Chapter 3
I was in the private portion of the palace gardens going through more sword training. Pao (my internal coach, the Debrasty I had accepted into my brain, at the end of the war with Jorslan) was drilling me in a two handed style now. He seemed content to stay out of my way, and incidentally out of my main consciousness.
Still, I was having difficulty with my patterns that he'd had me memorize. It was the memory of what happened with Arch Angel. Yesterday, I thought, was a day of miracles. To see my Arch Angel turn real... well that was something!
<Pay attention! You can marvel at the Gods later. This can save your life. Daydreaming can kill you, > Pao told me firmly.
I sighed and concentrated on my pattern again. There was a strange little side step hop that I was unsure of. I did not really understand the need for it. He told me I would discover the need when I was fighting someone, and until then, to keep to the drill.
I finally ground to a halt after an hour straight of thrusting, feinting, and moving. I was tired, but I still had another appointment this afternoon. Vostich had sent me a message and told me to come to him this afternoon just before supper.
It was a real pain in the butt to live in a world that had demi-gods and Gods and Goddesses... but to have them in the family? They also had a thought process that seemed to be: drop what you're doing and get here, sooner than now.
At least he was giving me time to finish whatever I was doing and clean up. Or maybe he just didn't need me until the hour before supper. Thoughts like this could lead you to go crazy. So I just shut that down, and went to clean up.
I teleported into the castle of my great grandfather, Vostich, and was directed to the sub-basement. I made my way down a series of stairs until I reached the sub-basement. I was met with yet another guard, and taken to a room I have never seen or been to before.
Well, that was not too hard, considering there was a lot about the castle that I hadn't seen yet.
"Ah! Paul is here, we can now begin," Vostich said.
I looked around. There was my sister, Mirwanna, and my wife Mariel. I raised my eyebrows at them in query. Mariel just smiled, and Mirwanna rolled her eyes.
"I am going to try to arm you three better against possible demon attacks. Come," he said, leading us further into the darkened room. It was difficult to see the room or guess it's dimensions.
I heard echo's coming from far off from our boots hitting the stone floor. We finally came to a stop and were standing before yet another door. It glowed dimly, and had glyphs written all over it. I recognized several protection spells and glyphs, but was unable to identify most.
Vostich muttered something and waved his hand over the door. With an echoing click, it opened. Vostich said something else, and light bloomed inside the room. It had shelves, and chests inside.
It was some sort of a storage room, but was protected inside and out from magic. I looked with my other sight, and saw items with power in them. Some glowed gently, others were a blaze of glory!
Vostich led us into the room and closed the door behind us with a word and gesture. He led us further into the room. I was sure this room did not look this big from the doorway, yet we still kept on.
Finally we arrived at the back of the room. Vostish went to the chest that sat alone on the shelf in front of us and took it off the shelf. He stared at the chest for a moment, then opened it. He removed a smaller chest from inside.
He closed the large chest, and placed it back in its lonely place on the shelf. He set the small chest which was more in the way of being a large jewelery box, on a table. Opening the box, Vostich reached in and pulled out a heavy silver chain necklace with a pendant attached to it.
"This was my father's. He was a powerful mage, and had it constructed and mother imbued it with her power for him. He fought to the death the last of an old demon breed that was part of this world.
"Demons had bred with humans here, and the results were demons that were a part of this world. It took over a hundred years to kill every last one of them. My father died with the last demon half breed," Vostich said in a musing sort of voice.
"What does it do?" Mirwanna asked curiously.
"It provides protection against all forms of magical attacks of demon kind. It particularly protects against mental attacks. The half-breeds were known to use subtle mental attacks. That was how they operated. Attack the mind, and the body and spirit follows.
"I gift this to you, Mariel. Of the three of you here, Mariel is most vulnerable. I have something else for each of you, Mirwanna, Paul," he said. He placed the chain over Mariel's head and then held the pendant for a moment. It flared with a most soothing green light, that then faded and was not noticeable unless you used your second sight.
He then reached into the box again, and pulled out two more items. One was a bracelet, and one a ring. Both seemed to match the other.
"The bracelet and ring were a set made for my Grandfather and grandmother on my father's side of the family. They too were demon hunters. I never got to know them," Vostich said, a little whistfully.
"I gift the bracelet to you, Mirwanna. The ring, I give to Paul. Both have properties to counter the demons ability to attack the mind. While they will both afford some protection against magical attack, these were made first and foremost for mental protection. Wear them well," Vostich said and passed them to us.
I placed the ring on my finger. I felt as if something icy brushed my mind. I looked at the ring closely now decorating my right hand. It was a heavy silver ring with a green stone. There was engraving on the ring, but I could not make out what it was.
I looked over at Mirwanna and saw she too was studying her new bracelet. It was made of heavy silver, with a green center stone, but with little blue stones surrounding the main green stone.
"All right. Now that this has been taken care of, there is only one more test to do. Come," Vostich said, and we followed him out of the strange room.
Just before we left the room, an object caught my attention. It was a sword in a scabbard. I looked at it with my second sight, and saw it seemed to vibrate with controlled power.
I was about to ask Vostich about it, when the sword shot out a spark. Vostich stopped and looked at the sword. I could almost HEAR him speaking to the sword. We all stood there by the door, waiting for Vostich to open it.
Finally, Vostich turned to the door and opened it.
"Come, we still have something to do, then we shall sit and eat a good meal," he said with a smile.
We left the room, and the sword, behind. We walked across the echoing room, and stopped before another door. Vostich took out a huge key, and unlocked the door. As we entered, I gasped at the power that the inside of this door displayed!
Vostich relocked the door behind us. What on earth could be in here that the door was warded like this? We went down a short tunnel, and came to yet another door which was glowing with wards.
"Behind this door, is a portal. Long ago, a demon asked me for sanctuary. I thought long and hard, and created one for him. You will be safe with me. More importantly, we will test the devices I gave you against his powers," Vostich said and opened this door.
Huh? I didn't remember signing up for something like this! Ok, I understood the need for testing items. But really, throwing my wife into something like this? I started to get angry. How dare he! I was about ready to let him know of my displeasure when he focused on me.
"Paul. I feel your anger. Trust me. I won't let anything happen to you your wife or sister. I will be there the entire time," Vostich told me.
I let out my breath. I had not realized I had been holding it. It was probably just as well that he had defused the situation. I had been ready to really screw it up by going off on him, and that would not be a good thing. Telling off a demi-god was a good way to get yourself in serious trouble. I sighed.
We all entered the room. It was a round room. Off to one side was a portal. It was activated and open! I was about to open my mouth, but at that time, someone stepped through.
I was disappointed. He looked so, well, human. I also FELT him. Not like I felt the presence of Vostich or the gods and goddesses. No, this was more... disgusting. Scary. Frightening. I heard my wife whimper, and I moved closer to protect her.
"Ah Vostich. I see you have brought visitors," the demon said.
"Yes. These are my great grandson and granddaughter, and my great grandson's wife. We are here for you to test their defenses," Vostich told him.
"I see. What are the limits?" the demon asked.
"Magical spells and mental spells only. You try a physical attack, I will tear you to pieces," Vostich said in a deadly tone.
"Agreed," the man said, and I immediately felt a pressure in my head. It wasn't bad or even hurt, just something trying to get in, and well, slipping. Like when you're on ice, you know? Can't get your feet to work right. I could feel a slipping and that was all. No invasion.
The pressure was gone and my wife gasped! I moved closer to her, but Vostich gave me a look. While she looked shaky, she lifted her chin, and stared at the man who was a demon.
Finally it was Mirwanna's turn. She squinted at the demon, but that was the only evidence of its attempt on her. Finally it sighed and nodded.
"They are all well protected against mental attacks. I have never felt such defenses before. They will hold against any I know of who practice mind magics," the demon said.
"Magical attacks next. If you happen to break through a defense, stop immediately," Vostich told the demon. It nodded.
"Mirwanna, Paul, I expect you to put up defenses. While the ring and bracelet will offer some protection, that is not the primary purpose of those items. Only your wife will be safe, Paul," Vostich told us.
I nodded and erected a shield. I felt Mirwanna do the same, and Mariel, bless her, did the same. I looked at her shield. It was a good one. It would hold against some serious crap, but the demon tore into hers first.
Her shield lasted for two attacks, then crumbled. Mariel gasped and tried to get another shield up, but it didn't matter. The demon struck and the pendant she was wearing flared to life. I watched as the pendant shunted the attacks which followed. Time after time the demon attacked and time after time the pendant resisted all the demons efforts.
Finally the demon stopped. He nodded to Vostich.
"She is unassailable by me. I would say she is protected against all except the higher ones. They, too, would have troubles; at least for the first few times they cast against her," the demon said.
After that, Mirwanna was next to feel his efforts, then myself. It was strange really. Mirwanna held her shield firmly against him, as did mine. Even as he was attacking me, ideas popped into my head for counter attacks! I tracked one down, and thought about it, and knew it was a magical spell that Svedra had imparted to me. Bless that spider demi-god!
I had attack spells that should work against demons! I had been amazed at the abilities of Svedra when it had been here. I was even more impressed, now. Again spells that I had no knowledge of suggested themselves. A whole range of attack spells that I hadn't known I had!
Finally it was over. Vostich nodded politely to the demon, who nodded in return and walked back through the portal. As soon as it was through, the gate went dead.
"Come, we have only moments before he will reactivate the gate. I want the door secure before he tries to break through again," Vostich said.
We hustled out and almost as soon as the door was secure there was a maniacal shriek from the other side, and the door shivered. Again and again there was thumping and screaming from the other side.
Vostich stood close to the door, his hand held out. Shortly, the thumping and shrieking stopped. Vostich relaxed and dropped his hand. He then turned and led us out to the outer door, opened it. After we went through, he relocked and reset the wards on it.
Shortly we were all upstairs in the dining room.
"You all did well, this day. I am not as worried for your safety as I once was," Vostich told us as the meal was served.
We all fell to eating with a good appetite. Since this was my wife's first time here, she was taking everything in with wide-eyed curiosity. I was proud of her. She did well, and not just because of her pendant. She had been thrust into a very serious situation, and came though it well.
The meal over, I decided to ask Vostich about the sword in the room we got the extra magical help from.
"Vostich? Can you tell me something about that sword that shot off that spark at me?" I asked with great curiosity.
"I was afraid you were going to ask about that. It is a family heirloom. The sword even predates me. It is a very powerful weapon, but it is cursed," Vostich said sadly.
"Uh, what do you mean cursed?" I asked.
"A very powerful being placed a subtle curse on it. If the wielder should die with the sword in his or her hand, their soul is taken into the sword for all time. There seems to be no way to break the curse.
"Three of my family members from long ago are in there. It is not a good afterlife, being in that sword. So I keep the sword where it can no longer take in more dead," Vostich said.
I nodded. While I understood his decision, I was also wondering if he was keeping a weapon that could be used against the demons from us. I had the impression that the sword was a potent weapon, that could be used against about anything or anyone. I was already trying to think of a way to get him to change his mind.
Edited By TeNderLoin