Dermanassian woke to find a black demon crouched beside his campfire. It
snarled like giant mountain cat and blinked twice before springing. As
Dermanassian grabbed his sword, a flash of sorcerous fire hurtled from the
nearby wood and slammed into the demon’s side. Its eyes widened as the pale
green flame knocked it howling into the turf.
He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. He was angling the blue lotus
sword for a thrust beneath the demon’s ribs when another bolt rushed past him
to envelope the creature. Wailing, the demon flickered and disappeared,
leaving only the scent of charred hair and a curl of greenish smoke.
His attacker abruptly gone, Dermanassian spun toward the tree line. He
squinted into the darkness, his sword gleaming in the firelight. "I would like to
thank you properly," he called, not loosening his grip on the sword.
Another demon, robed and barefoot, stepped from the brush. She was both
taller and broader than he, although she did not dwarf him. She carried no
obvious weapon, but, with both sorcery and curved claws at her command, he
judged she needed none.
"You're the one they call the Gray Mist?" she asked, staring at his gray clothes
and cloak. Her voice was unexpectedly and disarmingly smooth.
"Yes. And you?"
"Janan," she smiled, showing dagger-like teeth. "Looks like I came just in time."
"So it seems," he inclined his head in wary thanks. "Though it is strange to me
that demons should be here at all."
"I was looking for you. I guess I wasn’t the only one."
"You knew that creature?" Dermanassian’s black eyes narrowed with suspicion.
The demon grunted. “I knew him.” She squatted beside the fire, her muscular
legs flexing. The claws upon her broad feet dug into the ground as she poked at
the flames with a hooked finger. The fire flared and popped in response.
"Reminds me of home," the demon smiled faintly. When he said nothing, Janan
explained, "That was a joke. Anyway, I hear you kill demons."
"Not out of habit."
She frowned. "But you have killed a demon?"
"Yes," he said, working to keep the puzzlement from his voice. "And this
creature who sought to ambush me –"
She grunted again, waving away his question. "I thought so. For a moment, I
thought I had the wrong human."
"I am not human," he answered in defensive habit.
The demon squinted curiously at him, as if noticing for the first time his
angular features. "What are you then?"
"A desert elf."
"I didn’t think there were any left."
"I am the last."
Sympathy flashed across her face, but she shrugged it away. "I have a task for
you. I'd like you to rid me of a demon named Aradan. The pay will be good."
Dermanassian frowned. "Are you asking me to go to the demonworld to
commit murder?"
The demon shook her head. "Not at all. Whether you do it in the demonworld
or elsewhere is no concern of mine."
"I am not an assassin or for hire."
The demon shrugged again. "I know you’ve killed. Whether you think of
yourself as an assassin or not is your business. If you won't take pay, then the
burden on my treasury is eased." Janan scratched her cheek. "If you like, you
can fight for vengeance and self-preservation rather than coin, for it was
Aradan who sent the cat."
Dermanassian was taken aback. "I do not know this Aradan. Why would he
wish me ill?"
“Not ill,” she corrected, “dead. And it’s because I've already told the gossipers
that I hired you. With the aid of my spies, Aradan tracked you down. Now that
his assassin has failed, he will send others. I will help you against them too, if
necessary, until Aradan comes for you himself. Then one of you must surely
slay the other, for he is not one to abandon a fight once joined. The choice of
who then dies – if choice it is – will be entirely yours. Should you kill him, then
I am satisfied. Should he kill you, then I'll eventually someone who can prevail
against him."
Dermanassian rubbed his eyes with a long-fingered hand. This seemed to him
some incomprehensible, maddening dream. "If he comes, then I will tell him all
that you have told me."
She laughed. "He might even believe you! But he'll kill you anyway, just in
case."
Dermanassian elf was confused by the demon's frank and strange ultimatum.
His hand again tightened on the hilt of the blue lotus sword and, with poorly-
disguised frustration, he jammed a wayward wisp of black hair behind an ear.
"You have evidently spent much time building this trap around me. Why are
you so determined to have me kill this Aradan?"
"Most of the better wars started with an assassination," she joked half-
heartedly...
snarled like giant mountain cat and blinked twice before springing. As
Dermanassian grabbed his sword, a flash of sorcerous fire hurtled from the
nearby wood and slammed into the demon’s side. Its eyes widened as the pale
green flame knocked it howling into the turf.
He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. He was angling the blue lotus
sword for a thrust beneath the demon’s ribs when another bolt rushed past him
to envelope the creature. Wailing, the demon flickered and disappeared,
leaving only the scent of charred hair and a curl of greenish smoke.
His attacker abruptly gone, Dermanassian spun toward the tree line. He
squinted into the darkness, his sword gleaming in the firelight. "I would like to
thank you properly," he called, not loosening his grip on the sword.
Another demon, robed and barefoot, stepped from the brush. She was both
taller and broader than he, although she did not dwarf him. She carried no
obvious weapon, but, with both sorcery and curved claws at her command, he
judged she needed none.
"You're the one they call the Gray Mist?" she asked, staring at his gray clothes
and cloak. Her voice was unexpectedly and disarmingly smooth.
"Yes. And you?"
"Janan," she smiled, showing dagger-like teeth. "Looks like I came just in time."
"So it seems," he inclined his head in wary thanks. "Though it is strange to me
that demons should be here at all."
"I was looking for you. I guess I wasn’t the only one."
"You knew that creature?" Dermanassian’s black eyes narrowed with suspicion.
The demon grunted. “I knew him.” She squatted beside the fire, her muscular
legs flexing. The claws upon her broad feet dug into the ground as she poked at
the flames with a hooked finger. The fire flared and popped in response.
"Reminds me of home," the demon smiled faintly. When he said nothing, Janan
explained, "That was a joke. Anyway, I hear you kill demons."
"Not out of habit."
She frowned. "But you have killed a demon?"
"Yes," he said, working to keep the puzzlement from his voice. "And this
creature who sought to ambush me –"
She grunted again, waving away his question. "I thought so. For a moment, I
thought I had the wrong human."
"I am not human," he answered in defensive habit.
The demon squinted curiously at him, as if noticing for the first time his
angular features. "What are you then?"
"A desert elf."
"I didn’t think there were any left."
"I am the last."
Sympathy flashed across her face, but she shrugged it away. "I have a task for
you. I'd like you to rid me of a demon named Aradan. The pay will be good."
Dermanassian frowned. "Are you asking me to go to the demonworld to
commit murder?"
The demon shook her head. "Not at all. Whether you do it in the demonworld
or elsewhere is no concern of mine."
"I am not an assassin or for hire."
The demon shrugged again. "I know you’ve killed. Whether you think of
yourself as an assassin or not is your business. If you won't take pay, then the
burden on my treasury is eased." Janan scratched her cheek. "If you like, you
can fight for vengeance and self-preservation rather than coin, for it was
Aradan who sent the cat."
Dermanassian was taken aback. "I do not know this Aradan. Why would he
wish me ill?"
“Not ill,” she corrected, “dead. And it’s because I've already told the gossipers
that I hired you. With the aid of my spies, Aradan tracked you down. Now that
his assassin has failed, he will send others. I will help you against them too, if
necessary, until Aradan comes for you himself. Then one of you must surely
slay the other, for he is not one to abandon a fight once joined. The choice of
who then dies – if choice it is – will be entirely yours. Should you kill him, then
I am satisfied. Should he kill you, then I'll eventually someone who can prevail
against him."
Dermanassian rubbed his eyes with a long-fingered hand. This seemed to him
some incomprehensible, maddening dream. "If he comes, then I will tell him all
that you have told me."
She laughed. "He might even believe you! But he'll kill you anyway, just in
case."
Dermanassian elf was confused by the demon's frank and strange ultimatum.
His hand again tightened on the hilt of the blue lotus sword and, with poorly-
disguised frustration, he jammed a wayward wisp of black hair behind an ear.
"You have evidently spent much time building this trap around me. Why are
you so determined to have me kill this Aradan?"
"Most of the better wars started with an assassination," she joked half-
heartedly...
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Demon War By SC Bryce |
Publication History |
First Printing:
Flashing Swords, Vol. 1, Issue 3,
Howard Andrew Jones, ed. (July
2005), at www.SwordandSorcery.org.
Flashing Swords, Vol. 1, Issue 3,
Howard Andrew Jones, ed. (July
2005), at www.SwordandSorcery.org.
| WORLDS OF WONDER A Webzine of Fantasy & Science Fiction |
Second Printing:
Worlds of Wonder, Sharon Partington,
ed. (Spring 2006), at clik.to/wowzine.
Worlds of Wonder, Sharon Partington,
ed. (Spring 2006), at clik.to/wowzine.
 |
Readers' Comments |
Reviews |
| "Enough fast-paced, high energy adventure for the most action-starved reader... exotic and well-detailed..." Tangent Short Fiction Review, on The Demon War. |
"Original..." "A vivid world with powerful imagery..." "I was immediately grabbed..." "Wonderful and imaginative..." "An absorbing read..." "I really enjoyed it..." "Good hook..." "A wonderful story..." "I was cheering..." "Well done..." "Most enjoyable..." "Strong writing and well-structured..." "Intriguing..." "I really enjoyed your story..." "Instantly made me curious..." "Totally out of the ordinary..." "Great plot twist..." "Dialogue was well-done..." "Very intriguing..." "This is a wonderful story..." "Really good tension..." |
| Impatient? Jump to... |
| ...also on this Page! |