Chapter 20
I strolled through Morningstar's Palace. After meeting with him, he had transported himself, Shaitan, and me, to the palace. Oddly, I did not see the depictions of hell that I always had been told about. I'm not saying they weren't there; just that I didn't come across anything like what had been described.
It was definitely a harsh existence, though. Failure was dealt with swiftly and harshly. The few perks I had seen thus far, were in the form of power. This place was totally different from Earth, or Morwan.
I was invited to a feast that was starting shortly. I used a small spell to freshen my clothing, and shine my boots. I also used my time to build a spell to interfere, hopefully, with Morningstar's magnetic personality.
I shuddered again as I thought of how I first reacted when I saw him. I felt my face getting warm. Damn! I hadn't blushed like this, since I was very young. Admittedly, part of it was anger, but still...
I also renewed several spells, and added to the spells I had at the ready. I pondered what I had seen on the battlefield. Spells had been flying thickly and heavily, but I hadn't really paid to much conscious attention to them. Subconsciously, I must have remembered them. This was an aspect of memory I had not been able to perform, before.
I sat close to the middle of a long table, laden with food. Morningstar insisted I sit with him at his table. The hall was huge, and filled with demons of all types. Some I looked at only once, and wished I hadn't. How could people live like this? Well, the obvious answer was, they weren't people.
Even with my insulating spell, I still found myself fascinated with Morningstar. If he was this powerful, I wondered what the Creator was like. I wanted to ask, but was afraid I would piss him off. After all, in all the mythology I knew, he was not on good terms with the Creator.
Of course, I had discovered another purpose for demons, but that was what THEY told me. Right now, the main purpose of demons was to fight the Ancients. Come to think of it, was that their true purpose? Shit! You could drive yourself crazy with thoughts like this!
I filled my plate with bits of everything I recognized, and ate. I looked out over the hall, and was amazed at the number it held! Just the number of demons in this hall, was enough to start a small war.
If the number of soldiers I saw was just a part of the army of this hell, why hadn't they taken over Earth, or Morwan for that matter? There had to be another mechanism in place that I was not privy too.
Morningstar was seated at the exact center of the large table we were at. To his right was Shaitan, then myself, then there were two more demons. On Morningstar's left was a woman of remarkable beauty, whom he had introduced as his daughter, Eva. On her left were two more demons that I was introduced to, but could not remember their names. The meal was going strong. I was actually enjoying it. I looked out over the hall, and shook my head. There were thousands of demons, all eating. Every one of these demons was here as reward for something done in battle this day.
"So tell me, Paul, about this spell with the spiders and then with the webs. Where did you find this? I have not seen it done before," Shaitan asked me.
"Well, the spiders were a spell I learned from a demi-god from another, uh, reality. Vostich sent me to speak with this entity, and he took a liking to me. Taught me a lot, really. I liked him," I said with a sigh.
"I have not heard of this spider demi-god before. He sounds like someone to get to know. Do you know how to contact him?" Shaitan asked me.
I stared at him. Was he actually trying to broker a deal to be put into contact with Svedra?
"Actually, I only know how to reach him via a gate in Vostich's castle," I replied.
"Ah, well. I had to at least ask. Have you tried this wine, yet? It is imported from a land far from here, but is worth the transport," Shaitan said, extolling the virtue of the wine he was pouring for me.
So I drank a bit, and discovered he was right. The wine was probably one of the best I had ever tasted!
"You're right. This is good. I would love to take some back with me when I return to Morwan," I said musingly.
"Consider it done. I will have five casks delivered to the gate when you go. Now then, father wants to speak with you later this evening, if he gets the chance. He wants to put you in charge of the central section of the line," Shaitan said with a smile.
I found myself staring at him again. I could not bog myself down with commanding troops! It wasn't what I was here for. I said as much to Shaitan, and he was disappointed.
"I understand you. However, saying no to Father, may be a bit more difficult," he said.
I found myself standing before Morningstar almost as soon as Shaitan had finished talking. Morningstar had gotten up, and had motioned for me and a few others to join him.
"Good. We are all here now. I have an idea for tomorrow's battle I want to run by you four. This is what I see as happening..." Morningstar said, and went on at length. It was actually a good plan, but I regretted not being able to participate.
"Lord Morningstar, while I am willing to lend a hand, my primary job is to try to disable the gate. I'm afraid I can't get involved with being held down to a place in a line. Even if it's a command posting, I need to be free to move as I see fit," I said, and held my breath.
Morningstar frowned at me, and I felt my heart wrench at it. I so hated to let him down. Crap! I was doing it again. I added a little extra power into my insulating spell. I felt better after I did that, and watched Morningstar cautiously.
He sighed loudly. "Of course. Please forgive my assumption. You are dismissed," he told me, and turned to the others. Not good.
"My lord. I will be glad to help your army in anyway I can. But you have to let me do my..." that was as far as I got.
He spun around, a snarl on his face. I felt shock go through me. He was totally transformed from the kindly benevolent being that I had been almost worshiping to something to be feared.
"Father!" Shaitan exclaimed.
"Be silent! Both of you! I told you I understood what you said to me, Paul. Do not presume I am pleased to have you teach me my place or yours. You have a mission here. By all means, carry it out. Now get thee from my sight. You offend me," Morningstar said to me.
I felt as if the person I loved most in my life was angry and disappointed in me. I wanted to throw myself at his feet, and ask forgiveness. I didn't though. I gritted my teeth, bowed to him, and withdrew.
Great! I had just pissed off the lord of all the demons, the most powerful entity in this land, other than the invading ancients. I was feeling horrible about it. How did I get myself into these situations?
I stood on a hill overlooking the enemy, again. Shaitan had come for me early this morning, and transported me to the battlefield. Morningstar would not look at, or acknowledge me.
I had come to the conclusion that while he might have been angry with me, he was more or less acting. He was a master manipulator, and that was what he was doing with me! It had taken me some time to see it, though.
The lines were drawn up. Both armies faced each other, across a gap of perhaps a thousand feet. I was in my dragon form, once again. Shaitan had told me that he had the left flank to hold, this day. I wished him luck, and he said as much to me.
I didn't see, hear, or sense a signal; but all of a sudden, the two armies roared out their battle cries and charged each other. The battle was joined. The darkness that was on our side of the line pressed forward. Once again, the fog from the other side met it, and stopped it from advancing.
It was as if there were two battles happening. The darkness and the fog, and the two armies of beings. I shrugged and concentrated on draining moisture from the fog. I felt resistance, almost immediately!
For a long, long while, the lines held firm against each other. I heard Shaitan's sword screaming its death knell, and shuddered to think of what was happening to those souls it was taking.
I finally admitted to the defeat of my efforts, and stopped trying to dissipate the fog. Someone, or something, was doing a very good job of countering my magic. Sure, I had thinned it a bit; but it was still there, hanging before me tenaciously. I wished for a few of my dragon brethren to help me.
I launched myself into the air, and made my way to the front lines. I climbed high, and started to look at where I wanted to use my dragon's fire. Shaitan's portion of the line was already advancing slowly into the enemy lines. A bow had developed in his portion of the battle line.
I felt myself hit with several spells at once! My body absorbed the spell strikes, but I felt them! I was staggered, and slowed down, but I kept on. I opened my mouth, and my draconic fire flew, as I released my rage on the enemy below!
The fire hit just to the right of Shaitan's portion of the line, and dozens of the enemy burst into flames! More spells hit me, but my dragon body seemed to be handling them. I turned and made another run at the enemy lines, but this time deeper behind the front lines of the enemy.
I wanted to disrupt the enemy's abilities to get fresh troops to the front line. I strafed them over and over again, until I had no more dragon fire left in me. Thousands of bodies were burning, or had been burnt by this time.
The darkness in the air had advanced yet again. I was looking into the fog, trying to discern the location of the gate, when a spell of some magnitude struck me a stunning blow!
I started falling towards the ground. I recovered enough to get my wings stretched out. I half glided and half crashed, into the enemy and the demons that had been below me. I just lay there, stunned!
I was conscious of screaming around me, but was unable to do anything about it. Demons and primates were wild in their fighting.
I started to get feeling and control back into my body. I could feel weapons striking at my draconic body. For the most part, my body shrugged these puny attempts off. But damn it, something was causing me severe pain in my left wing. I swung my head around, and saw a primate with an ax that glowed with a sickly looking color. The axe head was buried in my wing.
I inhaled, and spat out a bit of dragon fire at him. It wasn't much, but it was enough to incinerate him. That still left the ax in my wing. Even as I watched it, wondering what to do, it slowly started to work its way out of my wing! Of course! This was an ability that my body had, rejecting foreign objects. I had done the same with the Drebasty weapon, back in the palace, when I had been attacked some time ago back on Morwan!
As it finally exited, I cast a healing spell over myself. While I felt better, I could still feel the wound. I got to my feet. I started lashing out with my forelegs at any of the enemy that was foolish enough to approach me.
I finally got a space cleared around me, and I also noticed I had acquired another body guard. So, someone here was still looking out for me. I looked at the enemy, and considered what spells to cast at them.
I needed to get through them, and work my way towards that gate. It needed to be closed, if this invasion was going to be stopped. I lumbered forward, picking up momentum.
Warnings went out. Our side cleared a way. Don't ask me how, but it's true.
I slammed my massive body into the enemy line, and drove through. I heard yelling behind me. Some were shouts of pain, and some were cheers, as I opened a hole in the enemy line with my body.
Edited By TeNderLoin