seems quite irate…" Roland taunted, standing over the door.

"You fools! What are you waiting for? SEIZE HIM!" shouted the man beneath Roland.

Surrounded by the five humans, Roland stood his ground as they drew their weapons. One moved towards him, his sword aimed menacingly.

"Surrender your weapon… Is it worth your life?"

"It's worth trying to fend you off!" Roland yelled, slashing his sword at the man.

Overwhelmed by Roland's relentless assault, the man retreated.

"T-this brute is powerful!!! Assist me!" The man cried, not anticipating a lethal second swing from Roland's sword that decapitated him. Blood sprayed from the lifeless body as the severed head rolled towards his companions.

"You killed Charles!" a companion screamed.

With a mighty effort, the man under the door extricated himself as Roland continued his attack. Yelling:

"Idiots, take him down… I'm checking inside!"

Roland raced to intercept him, driven by the looming danger to his family. In a feat of superhuman strength, Roland bowled the man over.

"STAY THE HELL OUT!" Roland roared, exerting all his strength.

Suddenly, a sharp pain seared his back. He turned to find a sword lodged there, wielded by one of the slavers.

"Down you go!" the slaver exclaimed, but Roland remained standing, seizing the slaver's head with his right hand and forcefully slamming him onto the ground. The impact caused the slaver's skull to crack open.

"Marco!... You beast… Kill him, all of you!" ordered the freed man, red now clouding Roland's vision from the blood of Charles. As the adrenaline rush faded, fatigue and pain began to set in. Roland yanked out the sword lodged in his back and taunted the slavers, "Is that all you've got?".

Fueled by rage, the slavers launched another wave of attacks. Roland was unable to dodge or deflect all the blows, and his body was soon covered in cuts.

"Why won't this beast fall?!...

What's he fighting for?!...

Why won't he give up and let us in?!...

What's he defending?!..." the leader yelled in frustration.

Roland, despite his pain, smiled and gasped out:

"You… won't… ever… comprehend…"

…

Inside the house, amidst the cacophony of battle outside, Joanna tried to soothe her son.

"Jorael, I'm going to cast a spell on you now. It's called Vanish; it will render you invisible. The spell will keep you safe as long as I maintain it with my magic.

Once you're invisible, hide under the bed. I implore you… if I tell you to run, you must flee into the forest and hide."

"Y-yes Mother…" responded Jorael, shaking with fear.

"I love you, darling…

I call upon the strength of Her who awakened us, Vanish go!"

Joanna cast the spell and a purple magic circle, adorned with a seven-pointed star, materialized. Jorael was now invisible.

"Hide under the bed!" Joanna whispered, drawing a knife from a drawer.

Jorael promptly obeyed his mother and took refuge under the bed.

"Why is this happening?... What's wrong with this world?..." Jorael thought as he lay on the cold ground.

Joanna readied herself to confront the humans who were fighting her husband, prepared for the possibility of Roland's defeat.

"The beast has finally fallen!" the slaver's leader bellowed.

Footsteps resounded as they made their way inside.

The slavers ransacked the house in search of valuables until they reached the bedroom. Upon opening the door, they found a demon woman standing defiantly.

"Now it makes sense… That brute was protecting this demon wench, a Succubus, I believe.

What did you do to that beast, enchant him?" the slaver leader queried Joanna.

She remained silent.

"What?! Cat got your tongue?!

Eldric, seize her. She'll fetch a hefty price at the market…" the leader commanded.

"W-why me boss?" Eldric queried nervously.

"Obey, you thick-skull!" the slaver leader commanded forcefully.

Tentatively, Eldric entered the room, his eyes drawn to Joanna's eerie, glowing purple gaze that was locked onto him from the shadow-filled space.

Eldric could feel the piercing stare of the Demon, his skin prickling with unease. Once he was within reach of the motionless Succubus, Joanna softly voiced the command, "Enchant."

Following this, she beckoned to Eldric with a sweet, enchanting tone, "Approach, my dear…"

As she spoke, their leader cried out, "No, Eldric! Resist her charm!"

However, it was too late. Eldric, enchanted by Joanna's voice, mindlessly moved closer to her.

With her prey advancing, Joanna revealed the concealed knife, plunging it swiftly into Eldric's left eye and deep into his skull. As Eldric screamed and crumpled to the floor, a strong flow of blood gushed from his head.

"Another casualty... Eldric! You'll pay for this, beast!" the leader bellowed in horror.

Not wasting any opportunity, Joanna launched another unexpected offensive, chanting:

"Invoke Thee might, of She who roused us, unleash Firebolt!"

A massive fireball, nearly a meter in diameter, materialized and was hurled towards the group of slavers.

The fireball demolished the bedroom door, causing an explosion that ignited the house walls. Two slavers, aflame, rushed from the house, seeking the nearby river to douse the flames.

But amongst the flames and smoke, a figure dashed forward to launch a brutal attack on the Demon.

The leader, with a swift stroke of his sword, severed Joanna's left horn which tumbled to the ground.

The Succubus wailed in agony as the leader roughly grabbed her by the hair, shouting:

"Enough is enough! You'll be sold like the harlot you are!

Time to celebrate, men!"

Terrified, Jorael thought, "Wh-a-at do I d-do?... Wh-e-re's F-a-ther?"

Joanna received a harsh punch to her midsection from the leader, causing her to fall onto the bed in pain. The two slightly singed slavers returned.

"Muzzle her, so she can't use magic!" the leader commanded.

Quickly, a bandage was tied around Joanna's mouth, and the two slavers gripped her tightly.

"Boss, your turn?" one of the slavers queried.

"Yes, she needs to learn her place…" the leader started disrobing Joanna, who trembled and sobbed in terror.

"I promised you'd pay!" he bellowed, taking advantage of her.

Frantically, Jorael thought, "What do I do?! I'm so scared, I've wet myself… my poor mother…

What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!"

Time seemed to stretch on as Jorael grappled with his fear.

In the meantime, Joanna managed to free one arm, swiftly removing the bandage gagging her, and screamed with all her might:

"RRRUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Startled, Jorael obeyed, crawling from his hiding spot and running without looking back at his mother.

His invisible form caused noticeable footstep sounds.

"Who's there? Why'd she scream 'run'?" demanded the slaver leader.

"There's someone here, I hear footsteps!" one of the henchmen reported.

"Find them, Frederic!" the leader commanded.

Frederic began his pursuit of Jorael.

They both exited the burning house, and Jorael glimpsed the lifeless, mangled body of his father lying in a puddle of blood.

He choked back a sob but kept running. As he crossed the small river, the splashing water gave away his position, allowing Frederic to leap forward and tackle him to the ground.

"What are you? You're small... Did the Demon put a spell on you?!

With that witch restrained, I'll deal with you!" Frederic shouted.

"Nooooo!" Jorael cried out in despair.

"You're just a boy... Let's see if I can have my fun with you, like the boss!" the man taunted.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Jorael screamed, shutting his eyes tightly in complete terror.

Upon opening his eyes, his world became a dull grey, all movement stilled, with his left eye glowing a bright gold.