The Exodus Sagas: Book IV - Of Moons and Myth (84 page)

Andorra was naked, on the other side of the circle of infernal fires, always watching as she chanted. Kashtamias was massive
and dark
, his
red
eyes saw everything, yet now his
horned
head was melding into the portal above.
The horned
bat
wings spread from twelve feet of chiseled hard flesh, and now a black bone straightblade and matching triangle shield had summoned into his clawed hands.
Kendari glanced up, and he saw what was on the other side.
He could hear it now, faintly, his elven senses were keen. He heard her song, it was Shinayne T’Sarrin, the highborne elven woman he had thought about for months now, long after their duel in Chazzrynn. Kendari focused, trying to see but yet keep his false chant sounding real.

The lords and knights of Armondeen were there, the ones he had spied upon with Angeline. They chanted the same words, led by a man in black robes he knew to be Harron. He could see the minotaur, the knight of southwind, and a dead woman beside them in black robes. A knight with a scarred face was whispering to Shinayne, men with blades waited to cut and kill, and watched the man kneeling before the flames. The horns appeared, a ripple in the space between here and there
waved across both portals, and K
endari heard Shinayne scream. He knew there was not much time left before the knight of the hells was through
.

“Queen Andorra, how many---“

“Quiet, fool of an elf. The ritual is nearly complete, save your breath for after.” Andorra whispered in anger, still praying.

“I beg your pardon, but it may be you who are the fool.” Kendari stood, knowing his weapons were outside the door with the deer and three of her demonic guardians.

“Before I have you skinned alive, please do tell---“

“What is this disruption!” Kashtamias, son of Shukuru and knight of the Seventh Hell, roared into Kendari’ face as black smoke misted into the air. He had lowered his head and horns out of the portal, blade to the elf’s neck, and flames trickled from his eyes.

“My great lord, immortal majestic being that you are, I see an error in your arrival, is all.” Kendari showed no fear, even when the blade nicked his chin, a blade of sharpened infernal bone that was as long as he was tall. “And, before we dishonor you, I suggest we correct it.”

“How so, servant of a servant of my insane uncle, Cancuru? Tell me, in your mortal wisdom, what you see that I do not?” Kashtamias growled, ash fell from his wings, and acid dripped from his fangs and sizzled into the stone floor.

“Your greatness, you have five sacred blades attuned to your sacrifices, five that were blessed in virgin blood and flame, but you have only three offerings that I see.” Kendari pointed with his hand to the view through the flaming portal in the ceiling.

“Harron will offer two of his servants, it is of no concern.” Andorra retorted with anger, humiliated that this elf would dare question anything at this point.

“Yet, they may believe that the dead woman there, the one whose blood is trickling into the circle, counts as one. Perhaps they will offer but one servant, and the repurcussions could be---“

“Enough! I will not tolerate this game of yours, Kendari. Harron knows well what to do, he has been trained by me. We have gone over---“

“But why take a chance at failure, when I have guaranteed success, Queen Andorra? Let me bring the virgin deer, the one from Seirena’s grove, and offer it to Kashtamias
with a sacred blade
. And, if Harron does not sacrifice a servant, or if I was incorrect, I give myself as the final offering. My flesh and blood, for your greater glory.” Kendari bowed to them both, then fell to his knees.

Andorra stared with suspicious glances, Kashtamias growled low in ponderous thought, and Kendari remained still. The seconds were as hours, the flames crackled, and the breath of the demon echoed in the chambers in the Tower of the Scepter.

“Bring the deer.” The son of Shukuru ordered with a curling fanged smile.

“Yes, your great infernal majesty.” Kendari got up, taking his chain shirt quickly as the demon turned to Andorra, and made for the door
s
.
He walked out, closed them slowly behind him, and turned.

Quickly donning his black chain armor, he looked left and right as three scimitars came across his chest. He glared at the hollow eyes of the Nataloni guards, and spoke low with a wicked gleam to his eyes.

“Kashtamias wishes me dressed for battle, as I will be going with to the site of consecration. I am bringing the deer for sacrifice, per his command.
Step aside
.” He gritted his teeth as he reached for his belt and blades.

The deer pulled back from the leather strap holding it in place, it was afraid, and its hooves clacked in terror. The scimitars withdrew, the guards bac
ked up a foot or so, and
sheath
ed
their
weapons. They made no noise, but
watched as the cursed elf took the leash holding the deer.

Kendari picked up the Nadderi longblade, went to place it in his belt, and sighed.
He looked confused.
He nudged the door with his foot, making sure it was fully closed.

“Do you happen to have a scabbard for this? I seemed to---“

Slice, slice, shing, slice, slice

In five moves, too fast to see, Kendari slashed the Nadderi blade across the neck of the guardian to his right, then spun left and took the head from the one behind him. He released the leash with the deer, drew Shiver in a reverse grip and cut across the stomach of the third to his front, and crosscut with the Nadderi blade low above the hips, severing the demonic soldier in two
pieces. He froze in place, so did the deer, as two heads and a torso hit the floor.
They smoldered, slowly, black blood pooling with wisps of smoke. And in moments, just three shadowstains and bone remains were left with their swords and daggers.

Neither of them breathed, just waited, both hoping no one heard it. Three seconds passed, then seven, then ten, and they exhaled slowly. Kendari sheathed his blade, stuck the Nadderi sword in his belt, and took the leash. He put his finger over his mouth, telling the deer to be silent. The deer nodded.

“
When we go in there, do not be afraid. You need to struggle with me, cause a distraction if you can. When I let you go, you need to keep the queen busy while I stop this demon from getting through to Shinayne, understand?”
Kendari looked into the brown eyes of the deer. It nodded to him.

“
Whatever happens, get out fast once it starts. Do not worry about me. Just t
ell Seirena, when you see her, that she still has my undying hatred
. Agreed?”
Kendari rubbed his little horns, saw a little urine speckle the floor as the deer paced nervously. His mind wander
ed, drawn to someone,
he knew who the deer was. He shook his head as the deer nodded again, letting him know he understood.
The cursed elf felt the blade of
Cristoff, hoping the holy edge
would hurt Kashtamias as it did Nareene.

“
No fear now, just follow my lead
.” Kendari stood, pushed open the doors, and strode inside.

“Your grace, your mighty lordship infernal, I offer you the virgin of Haven Glen, the blessed deer of Seirena by the name of----“ His bow was most pronounced yet his words were cut off.

“Why are you armed, Kendari of Stillwood?” Andorra backed up behind Kashtamias and grabbed her black robes.

“In my six centuries of mortal life, I have always bathed my armor and weapons in the blood of sacrifice. Is that offensive to you,
young queen
?” Kendari bluffed and stared at Andorra.

“I am just over ten thousand years of immortal age,
elf,
and I have never heard of such a practice.
You lie.”
Kashtamias grinned at Kendari, smelled the fear on the virgin animal, and stepped forward.

“We are worshippers of darkness, my lord,
we all lie
.” Kendari bowed, letting the demon knight get closer. He tugged on the leash, hard. “
Shall we?”

“Spill his blood at my feet, now.” The demon roared, black ash fumed from his norstils at Kendari and the deer.

“His sword, the one with the feathered cross, why is it glowing?” Andorra w
a
lked toward the altar, toward her staff, something was not right.

“Interesting, why
do you
carry such a blade, Kendari?”
Kashtamias leaned over, inches now from the face of the elf. He brought his s
word tip close to the elf’s neck
.

“I enjoy killing with sacred holy blades, it makes me wonder if the gods feel the blood I spill.” Kendari smiled, face to face with the towering demon.
“I took this from a priest I killed, one of many.”

“You do not impress me, elf. Tell me, which hell does Cancuru rule?” Kashtamias drew in even closer, stepping one clawed foot outside the circle.

“The one below your father, Shukuru.” Kendari bluffed, he assumed, he guessed.

“
Ha, ha, ha
. As I thought, you are fake.
Cancuru rules the abyss, the lake of insanity, Holavis. He rules no layer of hell. How would you care to die?”

“You are rather clever, I must say.” Kendari smiled. “But you must agree, this ritual was terribly long and boring. If you would like more worshippers, in days to come, try to shorten things up a bit, would you?”

“Your tricks and humor
do not fool me, elf. I see through you. You have dishonored me
and the Nochti
, and now I accept your flesh as repayment. Time to meet my father,
in hell,
Kendari.”

Kashtamias laughed
as he forced the doors shut and the flames to rise with his will
, a thousand burning demons in laughter echoed from his chest. Then, Kendari laughed with him, hysterically, and the leash fell from his hand. “
Not even close.”

The deer leapt though the fires, past the demonic knight, and slammed into queen Andorra, knocking her into the altar. Kendari drew Cristoff’s holy longsword in his right, Shiver backheld in his left, and struck both blades into the bone sword of Kashtamias. The sword turned up and aside just enough to step in, and he spun. Shiver slashed deep into the abdomen, sizzling its heat into demonic flesh. The crossblade cut higher, near the chest, its glowing white edge went through black infernal muscle clean and fast. Two more lightning cuts, both into the left thigh of the demon, sprayed dark blood across the circle, and Kendari rolled back just in time to parry the
mighty
boneblade with both of his.

Kendari slashed with Shiver, parried by the demon blade. He crosscut fast with his right, met with the bone shield. He ducked the counterattack, sidestepped the shie
l
d bash, and riposted with two quick downward chops into the forearm of the demon. Kashtamias roared, the ground and walls shook, and he charged at the Nadderi, intent on trampling him underfoot. Kendari rolled left, a feint, then rolled right and sprung up onto his feet. He plunged the crossblade up into the ribs, deep, then sliced Shiver across the demon’s hamstrings. Kashtamias fell forward
, and the cursed elf did not hesitate
.

He stepped up fast, between the wings, and plunged the crossblade down. Kashtamias rolled over at the last moment, throwing the elf off of him.
Kendari rolled through the fires, kept rolling, then sprang up into a charging sprint. He leapt
to the air
across the face of t
he demon knight, but his two bla
des were deflected by the blackbone shield.

“My lord! Go through the portal, I will handle these defilers of
the Nochti!” Andorra stood
up and arced her hand back. She shot it forward at the deer and unleashed black spiraling flames.

The deer leapt over them, bounded off of the toppled altar, and rammed his little horns into her again. She fell backwards, into the flames, and rolled up on the other side of the circle. She threw her smoldering robe off and screamed in disbelief as the deer growled at her and began to run again.

Kashtamias flapped his wings, fires whipping all around, and leapt up through the infernal portal. His wounds were healing with hellish power fast, yet he had his orders from his father to consecrate the once holy site. Just as his head breached all the way through, he heard a sound whip through the air behind him.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh

Slice!

The son of Shukuru looked down and saw a curved elven blade with black vines engraved upon it. He felt it puncture him, thrown by the elf, and he roared in pain. It was through his back and out his chest, right under his chin.

“
I do not think we are quite finished.”
Kendari leapt from the ground, grabbed
onto
the Nadderi blade he had thrown, and plunged the blade of Cristoff through the shoulder of the demon.