I am currently working on the character development for the second edition of Drachar's Demons. Post comments please. Thoughts welcome. I will give a way a free copy of the Prophecy of the Kings to what I consider the best advice. I will do that in August. Best wishes. David
Stephan lurched from his
bed, the screams still ringing in his ears. “I’m coming Ashona,” he shouted,
trying to reassure her as be hurriedly donned his night robes. He stubbed his
toe on the door separating their rooms in his eagerness to reach her, as the heavy
wood swung inwards. He swore as hobbled to her side. The pain was intense, but
he ignored it. Her screams were far more important. It didn’t help that the
rooms were in pitch darkness. It was late, probably past midnight and he had
been deep asleep when his subconscious picked up the sounds of screaming and
even now his brain was partly fog filled from his own dreams. There was an air
of unreality about the night. It was as though the world held its breath.
He reached her side. She was still screaming and
thrashing in the tangled sheets. There were no coherent words, just the
terrified cry of someone in the grip of a fearful nightmare.
“Hush,” he said, trying to calm her. He didn’t know what
else to do. It would be forward to touch her but then her screams reached a crescendo
and fearing for her he leant over, taking her in his arms. She came awake
instantly.
“No! Don’t let them take me,” she cried out, still in
the grip of her nightmare. She sobbed and Stephan held her tightly, swaying
gently to and fro in an attempt to reassure her. “Hush. You are safe now. It’s
a dream. It is over. You are safe.”
“Don’t let them take me,” she sobbed. Her tears soaked
through his robes. He was shocked by the intensity of her appeal. Never had he
heard such anguish. “Don’t let them take me,” she gasped, trying to draw
breath. “They were ripping my soul from my body. The pain. Don’t let them harm
me.”
“I’ll protect you,” Stephan swore, and he meant it
too. Her sobs quietened although she gripped him fiercely. He had never been
held by another human being so tightly before. She was trembling and crying
now.
“What have I done,” Stephan moaned.
For a moment longer they were silent except for her
tears. “I should never have started this experiment. I should never have
suggested this. This is the worse nightmare you have had. Isn’t it?
He felt her relax a little. She nodded her head. He
released her, letting her settle back onto the bed. “What happened?” he asked.
Her voice, raw with emotion, cracked as she spoke. “I
was in a cave. It was awful. They surrounded me. I couldn’t escape...” Her
words were rushed and he could hear the growing panic in her voice.
“Hush now,” Stephan said, holding her hand. He turned
to a candle standing on a bed side table. He waved his hand, a finger drawing a
rune in the air. A shape long learned by sorcerers to summon elementals. A
flame elemental sprang into being at his summons and its flame spread to the
candle before it disappeared in to the ether once more. Its task fulfilled.
“There. You can see now. You are safe,” he said.
She stared at the flame and he was shocked by her
eyes. Normally so wide and trusting, screwed tight against an unseen fear. Her
face was wet and gently he dried her tears with his sleeve. She wasn’t
beautiful in an obvious way, but her eyes held him captivated. He could look
into them all day. He brushed her hair from her face.
“Now, tell me what happened. If you are up to it?”
She looked haunted still.
“I was in a cave. Demons were all around me. They were
ripping my soul from my body. They were feeding on my pain. Never have I had
such a dreadful nightmare. It was so real. I felt that I was truly there,
amongst them.”
“You are safe now. It was a dream. Nothing more. But
we are a step close to finding the source of your dreams. This is the fifth
night you have had them in this vicinity and this was by far the worse dream,
so the source must be nearby.”
“Why?” she sobbed. “Why am I having such fearful
nightmares?”
His heart went out to her. He stroked her hand, trying
to comfort her. “Well, we have moved around the city and you have slept in
several different locations.”
She smiled for the first time, wiping her tears away
with the back of her hand, “And what will people think? The two of us, not even
married, sleeping in different locations these last few weeks.”
He smiled reassuringly, “Who cares what anyone else
thinks. You are all that matters and I want to see an end to these nightmares.”
“What is causing them though?” she wailed, clearly
desperate to have them at an end.
“I don’t know,” he said lowering his gaze for a moment.
Looking up at her again he said, “But I do know they are worse in this area of
the city, and close to his
laboratory.”
“Whose laboratory?” she asked and he sensed that she
already knew.
“Lothanal,” he answered her in a whisper.
She looked at him, her shock engraved deep in her
eyes. “But demons are not real,” she whispered back.
“Our history is steeped in demon tales. There must be
some foundation in them.”
“But that makes my dreams all the more terrifying,”
she gasped.
He stroked her hair. “Yes. Have you noticed the
candle?” he asked and her eyes flashed to the flame.
“Blue,” she choked.
“Flames burn blue in the presence of demons. For a
while I have suspected Lothanal and have had lanterns distributed around this
area for several nights. At night they have often burned blue. Tomorrow we have
plans to bring into fruition. It might be dangerous and I will need your help.
That is, if you are able?”
Her nod was barely perceptible. “Stephan,” she said
clasping his hand more firmly.
“Yes,” he answered, fearful of the intensity of her
look.
“Something really dreadful is going to happen.”
“You are still fearful of your dreams. It will be dawn
soon and then you will see that no night terrors threaten.”
She shook her head. “Stephan, don’t leave me.”
“I will have to leave, silly,” he said. “We daren’t
leave these rooms together. People will talk.”
Her grip intensified. “Stephan. Don’t leave me. Please.”
Her eyes and her voice implored him with an intensity
that shook him. “Don’t worry. I am not going to leave you,” he said smiling.
“Marry me,” she blurted.
“You daft thing,” he admonished. “You are terrified
still. What sort of man would I be, taking advantage of you like this?”
“Please,” she implored, the flickering candle light
reflected from the moistness of her eyes.
He knew this was a very serious request. After a
moment silence he said, “Well. Normally it’s the man who asks, but on this occasion
perhaps we can make an exception.”
Her face lit up and her oh so beautiful eyes sparkled
with life. “You will?”
He nodded and then struggled for breath as she threw
herself at him in a tight embrace.
Lothanal’s heart lurched
and he nearly stumbled. Pain lanced through his feet and a numbing cold
assailed him. He gaped around at the landscape, his eyes barely believing the
view. Desolation. The whole landscape was bleak. Everywhere he gazed was
faintly glowing green rocks. No life, nor any signs of life. Green was the
colour Lothanal associated with demons, so his destination must have been
correct, but the shock of actually standing in their world was nearly too much for him.
He had spied on this world and its denizens through
his kara-stone before coming here. He knew it was dark and lifeless, but being
here a crushing despair weighed him down and seemed to nail his feet to the
ground. He felt like weeping, and for long moments he struggled to find an
inner strength. The gamble would be worth it, he prayed. He must go on and face
his demons. He had committed everything in coming here. The risks were huge and
he was gambling it all; both his life and his soul.
He was at the pinnacle of his career. He had dared
what no other sorcerer had before. If he succeeded in this task he would have
power unlimited. He would be a force to be reckoned with and then he would show
his people, the Eldic, what true power meant. His plans were huge. He would
conquer a world. He would be an emperor and people would fawn at his feet for
favours.
He looked around at the desolation and doubt assailed
him. Where were they? Where were the demons? He pushed a rock with his toe and
agony lanced through his foot, searing its way to his heart. He stifled a
scream. The very contact with the ground sent shock waves through his body and
touching the rock was no exception. The pain subsided and he realised that the
rock was light as though all the life had been sucked from it.
A world of cinders and ash.
He looked up at the sky. Nothing but darkness and
stars. No clouds and even the stars seemed dimmed as though seen through a fog.
He glanced down at his hand and was shocked to see that the kara-stone was not
there. His mind wailed in fear and a dreadful feeling scoured his guts. His
lifeline home was gone.
He raised his hand to his face. Something white and
translucent was within his palm, almost filling it. It was his kara-stone — or
at least its ghostly shadow. His fingers curled around the translucent shape as
though trying to protect it. The object, ghost as it was, gave him heart for he
was relying on that to find his way home. Perhaps he, too, was like the
kara-stone and was not really in their world. Perhaps he was here in spirit
form only. A smile tugged at his lips but failed to reach his cold grey eyes,
which for the moment seemed almost as lifeless as the world around him.
He had not realised that he would be afraid. That was
an understatement. He was terrified. Bravely, he took a tentative step forward
and again pain lanced through his leg. His mind screamed in pain. Undeterred he
took more steps. He was naked and freezing. Walking failed to bring any warmth.
He looked down at the shadow of his kara-stone and drew warmth from it. Warmth
and hope. That was his way home and he prayed he did not lose it.
He walked a few hundred yards and then something
brighter up ahead caught his attention. He squinted, trying to see it better.
Against the dark outline of a hill, strewn with boulders at its base, a glow
emanated from a cluster of objects that he couldn’t quite fathom. As he came
closer the shape resolved into three creatures and his heart leapt to his
mouth. More steps and the shapes coalesced into figures. They were static so he
walked closer, his pace slowing as he considered flight for the first time.
What would they do with him? They could take his soul and bind it to their
world permanently. The next few steps were the hardest in his life.
Two were demons, that much was clear, but the third
was a man and that sent shock and fear coursing through his soul. He stopped
advancing, holding his breath. Had his people, the Eldric, travelled here
before him? Two of the creatures were demons, there was no mistaking that.
Tall, gangle creatures, long limbed, teeth and talons. One had a head akin to a
wolf, but no flesh covered its gaping maw and rows of teeth seemed eager for
his flesh. The other had arms like a spiders, jointed in three places and
ending a vicious looking talons.
He had espied demons before, but there was a huge
difference seeing them from afar in the comfort of his world, compared to
standing beneath them. But a man? He paused, doubt eating at his mind like a
cancer. This could be the end of his plans before they had even started. No one
knew as much about the demon world as he. Of that he was certain. And yet
someone else had dared to travel the ether to their world. If he, too, were an
Eldric...
The creatures did not move. He took that as an omen
and took a few more paces, ignoring the pain as much as he could. He saw then
the man’s eyes. They were the only thing about him that seemed alien. Blood
red, with an intensity that seemed to beckon him forward. He found that he had
involuntarily taken a dozen more paces. He stopped himself, no more then ten or
so paces from the unlikely trio. All their eyes were red and fastened upon him
with an intensity that made him shiver. He was breakfast, lunch and dinner
wrapped up in one package.
“Welcome,” the man offered, causing him to jump in
shock. His mind was wandering and he tried to focus. “Welcome to our world.”
His words seemed silk and honey. He was handsome in a way that was almost too
painful to behold. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back in a manner
that simply oozed confidence. It was as though Lothanal was an insect, or a
worm beneath the boot of a superior being.
Lothanal glanced at the other two demons. He sensed
their power, but could fathom nothing about this one. He surmised he was the
most powerful, being able to take the guise of a man, but he seemed a void.
There was no sense of power coming from him at all.
“I am here to negotiate a pact with your people,”
Lothanal stated simply. He had rehearsed this speech a thousand times, but what
came next was a complete and utter surprise.
A voice boomed “We have seen enough.” He spun around;
seeking the source of the voice, noticing the demons seemed equally alarmed.
The voice was all around them and at once a blinding flash followed by deep
sonorous boom followed, throwing him backwards with a force that sucked the
very air from his lungs and a blow that knocked the senses from his very being.
