Voidhawk - Lost Soul (22 page)

“So why then?” Jenna asked.

“If these elves are as duplicitous and malevolent as you suggest, Rolxoth may seek to be an agent that contracts out individual assignments. A small portal with only an infrequent traveler using it is far easier to obtain.”

“A permanent portal such as that would still take a lot of power to create,” Xander pointed out.

Volera nodded. “It would, but a single soul could be bound to it as a source of energy to feed the magic.”

Jenna and Dexter met each other’s gaze. “A single soul?” Jenna mouthed the words. Dexter turned back. “We’re wasting more time. I can use every one of you, and more. But if you won’t I’ll understand. Make no mistake about it, I’ll curse you and call you a coward until my dying day, but at least I’ll understand.”

Rosh chuckled. He stretched the tree trunks he had for arms and popped his knuckles. “Ain’t met a demon I couldn’t beat yet.”

Volera cast a wicked smile his way. She dipped her head in submission, then turned back. “If my Master wishes it, I will help you.”

“This is a good time to be showing you want to help,” Rosh grumbled.

“I thought I did?” She asked, her eyes wide feigning innocence. Rush harrumphed, then motioned for the
m to follow him out into the road.

The others followed suit, every one of them having no doubts as to where their loyalties lay.

Chapter 13

Compared to earlier, the streets of Port Freedom seemed calm. Signs of vandalism and looting were rampant, but near the city guard offices few people lingered. “Where’d everybody go?” Bailynn asked.

“The docks,” Jenna said. “Listen, you can hear fighting down there.”

Dexter groaned. “This ain’t working out the way I’d hoped.”

“Does it ever?” Rosh grumbled. “Head up to the castle, I’ll get their attention.”

“Rosh, this ain’t the time to split up!” Dexter argued.

“They ain’t gonna kill me,” Rosh assured him. “Just save me some demons!”

Dexter frowned for a long moment before Jenna pulled at his arm. “Dex, for Jianna.”

He nodded before turning away and starting a jog towards the castle.
Rosh and Volera stood still, watching them leave, then Rosh turned and started his own heavy footed jog towards the harbor. Volera fell in beside him easily.

“Master, what will you do?”

“I’ll worry about that when we get there. Damn shame we ain’t got none of them demons we can show them.”

“You’ve got me.”

Rosh chuckled. “Thought you wasn’t one of them no more?”

“I’m not, but if you need me
to, I can pretend to be for a short time.” Volera was silent for a moment before she amended her statement. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t need me, but if you’d like me to.”

Rosh slowed, turning to stare at her. He scowled. “You got a funny way of figuring things but since I been stuck with you I think there’s been times a plenty that you’ve come in handy.”

“Thank you,” Volera said, beaming at him. “But I know you don’t truly need me, you would excel without me as you did before.”

“This part of Willa’s soul making you act funny?” Rosh asked. “She had a hard time knowing her worth and you’re acting just like that.”

“I don’t think so,” she frowned and considered his question. “Perhaps, I can’t say. I’m not who I once was. Dealing with souls was never a problem for me. This one I took into me, instead of just collecting it. It’s a damaged soul though, I’ve had time to study it. I think Willa’s experience when she was adrift in the void caused her soul and Koda’s to become damaged. They bonded together, what I have of her in me is only half of a soul. Koda has the rest.”

Rosh came to a stop. “Half a soul? What’s that mean?”

Volera stopped beside him. “I only know that what happens to me will happen to him.”

Rosh felt
Port Freedom start to spin around him. The color drained from his face as he considered her words. “You mean…all the times that you and I…the things we done…”

Volera twisted her head to the side, trying to finish Rosh’s questions. Finally it became clear to her when his eyes dropped to her chest and then lower. She smiled. “No, I meant if I were injured.”

Rosh let out a sigh only his cavernous chest could hold. “Why ain’t you calling me Master now that we’re alone?”

Volera’s lip curled into a wicked smile. “It’s much more fun doing it around your friends.”

Rosh swore. “Not sure if that’s you or Willa working at making my life difficult.”

“Both, I think.”

He swore again, then turned and ran towards the harbor with Volera following close behind. Their run was short once they entered the marketplace. Many of the carts and stalls had been cleared away to make room for the elves and occasional non-elf that were standing ready to join the defenses. The entrances to the harbor were piled full of men and the fallen bodies of men.

“Are we too late?” Volera asked.

Rosh ignored her. He peered around looking for inspiration. It came in form of a large wagon loaded full of wooden casks. Rosh ran over to it and grabbed the traces for the missing horses. Gathering them up, he leaned forward and drove his powerful legs into the cobblestone ground, pulling the wagon forward one step at a time towards the junction of the three separate roadways to each section of the harbor.

“Hey! Get that out of here!” the first elf to notice him called out.

“Move!” Rosh bellowed, not slowing in the least.

The elf cried out louder, drawing the attention of some of the other soldiers near him. They fell in behind him as he rushed towards Rosh. Rosh dropped the lines and batted the elf’s sword aside, ignoring the cut one his forearm that was already healing by the time he picked the leather and chain clad man up over his head. Rosh threw him forward into the other interested soldiers, sending them sprawling or scrambling to get away from the flailing missile.

Rosh ran around the side of the wagon, drawing his massive sword so he could smash the spokes in the wheels on the side facing the harbor. It crashed down, shattering the axles, and knocked a few of the tied casks loose in the back. Rosh continued his run, rounding the wagon until he stood on the other side that still had unbroken wheels. He slammed his sword point first into the ground, splitting a large stone and then letting it stay there, quivering.

The nearby soldiers stopped, now staring in
shock at the heavily muscled man amongst them that seemed to have a grudge against an otherwise harmless wagon.

Rosh grabbed
the bottom of the wagon and slammed his feet into the ground. His muscles bulged and flexed, veins standing out beyond the engorged muscles. He roared as the side of the wagon came up, then he dropped down onto his haunches and flipped his hands to push from beneath it. He heaved again and pushed it beyond the stopping point, then had to pull back to keep it from flipping over completely. The casks spilled free, some of the breaking open when they hit the ground and spilling the black fire powder across the cobbles.

“Volera!” Rosh grunted, summoning the woman to his side in an instant. “Boost me up.”

Volera spread her legs and knitted her fingers together before she held her arms out in front of her. Rosh stepped into her cupped hands and sprung off the ground and away from her hands. He suspected, rightly, that even her special nature would be hard pressed to hold someone as large as he was.

Rosh pulled himself up to stand atop the side of the wagon, giving him a complete view of the small battlefield. A few pistols fired, one missing him and the other lodging a bullet in the left side of his chest. He scowled and looked down at his companion. “Give me one of them barrels!”

Volera hurried around to the front of the wagon and picked up one of the casks. She held it up, putting enough force behind it so Rosh could catch it. He saw some of the Federation soldiers to the rear of their van reloading as fast as they could while the ones in front of them fought to get through the barricade the defenders of Port Freedom had set up. Rosh smashed his fist into the side of the barrel, spilled powder from the hole, then he hurled it up into the air in front of him.

“Fire!” Rosh called.

Volera responded with multiple streaks of fire erupting from her hands. They burned through the air with the speed of arrows, igniting the falling powder and creating a fuse in mid-air that raced to the powder keg and ignited it.

When the echoes of the explosion faded and the ringing of everyone’s ears had passed, they turned to stare at the giant standing atop the wagon. He reached up to his chest where his shirt was dark with blood and jammed his finger and thumb in. A moment later Rosh pulled out the bullet that had struck him and tossed it to the ground.

“You’re not fighting the right people!” Rosh shouted, certain he had everyone’s attention. He turned enough to point at the castle proper behind him. “You’ve been played the fool, all of you. There’s a bunch of demons tearing through the castle and making sure Port Freedom’s not owned by man nor elf, let alone free!”

“Demons?”
one elf called out.

“Who’re you?”
another shouted.

“I’m Rosh,” he said. “Dexter and Jenna Silvercloud are on their way to the castle to try and stop Rolxoth from loosing his demons on you. I expect he could use a little help.”

“You’re a human, how do we know we can trust you?” the elven question met with shouts of protest from the Federation soldiers.

Rosh swore then knelt down on the side of the wagon. The wood groaned under his weight, but held firm. “Volera, gimme
your hand. They need to see an elf,” he hissed at her. Volera reached up and clutched firmly when Rosh yanked her up to stand beside him. She turned to face them and pulled back her hair, revealing pointed ears. When Rosh turned to look at her he saw her cheekbones had shifted. Her eyebrows were finer and even the shape of her eyes were different, more elfin.

“Volera and I work together, as do Dexter and Jenna. Now quit your pissing and moaning and fight for the right reasons!” Rosh hopped down then held out his arms. Volera stared at him, an amused smile lighting her face up. She stepped off and fell into his arms, then ventured so far as to plant her lips on his cheek.

Rosh felt his cheeks warm, distracting him momentarily from setting her down. Remembering himself, he stomped over to his sword and wrenched it free of the ground, then he turned. “You want to kill each other? That’s fine. I’m going to gut me some demons!”

* * * *

“How do we get in?” Jenna asked, staring at the large portcullis that had fallen.

“Wall’s too smooth to climb,” Dexter noted, studying the twelve foot stone barricade carefully. “Not that high though, might be I could boost Bailynn up there and she toss down a rope or raise the portcullis.”

“We’re fresh out of rope,” Jenna pointed out.

“Bailynn and I can do it,” Haley stepped forward. “I see no guards, let’s be quick before they show up.”

Haley and Bailynn ran across the open ground in front of the castle, drawing a curse from Dexter. He led the rest of them, trying to catch up to the two women. They all reached the wall without incident. Dexter leaned against the wall, noting it sloped inward at a very slight angle, and held his hands at his sides.

Bailynn grabbed onto his shoulders and began to climb him, sticking a foot in one hand then putting her knee on his shoulder. He grimaced
, struggling to keep from shifting or falling as she scaled him like a tree. In moments she stood on his shoulders and reached up, but failed to get a purchase.

“I have to jump,” Bailynn hissed down at him.

“Go ahead,” Dexter grunted.

He felt the pressure on his shoulders shift as Bailynn knelt down. The weight shifted to the balls of her feet. Before he had a chance to steel himself properly she pushed off of him and sent him staggering away from the wall. When he looked up she was hanging from the crenellated wall, scrambling to try and get a foothold.

“Now what?” Jenna muttered.

Dexter rushed forward to lean against the wall. He thrust his hands up until they found her feet. She relaxed slightly, allowing him to straighten his arms enough to give her several more inches of clearance. Bailynn jammed her fingers into the stone wall and pulled herself up until she slipped between the raised crenellations.

After several tense moments she stuck her head back over and looked down at them. “This is bad!” her whisper carried down to them. “Everybody’s dead! It looks like that guard room.”

“
Any sign of the demons?” Logan asked her, his eyes wide.

“None…wait, yes! Oh gods…they’re eating some of the people!”

“Get out of there,” Logan growled.

“
Calm down,” Haley said to the healer. “Kneel down and boost me up. Bailynn, grab my hand and help.”

Bailynn nodded and wedged herself between the stone blocks. Logan knelt down as requested, but the set of his jaw showed his disapproval. Haley ran at him and stepped into his hand. Logan struggled to rise and lift her even as he heaved with his hands. Haley sprang from his grip and grabbed Bailynn’s hand easily, her feet running against the side of the wall. She flung herself around and landed with the breath being knocked from her in the gap between stones one block away from Bailynn.