Chapter 26 #2
Throk released an exasperated sigh. “Now, now, Creedan, relax. Lord Vaelor won’t lay a hand on you while you are under my protection.” Throk gave Vaelor a firm glance. “That is an order.”
Vaelor released a low growl but stepped off the dais so that he was near me again. Creedan stowed his sword. I took a calming breath, willing the fear in my heart to dissipate.
“Creedan, we’ll continue our discussion soon.” Throk stood and addressed Vaelor. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d make it in time. Come.”
Vaelor cast one more threatening glance at Creedan before doing as he was told. I’m going to tear that bastard to shreds.
I shadowed his movements, keeping my gaze on the ground. If everything goes according to plan then that shouldn’t be a problem in the end, I thought.
“Water… water… I beg you.” I looked up at the pleading, cracked voice. The human man stared at me—we’d walked in his direction. My heart ached at the silent agony reflected in his stare, and a helplessness washed over me. There was nothing I could do to help him. He must know that.
Throk turned to a soldier standing nearby. “Shut him up.”
“Yes, sir.”
The soldier gripped the smoldering end of a stick from a simmering fire. “Here, human, here is your water.” He reached into the man’s mouth and laid the smoking log against the man’s tongue. A wild scream escaped the man, and his body twisted, shaking without abandon.
Gods. Gods. Gods. I met Vaelor’s gaze, his eyes hard—a warning not to react. There is nothing we can do, Denara.
Yes, I was only a slave here. If I tried to assist or intervene, I’d be the next one on the post.
And that would end up disastrous for both me and my demon protector.
Throk snorted as if it were funny. “Human slaves… can’t depend on them for anything.
This one tried to stab me.” Throk shifted his armor to show a slice along his massive side, oozing with a black substance.
“Nothing but a scratch—I guess he didn’t know that Spiritu Malignos demons aren’t so easily killed.
” He lowered his armor and grinned. “I’m enjoying witnessing his life ebb into oblivion.
It is excellent entertainment for the troops. ”
Several demons watched the man writhe and scream. A few laughed and made fun of the man’s agony. Others observed with a bloodthirsty hunger.
“I’ve of course ordered everyone not to eat him.
Once blood is spilled, demons can become so ravenous.
But I don’t want the fun spoiled too soon.
” He glanced at the blood covering Vaelor.
“I see you disposed of that feisty female.” He chuckled.
“I bet she put up a fight at the end, eh?” He ran his tongue over his lips and stared at Vaelor, no doubt hoping for a good story.
Vaelor’s body was tense, and for a moment I feared he’d launch himself at Throk next. But then Vaelor bowed. “Sir, I wish to enter the tournament for command of the new recruits.”
“I thought you might. We have had eleven others put themselves forward for the position so far, our latest being Raxus here.”
Throk motioned to a hulking creature that lumbered up to us.
He was a towering blend of troll and minotaur, with coarse gray-green skin, a bull's broad head, and thick black horns that curled along the sides of his temples.
So Raxus was here. Damn, he looked big. His eyes shot to mine, and I dropped my gaze to the dirt, my heart racing much too fast. Shit. He probably heard it.
“And you have a new slave, I see,” Raxus said in a voice that sounded like rocks crumbling. I didn’t need to raise my head, yet I sensed his stare lingering upon me. I forced myself to stand still, to stare at the ground. If our eyes met, I knew he’d recognize who I was.
“Yes, I seek permission for him to be put with the other humans to serve the camp when he is not in my employ,” Vaelor said, his voice a bit too even. He was forcing himself to act unfazed.
“As you wish.” Throk shifted his gaze to a nearby guard. “See that he is shown to the slave section and assigned a task.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard turned to me. “Come with me, boy.”
I bowed and hurried after him.
Be careful, Denara. If you run into trouble let me know.
I will.
“The day is for the living,” Throk said as I left. “So tonight we’ll start the tournament for leadership.”
I wanted to glance over my shoulder to check if Raxus continued to watch me as I walked away, but I didn’t dare. Did he suspect anything? Had we fooled him?
We moved across the grassy field away from the dais toward a set of tents on the outside of camp. The guard brought me up to a jackal-headed demon with a green-scaled body and a long crocodile-like tail.
“This is your overseer, slave. You’ll do as he says.” The guard shifted his attention to the other demon. “This is Lord Vaelor’s slave. When he isn’t in the service of his lordship, he is to be here, serving the camp.”
“Yes, sir,” Jackal head said. He looked me over. “You are a scrawny one, aren’t you?”
I lowered my gaze.
“What’s wrong, boy? Can’t speak?”
“Yes, sir. I am scrawny, sir,” I said in a deep voice.
“Go to the kitchen tent.” He thumbed behind him. “You will help draw water for dinner. There are buckets behind the tent.”
“Yes, sir.”
I walked behind the tent and found the buckets—and my jaw dropped. Good gods, they were huge.
I picked one up and followed another boy to the river. I filled it up and lifted—it didn’t budge. That wouldn’t work. I dumped about half out and then hoisted again. That would have to do. I staggered to the tent, wondering how the others did this for multiple meals a day.
I set my bucket next to the others and surveyed the area before slipping into the large kitchen tent.
Long tables covered in food—mostly bloodied meat—filled the space.
Humans stood at the table, eyes down, set on their tasks of slicing and preparing the food.
I hurried from table to table until I found her. Mira.
She was peeling the skin off a small animal, blood coating her hands.
“Mira,” I whispered.
She was the same Mira. And yet she was different—her shoulders hunched, lines around her dark eyes, and trembling hands. “Go away, I’m not going to give you scraps.”
I didn’t know what she meant. Did the other boys often beg for raw meat? “Mira,” I moved closer. “It’s me.”
She turned and scrutinized me. “Who?”
“Denara.”
Her gaze widened, and she took me in one more time. “Denar?—”
“Shh,” I hissed. “I’m pretending to be a kitchen boy.”
She gazed at me as if I were a ghost. “How are you not dead?”
“That’s a long story. But I’m here to set you free. To set all the humans free.”
Dread filled her face. “No, Denara. Not again?—”
“It’s going to work this time, I promise.” At least I hoped it would. “And I need your help.”
Fear flashed in her eyes.
“Look,” I said. “I’m sorry about making you sick before escaping.”
She shook her head. “Why’d you even try to help me escape?”
“Because you’re my friend, and I—I didn’t want to be alone.”
“Despite not trusting me.”
“I’m trusting you now.” I reached out and laid my hand on her bloodied one. “We can do this together.”
She stared at my hand, hesitating before asking, “What are you planning to do?”
I examined her food. “Do bodied Spiritu Malignos eat? I haven’t seen Vaelor eat once.” Even in his recently embodied form.
“Not because they need to, but because they want to,” Mira said.
I considered her words. It might make the task more difficult, less certain, but still possible. “I can work with that.”
“Hey!” the demon overseer barked. “What are you doing, boy? Stop trying to get into bed with the kitchen staff and get back here and lug more water!”
“Yes, sir.” I took a step away but whispered to Mira. “We’ll talk more later.”
Again she hesitated, but then she gave a slight nod.
I grabbed the bucket and dumped it into one of the pots. The overseer frowned at me.
“Next time, fill the entire bucket,” he snarled.
“Yes, sir.” I bristled inside at the required submission. Things had certainly changed in the twelve days I’d been with Vaelor.
I left and returned to the stream, filling the bucket and lugging it back. When I made it to the tent and dumped the water, my arms were aching, and I swiped my sweating forehead.
“That’s all the water we need,” another boy said. He appeared to be about eleven or twelve with brown hair that reminded me of Gerand. I followed him around the tent and stowed the buckets.
“What now?” I asked him.
A glimmer of excitement flashed across his face. Somehow this boy wasn’t crushed but had a spark of life to him. I admired that.
“Now we go watch the fighting.”
My heart leapt as I turned my eyes to the sky. The sun was setting. Soon, the fighting would begin.
The boy gestured for me to follow. “I know a spot where we can view it and not be noticed.”
I followed him through the forest until we came to the tree line on the edge of the camp. He grasped the trunk of a tree and shimmied up it.
Although it had been years ago now, I had climbed plenty of trees as a child. I rubbed my hands. I could do this. Slowly I inched my way up and onto a branch.
“See?” he said. “It’s a little ways away, but the height helps us see above the demons.”
“It’s a good spot,” I said.
“Who do you think is going to win?” he asked.
I looked out across the field. The eight of the twelve contestants were divided into sets of two. Vaelor was on the far side. He was up against a minotaur. The demons had created enormous rings in the grass made of gathered stones.
“The abaddon with blood on him will emerge victorious,” I said with certainty.
The boys squinted. “He does look scary, but I’d place my money on that troll-minotaur demon or the giant—he’s huge.”
My stomach dipped as I took in the other bulking contestants. Shit. Vaelor had his work cut out for him.
Vaelor, I found Mira and was able to talk to her. She seemed nervous but willing.
So she will aid us?
I believe so. I’m sure she wants to be free.
Where are you now?
In the trees to your left. I’m going to watch the fight.