Although Jeremy had a backpack full of candy and other delectable snacks, he helped himself to some of the food Alex offered him. Munching on meat and fresh fruit was probably better than scarfing down a bag of Cheetos and a couple of Snickers bars anyway. Between bites of the food he sucked on his cigarette, sipped more wine, and listened to what Alex had to say. Immediately, he agreed with the youth about not staying up too late. A long day of traveling, followed by a fierce battle had zapped his strength. He found himself yawning occasionally as Alex told him what he thought about the demon, and their companions.
Jeremy nodded when Alex asked him not to blow smoke in his direction. Because of Rowan’s allergy to cigarette smoke he’d learned to be more considerate of anyone who happened to be near him while he indulged in his habit. He tried his best to send the exhaled smoke towards the open window, and hoped Alex noticed that. After taking a final deep drag, he stepped on the butt then thought back to some of the things his present roommate said.
“I don’t know anything about demons either,” he admitted. “Maybe your light globes didn’t bother it cause it’s used to brightness from all the fires raging in hell. I bet most demons are immune to fire too since they probably have to deal with it on a daily basis, or maybe they’re born from the fire itself. Who knows?”
Jeremy shrugged then popped a piece of fruit into his mouth. “I attended a dinner with Rowan and the others at Latisha’s estate. She’s an old, rich lady who kept flirting with Rowan until she saw stupid Soran kiss him.”
A momentary scowl crossed his face before he continued. “All I know is that this wand she wants once belonged to a wizard who died about 100 years ago. She did some sorta research and found out it’s buried in a cave within the Worm Mountains near the city of Dara. There are glowing runes around the entrance that supposedly keep everyone out, but she gave Rowan a scroll to read that will negate them so we can get in.”
He paused to tug off his boots and set his weapons aside. As he leaned back against the headboard of the bed, he met Alexander’s eyes. “Don’t worry about me following directions if you teach me archery because I’ve always been a great student. All my teachers back home loved me.” Of course that was before his parents died and he took up with the wrong crowd. For nearly a year after their untimely deaths, he ditched school regularly, his grades dropping from A’s to F’s. He saw no need to mention any of that to Alex though.
“As for how I feel about our companions, Soran’s the only one I can’t stand. He’s a common street whore yet Rowan treats him like raking royalty! Right after he met the jerk, Rowan took him on as a student, and let him move into his home. Soran must be damned good in bed cause that’s the only reason the elf would keep him around so long. I can’t wait to see the look on that whore’s face when Rowan dumps him in favor of someone else.”
Jeremy chuckled at the pleasant thought. “Rowan’s a major player. It’s only a matter of time before he gets bored with Soran. I tried to warn the pretty jerk about that, but he ignored me, proving how stupid he is.”
A yawn cut off the rest of Jeremy’s words. “Shit, I’m tired. I’ll tell you more about Soran and the others tomorrow. We better get some sleep now so we don’t end up dozing off in the saddle.” He bid Alex a good night and fell asleep almost instantly.
*******
Soran finished strapping on his sword belt then glanced at Rowan. The elf was his usual chipper self this morning yet he got the feeling something bothered him. He thought back to the previous night but couldn’t think of anything that might have upset his teacher. Before finally falling asleep in each other’s arms, they’d made love twice, and joked about their insatiable desire for one another. Soran had purposely avoided talking about their new committed relationship because Rowan always tended to tense up when it looked like meaningful conversation was about to take place. Keeping things light and carefree between them proved difficult at times, but he gave it his best shot in hopes of pleasing Rowan.
He grinned at the new set of lockpicks, stuffing them into his pack before following Rowan out the door. Eventually their companions joined their table. A hearty breakfast was eaten in relative silence since no one seemed to have much to say this morning. Soran kicked Cas under the table then shared a grin with him once their eyes met. It felt great seeing his blood brother so happy. Cas had finally gotten his wish to go off on an adventure, and apparently loved every minute of it so far.
Soran met Jeremy’s cold stare briefly then let his eyes wander over to Alexander. He couldn’t help wonder how much bullshit the otherworldly youth might have fed him last night. Hopefully, Alex was too smart to believe everything he heard, and preferred to form his own impressions of the group by interacting with them rather then basing his opinions on what one dumb punk had to say.
Once breakfast ended, they waited for Eremis to pen a short letter to his parents. He paid one of the tavern workers to deliver it to their farm later then they made their way to the stables where they found Mayor Dougal and a group of town’s people awaiting them. Baskets of fresh fruit and other produce were handed out in appreciation for their help in destroying the demon and bringing an end to the cult of devil worshipers.
They enjoyed much of the food during a noonday break then went on their way again, headed toward the city of Annib. A feeling of foreboding descended upon Soran as they neared a long mountain range. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in hopes of calming himself then let out a yelp when he mentally envisioned two huge birds somewhat resembling eagles swooping down on him.
“What?” Rowan asked, worriedly.
Before Soran could answer, the giant birds he’d seen in his mind came flying down from a mountain peak. Immediately, Demon bolted, and no amount of coaxing or tugging on the reins slowed him down. Panic ripped through Soran when he saw Demon racing towards a large boulder. Although his legs automatically tightened around his horse, he was thrown to the ground when Demon jumped over the boulder with relative ease. His left temple grazed the rock leaving him stunned, and confused. Two head injuries in less than 24 hours wasn’t something to laugh about.
Soran staggered to his feet and rubbed his aching head as he started walking forward. His vision swam with each step. He was too dazed to know where the hell he was going and couldn’t even remember his own name at the moment. It simply seemed like a good idea to follow after the horse he now saw trotting away from him in the distance.
*******
Within seconds, Eremis had his panicked horse under control. He might not be a warrior but he was an excellent horseman. That was one of the benefits of being raised on a farm amidst a number of horses and other animals. Terror gripped his heart when he looked up to see two Rocs carrying Cas and Jeremy’s horses into the mountains.
“We have to rescue them!” he shouted out before galloping after Rowan, who was already pursuing the birds. Together they watched the Rocs release their burdens before flying off into the distance.
Eremis slid down from his horse, his worried eyes meeting Rowan’s. “We’re going to have to attempt to climb all the way up if we can’t find a path.” He glanced around hoping the rest of their companions would come to assist them before the Rocs returned. Maybe Kato had some kind of magic spell that could get them up there quickly.
*******
Jeremy shook his head then got to his feet and massaged an ache in his shoulder. As soon as he caught sight of the baby Roc, he forgot about his pulled muscle and withdrew his sword. Where the hell are we? He took a few slow steps to his right, his heartbeat thumbing loudly against his chest as he squinted down at the ground far below them.
“Shit! We’re well over 300 feet up,” he cried. The sound of his voice attracted the hatchling’s attention. When it ruffled its feathers and snapped its beak at him, Jeremy whipped out a dagger and let it fly. The creature let out a horridly loud squawk when the blade sunk into its side then lunged forward with a vengeance.
The otherworldly youth waved his sword in its face while calling out to Cas. “Sneak around behind the thing while I keep it focused on me. Make sure you shove your sword into a vulnerable spot that’ll kill it quickly. Hurry. We don’t wanna be here when its folks get back.”
