Fate's Hand (19 page)

Emotionless, Yusar sat and stared at the black spot. He stretched his arm out across the table and casually swept all the books and papers to the floor. He rested his head on the open space, enjoying the feel of the cool wood on his cheek. He closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep.

Some time later, Yusar woke up and looked at the mess on the floor. With no window in his room, he had no idea what hour it was, but he quickly realized he didn’t care. He collected the books and papers off the floor and stacked them on the table. He turned his head to the side to stretch the sore muscles in his neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. As he did, a stack of books at the end of his bed caught his attention and gave him pause. Yusar dropped the papers he was holding and walked over to the books. He grabbed the top volume and sat on the edge of his bed. He flipped to the beginning and started to read his own personal journal starting several months past.

He read over the information he had written about learning Drask’s name and the details of summoning the powerful demon.

“There might be something in here to help me out, something I missed Surely.”

Yusar quickly flipped to a fresh page and began writing the events he witnessed when Drask briefly regained feeling in his hand, and then he began to read. He started where he first learned about the magical tower. He read all night and far into the next day.

“It’s a demon. I can’t really make out his name, but I can see his face. He had Uncle Pent and…” Val trailed off with moist eyes. “He had him chained against the wall and pushed his hand into his chest. When he removed it, he had my hand. He needs it for some book…but that part is confusing and fuzzy. He took my hand by chance. He just picked one of the dead and it happened to be my uncle.”

Daria wiped her tears away. “So, Uncle Pent was sent to the abyss?”

“I’m sorry, sis. I’m not sure where he is. After he removed his hand from Pent, there was a blinding light. Then he disappeared.”

“
But why would he be sent to the abyss? He was a great man.”

“
He was the best man I’ve ever known. But he did a lot of things in the war before we came along. I don’t think he ever brought himself to atone for his actions.”

Jerib cleared his throat. “I’m very sorry. But we need to get going.” Jerib’s eyes were following a deer bounding through the trees a bow shot away. Then, a few birds flocking in the same direction.

“Something is out there,” Jerib said. The three looked down the trail past the black soil, as if expecting the beast to leap out and show itself right then. Val helped Daria up and the three hurried off down the broken path.

“
Information is one of the greatest weapons I wield, Arihem. But this…” Drask let the words hang in the air as he held his hand up. “This is one thing I have no information on. I don’t know how to get my feeling back. And now I have all these other unforeseen elements to deal with. Construction is far behind schedule, since my labor force is composed of mindless animals. I have a human wizard that can banish me back to the abyss at any given moment and has no idea of the fact. My army cannot get through one exercise without fighting each other. My brothers and father are conspiring to drag me back into the abyss and appropriate my plans. Oh, and several of my scouts I sent to the East have not returned, so I sent out another party to meet them—and now they have disappeared as well! Despite all these woes, I still come back to this.” He stared at the calloused, white hand.

“
What can I do to ease your mind, my Prince?”

“
I can’t go hire or enslave the real workforce I need: humans. I have to keep Yusar alive since I am unsure about his bond with my summoning. It’s just too large a risk and it's easy to keep him in the dark for now… And my brothers. I have agents feeding me information on their plans, but I have a feeling I’m only learning what they want me to.”

Drask finished and reclined, motionless and in deep thought. Arihem broke his concentration.

“The scouts.”

Drask rolled his eyes. “I forgot about the scouts.”

“I can take care of that for you. Let Sirash post a few guards at your room, seal yourself in, and rest a while. I know for a fact the human is just sitting in his room, reading his books, probably working on finding a solution for your hand. With your permission, I will take a leave of my role here and scratch an item off your list of worries.”

Drask smiled as he sat up. “I am sorry, Arihem. I know you are a creature of action. Sitting in the corner for hours while I experiment and study must be agonizing. Yes, by all means. Let Sirash give me a few trusted sentries and go get yourself into some trouble.”

Arihem lifted his invisibility to show Drask a large row of fangs fixed in a gruesome smile. He bowed deeply. “Thank you my prince.”

Daria, Val, and Jerib made it back to the cabin a little after dark. Asher had supper and a fire prepared for them. When the three came in, Asher was over near the window, looking out.

“
There is something out there,” he said.

Jerib was already wedging a large plank of wood into two slots on each side of the door.

“I could feel the same thing. The animals in the woods are running like they do before a massive storm,” Jerib said.

Asher walked away from the window to Rylan. Daria wiped some of the sweat off his chest with a clean rag.

“That is a good sign. His body is pushing the venom out. Has he kept any water down?”               Asher nodded. “Animals came through here all day long. I gave your horse some fresh water and grain to calm her down, but it didn’t help much. I think she hurt herself trying to get out of the barn. She was limping pretty bad.”

Val and Jerib shared a smile.

“I’m sure she'll survive. I’m going to slip out the back for a moment. Wait here.”

As Jerib left, Val began to tell Asher about what they learned.

“Am I hallucinating again, or did you say you have the hand of a devil prince?”

Everyone looked to Rylan, who was struggling to sit up.

“Please, Rylan, lay back down. Save your strength,” Daria said.

Rylan smiled at her and replied with the most cheerful voice he could muster. “Oh, I’m fine. A little old spider can’t
—” Daria put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him into the covers. Rylan smiled.              

“
Yeah, I guess I could rest a little more.”

Daria dipped the rag into a bowl of cold water and continued to wipe down his neck and face. Rylan blushed a little as he turned back to Val and saw the look on his face.

“So, Val, did anything in your vision give you a clue on how to get your hand back? Or at least get it to stop trying to kill you?”

“
No. All I can say for certain is he took my hand by random chance. He needs it for something. He was anxious to be summoned as soon as he had the hand. Summoned out of the Abyss.”

Asher said, “A demon swapped hands with you, and your hand has tried to kill you…do you think he could be the thing out
—” An owl hooted as it flew off through the trees. Jerib returned to see and Rylan awake. The two smiled at each other and Jerib sat at the table.

“
I talked to one of the few animals still in the area.”

Daria asked, “The owl?”

Jerib nodded. “He apparently saw the beast the first time it came through. He says that it’s coming back. And it's close.”

“
Was it the demon whose hand I have?”

“
Oh, no, it is not the demon.” A collective sigh of relief followed this knowledge.

“
It’s a massive three headed dog.” Everyone, even Asher, turned slowly to stare at the old man with wide eyes.

“
We need to get Daria out of here, hide her somewhere safe,” Rylan said, breaking the silence.

“
Where could I go that I would be more safe than I am right here with all of you?” Val, Asher, and Jerib looked at each other for an answer.

Jerib spoke. “You might be right. Val, if you still have that vial of invisibility, give it to her.” Jerib got up and moved a small stool over by the fire, then removed a small rug to reveal a trap door. He opened it and shined the hidden room with his lantern.

“This is just a small dirt cellar, but it'll have to do.”

Val handed his sister the vial. He looked her in the eyes with a firm determination. “I won’t lose you again. When it comes, you hide. We'll get you out when it’s all done.”

Asher walked over and took the small lantern from Jerib. “I’ll take the first watch. You all get some rest.”

Asher’s watch came and went, then Jerib watched for a while. Val watched until the sun came up. He looked out the window as the low hanging fog settled in across the ground. The warm sunlight made him feel more at ease. A squirrel ran around the bank of the quiet river, digging for roots. Val sat comfortably in his chair and set his chin on his hand. He closed his eyes and listened to the quiet running water and his friends' steady breathing behind him. The calm moment didn’t last long.

Far off in the woods was the faint sound of wood snapping. Val's eyes popped open and he peered into the fog. Again, a distant crack rang through the woods as a tree broke and fell. Rylan shot up out of his bedroll and hobbled over to the window near Val. Before the next noise ever came, Rylan called out to the cottage, “Everyone up!”

“
Daria, please get into the cellar. And take him,”

“
I can help. Just give me some troll blood. I can at least act as a distraction. As long as the dog isn’t on fire or spiting acid, I'll be fine,” he said.

Asher stepped between Daria and Rylan and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You are out of troll blood. Either way, you are in no shape to fight, brother. Get in that hole and keep Daria safe at all cost. Rylan’s shoulders slumped and he began to protest, but a loud crash off in the distance settled the matter.