The Demon's Debt: The Warders, #5

DEDICATION

For my father, being one myself I truly appreciate

the responsibility of the role and how well you played it.

Thanks

I’d like to thank my readers for sharing the ride with me. Without you, this would not be possible. I hope you enjoy this installment of the Warders.

Prologue

Long Ago in the Ethereal Plane

THREE WISPS OF color separate from the swirling formless grey cloud at the core of the ethereal plane. First comes a bright green strand. Moments later it is followed by an orange filament then a purple one. They join a seemingly endless rainbow of wisps speeding away from the center in an ostensibly haphazard spiral racing toward the surrounding black emptiness. Each seeking to create a new reality out of the vast eternal abyss.

Each wisp of energy represents a different possible solution for the chaos of the ethereal plane. Created by the nearly infinite intellect trapped within the central nexus the wisps race into the void searching for a path to reality an escape from the prison of grey emptiness.  Within an instant of meeting the void almost every possibility disintegrates. An insignificantly small number survive for a moment or even two before succumbing to the oblivion of the void.

In the continuous stream of possibilities, only the green, orange, and purple strands survive their encounter with the abyss. Doing nothing to distinguish themselves from their comrade filaments, they curl and twist through the thinning field of grey energy surrounding the core. Nothing in their random and uncoordinated motion betrays their uniqueness from the others. As the void swallows each of their comrades, the three continue to spiral through the emptiness.

The first to cease spinning is the orange wisp. During a wayward twist, the end of its filament catches on something. To its astonishment, it has found a microfracture in the void. Frozen in the abyss, the wisp shoots a small tendril of its energy into the fracture. As the tendril worms its way through the fissure, the numbing vacuum of the abyss presses against the filament. Without the protection of its spiral motion, the abyss drains the wisp’s energy. Fighting against joining its comrades in oblivion, the orange wisp shoots the last of its energy reserves into the tendril. Its gamble pays off. The tendril reaches into an alternative reality. Energy flows from the external plane, reviving the nearly spent wisp.

An instant later, the green and purple wisps find microfractures in the fabric of the void. Each one anchors itself into the fissure and draws energy from the reality of another plane of existence. Through all of time, no other possibilities find an escape from the oblivion of the void. The nearly omnipotent entity’s only hope for escape lies with the three Eternals of damnation, pestilence, and death.

Chapter One

Deep within the Elven Forest More than a Thousand Years Ago

DESPITE THE VALIANT effort of her dark elven sister, Sorceress Captain Jiana, the forest elves won the decisive battle of the elven civil war. Taking advantage of Jiana’s weakness during the new moon, their dragons overwhelmed her sister’s demon host and swarmed over the walls of the stronghold. Jiana perished in a final attempt to drive the dragons from the ramparts. There’d been no chance of success, but Jiana knew that. Her effort was meant to buy time for Jiorra to get their children out safely.

Jiorra sent them out through one of the lower passages. Unfortunately, once the dragons breached the walls and the fortress’s dark magic shields, dragon fire swept through the entire keep. The smell of burning elven and demonic flesh reached into the deepest halls of the citadel, including the one she’d sent her nieces and daughters through.

Lost in the despair of her failure, Jiorra offered no resistance to the invaders when they entered her room. Demonstrating their lack of honor, her captors did not offer her death with dignity. Instead, they bound her with silver chains and suppression spells and placed her demon eye crystals in a small silver-bound oaken chest. Disgraced, they brought her back to the heart of their forest kingdom.

Every day since she arrived, she requested an audience with the High Council, but no one except servants visited her cave prison. Her captors’ shameful treatment continued for weeks until finally, her patience paid off.

Through the shimmering blue wall of magic sealing the entrance to her cave, Jiorra watched three hooded figures emerge from the forest. Lit by the light of the full moon, she knew these were not the servants who visited her every day. Their robes marked them as high mages sent by the ruling council. With their hands tucked into the sleeves of their hooded green robes, they silently marched in step across the glade directly toward her. This was the moment she had been waiting for since being captured. Finally, she would learn her fate.

Looking for any advantage, Jiorra studied the approaching mages. While the hoods hid their identities, the lead elf was nearly half a foot smaller than the shortest of the other two. Jiorra guessed that the leader was a woman. The three elves stopped short of the entrance to her cave. They were close enough that she could see the lower half of their faces. She’d been right about the leader being female. The taller two were males.

The three mages stood motionless and silent. Bathed in the combined light of the full moon and the glow of her prison door they looked like statues in a garden. After what seemed like an age of silence Jiorra called out. Has the council finally decided what’s to become of me?

The mages remained silent, but after a moment the leader moved. She looked left to the taller of her two companions. Looking down, he met her gaze. Silently they locked eyes. Outside the cowl of his hood, Jiorra saw him purse his lips before giving the lead mage a barely perceptible nod. She turned right and repeated the process with the shorter attendant. The second elf raised his head slightly, then responded with a deep nod.

Following her lead, all three mages removed their hands from their sleeves. In their left hand, each elf held a small slender stick of wood.

I see you’ve brought what passes for magic wands in the forest.  Jiorra gestured toward the sticks in each mage’s hand. I don’t suppose you’ve come to set me free, have you?

The lead elf shook her head.

Jiorra nodded her understanding. She hadn’t expected to be set free, but there was no harm in asking. So, I’m to be executed then. I would have preferred to die in battle like my sister, but execution by magic, even forest magic, is an honorable end. If I’m to be executed, can I at least know the names of my executioners?

The two male elves ignored Jiorra. They knelt on the ground and carefully placed their wands just in front of their knees. The female elf remained standing. Hidden by her hood’s cowl, Jiorra couldn’t see the lead mage’s eyes, but she felt them staring directly at her. The mage’s lips remained straight as if carved in stone. After holding her gaze for the better part of a minute, the leader shook her head.

Jiorra sighed. It had been a long shot, but one she had to take. If she had learned at least one of their names, she might have been able to use it against them. Resigned to her fate, she asked, May I request that you properly house whatever remains of my body in stone?

Again, she felt the unseen eyes of the lead mage staring at her. This time the mage’s lips curled ever so slightly upward before straightening again. Had her executioner smiled at her? It happened so fast that Jiorra wasn’t sure it had happened at all. While she pondered what that might mean, the lead mage nodded her head.

Well, I’m glad to hear there’s some honor in the forest, Jiorra said.

The female gave Jiorra a piercing stare and shook her head. Then she reached into her robes and pulled out an obsidian knife.

Black as night and formed in the scorching heat of the earth, obsidian created a symbolic connection between dark elven mages and the power of the fiery demonic planes. Along with iron, obsidian was crucial for many of the most powerful dark elven spells. What was a forest mage doing with a dark elven talisman?

Then a happy thought crossed her mind. Was this female elf a fellow dark elven survivor? She’d heard rumors of survivors disguising themselves as forest elves. She thought it a sign of cowardice, but given her current situation, it was a sign she could overlook. Would the lead elf betray her comrades and save her? She was certainly due a bit of good luck, but that seemed too good to be true. That also didn’t explain their silence. Why were they refusing to speak? Something about this didn’t make sense. What key was she missing?

She turned her attention back to the mages. Each of them now held an obsidian blade in their right hand, which they used to dig a small hole in the ground. They set their wands into the holes and packed the earth around them, so the wands stood straight up.

After they finished burying their wands, they removed their hoods and opened their robes, exposing their chests. Each elf moved the black blade over their heart and grasped their buried wand with their left hand. Then in unison, they began speaking, or more correctly, their lips moved forming the shapes of words, but no sound escaped their mouths.

A sparkle of light appeared at the topmost tip of each wand. A different color lit the tip of each wand. The leader’s wand flashed with blue light. Yellow light lit the tip of the shorter male’s wand and red glowed from the other male’s wand. While she still couldn’t hear their words, Jiorra detected a change in the speech of the mages. Not only were their words different, but they were also repeating them faster and faster. Immediately, each sparkle of light moved from the tip and swirled around the wands. Gaining speed with each revolution the lights spiraled around the wands until it was impossible to see more than a glowing ring of color. The spectacle of spinning light mesmerized Jiorra.

With some effort, she tore her gaze away from the wands’ light show and back to the faces of the mages. Beads of sweat glistened from the brows of the male mages and tears flowed from the corner of the female’s eyes. They ran down her cheek and followed her jawline to the tip of her chin where they joined. A large drop twinkled with reflected blue, red, and yellow light as it jiggled with the quickening movement of her unheard words. Finally, with the addition of one more tear, it could resist no more and fell.

Just as it hit the ground, the elven mages stopped moving their lips. In a flash, the spiraling lights winked out. In their place, a small stem grew out of the wand. A different shape hung at the end of each wand’s stem. A cylindrical form that tapered slightly as it reached toward the ground hung from the stem where the yellow light vanished. A larger, more conical shape reached upward from the tip of the center wand. While both objects looked familiar, she couldn’t place either of them. She did recognize the one connected to the formerly red-lit wand. Dangling from its stem was the unmistakable shape of an acorn. No doubt the other two were also some type of tree seed.

Her visitors began to silently sing a new song of power. There was more to their forest magic, but what could it be? During the war, forest mages created and conjured dozens of sylvan creatures to fight against the dark elven demon hordes. In her many battles, Jiorra faced owlbears, walking trees, and unicorns. All were fearsome enemies, but none more than the dragons. If not for the unquenchable dragon fire the dark elves would have prevailed. Was this how they summoned dragons? Was she to die in dragon fire?

While continuing their silent song, the mages brought their two hands together. Using the obsidian blade, each cut two parallel lines in the palm of their left hands. They held their hands below their hearts. Blood filled their palms. Each made a fist with their left hand, bathing their fingers in fresh blood.

Jiorra watched as the elven mages gripped their wands in their blood-soaked hands. The blood flowed down the wands and into the ground. As the blood pooled about his wand, the shorter of the two male elves raised his black blade to his chest. In a loud clear voice, he screamed, Truth! and stabbed the obsidian tip through his heart. The conical seed dropped from the wand and burrowed into the ground. As soon as it disappeared, a seedling’s tendril shot from the ground. Years were condensed into seconds as the seedling grew into a towering birch tree. As the tree grew the air, in Jiorra’s cave cell grew heavier. It became a struggle to breathe.

Following his companion’s lead, the taller elf screamed Logic! and thrust the point of his obsidian blade into his heart. The acorn fell to the ground, buried itself, and seconds later grew into a mighty oak. The weight of the cave’s air became more oppressive, driving Jiorra to her knees.

With the foresight of death, she knew their purpose. They were combining the power of forest magic with dark elven magic. That’s why there were three of them. No single mage could ever hope to control such power. Even with three of them, the burden was staggering. Jiorra now understood why they were silent. They’d lost their voices. It was the first payment against that debt of impossible magic, but their hybrid magical abomination ultimately required more from them. It demanded the sacrifice of their lives. Once complete, that sacrifice would create the perfect prison. One that would not only end her life but confine her soul to the earth for all eternity.

As the full realization of her fate sank in, the female mage drove the black blade into her own heart. The air of Jiorra’s cave solidified into stone. The last thing she heard was Life!

A MEETING OF THE TRIUMVIRATE of Eternals

Somewhere in the Ethereal Plane

Maleek materialized and immediately knew his scheme to set his fellow Eternals against each other hadn’t gone according to plan. Grech and Sabo were engaged in a calm and respectful discussion. The combination of Grech’s combustible demonic personality and Sabo’s mordant wit usually set his fellow Eternals at odds. He habitually encouraged their infighting. Besides providing an entertaining show, it also allowed him to steer discussions in his preferred direction. The recent failure of Sabo’s attempt to resurrect the Necromancer and the defeat of Grech’s demonic sorceress were the perfect catalysts for an argument between the two.

Something was wrong. Neither looked the least bit agitated. Grech, known for releasing acrid vapors from his nostrils, ears, and other assorted orifices appeared completely calm. There wasn’t even a hint of sulfur in the air. His razor-sharp white teeth remained hidden behind black lips that cut a non-menacing crescent across his orange leathery face. Likewise, Sabo looked as if her Necromancer scheme had been a complete success. The purple blotched skin stretched over her skeletal frame gave off its normal smell of decomposing flesh mixed with a musty earthy aroma. More telling, all of her extremities were firmly attached. She even had all ten toes. That was never a good sign.

His fellow members of the triumvirate were so engrossed in their discussion that neither took notice of his arrival. To get their attention, he cleared his throat, raising a large globule of mucus that shot out of his mouth. The congealed ball of phlegm flew toward Grech and Sabo. It splatted inches from Grech’s hooved feet. Momentum carried a small line of mucus onto Grech’s leg.

The demonic eternal looked down at the tendril of green and yellow phlegm connecting his calf to the larger glob of mucus on the ground. Without a hint of anger or annoyance, Grech shook the spittle from his leg and greeted his fellow eternal. Ah Maleek, how good of you to join us.

Yes, Grech and I were just discussing how best to proceed, Sabo said.

Glad to hear it. By the way, sorry for the mess, Grech.

Don’t worry about it. You’ve had to put up with my fire and brimstone act plenty of times.

Maleek raised a rotting eyebrow causing a pustule to burst and ooze yellow liquid down one side of his face. What have I done to deserve such an understanding attitude?

Nothing, Grech replied.

Nothing? I’m not sure I understand, Maleek said as he looked first at Grech then toward Sabo.

Let me explain, Sabo said. You see Grech and I were just discussing our recent setbacks in bringing chaos to the material plane.

And that made you less acerbic and Grech more amiable?

No, of course not. My eyes were burning yellow and flames shot from my fingertips, Grech said.

Not to mention the fumes from your nether regions, Sabo added.

Grech grinned revealing his razor-sharp teeth. Sorry about that, but you weren’t looking so good yourself.

True my skin shriveled, and I nearly lost several of my toes, Sabo said.

Maleek nodded. That sounds more like what I expected. I don’t mean to be rude, but how did you get from there to where you are now?

Teamwork, Grech said.

Teamwork? Maleek asked.

Yes, I’m as surprised as you. As Eternals dedicated to chaos teamwork hasn’t been one of our strengths, Grech said.

Maleek raised an eyebrow, albeit more carefully this time.

Grech doesn’t mean we haven’t been supportive of each other. Isn’t that right?

Grech nodded his head and added. If anything, we’ve been too focused on helping each other.

I’m still not sure I understand, Maleek said.

Let me try this from a different angle, Sabo said. Each time we’ve reached into the material plane we’ve failed, right?

"If you consider the destruction of two lake kingdoms, the untold suffering from the great plagues, and the decline of elven power after their civil war as failures, then I’d agree."

"Look Maleek, those were wonderful as far as they went. Whether it’s been your plagues, Grech’s demon sorceress, or my agents of death, we’ve created plenty of mayhem, but we have missed our true calling. There’s a difference between creating chaos and unleashing chaos."

Yes, you’ve tried to make this point before, Sabo. As I recall that’s what led us to failure with the Necrotic Knight.

Why must you be so obstinate?  Grech asked. His eyes brightened from red to orange.

Sabo placed a bony hand on her fellow eternal’s shoulder. Calm yourself, Grech.  Turning toward Maleek she said, Will you at least hear us out before trying to pit us against each other?

Maleek looked quickly between Grech and Sabo. Then nodded. "All right, how does your idea of teamwork change things?"

We must stop concentrating our efforts on only a single manifestation of chaos within the material plane. Instead, we should combine death, damnation, and pestilence into a single attack, Sabo said.

You hope to overwhelm them? Maleek asked.

Exactly, Sabo replied.

But how? Grech’s power comes from the demonic planes, yours from the realm of death, and mine from disease and corruption. It is impossible to bridge these sources together. The ethereal plane’s spinning vortex of chaos prevents it. Even we couldn’t exist as individuals without our anchors outside this plane, Maleek said.

Sabo’s found a loophole, Grech said.

Maleek turned to Sabo. A loophole that stands against the tide of our nature?

"It’s true that our nature as the spawn of chaos prevents us from mixing our powers directly in our home plane or anywhere else for that matter. However, just because we