Rise of a Demon chapter three

3
The breeze played through Kalo’s hair. Instantly he knew this was a dream. He was almost sure exactly which one too. This time it was different. Everything from the time of day to the location was changed. And for the first time, the armies weren’t marching at him, but at his side.

He was riding on a brightly lit plain. The sun held high in the sky. The grass of the plain was short and dull green. It looked like the northern plains of Retvar, a land that had once been part of Corsec.

He looked up. High in the sky a purple, gold and green banner waved with a coiled snake embroidered on the center. He recoiled at the sight. Why, that banner was from five thousand years ago! It dated nearly back to the Uglug War. This wasn’t his battle at all.

He looked ahead. Fear surged through him. A single man stood there, he looked plain and unarmed. He wore a black hooded cloak. He was nothing more than a frail old man at first glance, yet the fear remained.

Suddenly the earth trembled. A blue glow issued from the man as waves pulsed though the marching armies.

Kalo gripped the reigns and strained to keep control of his horse. The pulse wiped out half his men.

“Fire arrows!” he called out.

Most of them never made it to the ground, they dissolved in mid air. Kalo used the brief second to charge in.

The hooded man spun around his voice boomed out “Not so fast!”

Before they reached him, a jet of blue flames issued from one of his hands.

It was an incinerating heat that burned through every vein in Kalo’s body. He screamed as he writhed on the ground. There was a flash of light in the sky.
A booming voice was just audible over the screams of pain from the other men.
Suddenly another hooded man from Kalo’s side rode out and began his own assault. Then Kalo fell to the ground screaming in pain. The vision vanished.

“YOU CAN NOT HIDE FROM YOUR DESTINY. YOU ARE BOUND TO YOUR FATE AS YOU ARE BOUND TO ME. I CAN GIVE YOU POWERS NONE OTHER CAN. JOIN ME AND FEEL YOUR TRUE POWER!”

Another vision. This time he stood on the sidelines watching. This time the man with the power stood in front of an army. He moved like the demon-man from Kalo’s usual nightmare. This time, with an army backing him he exterminated all of his enemies.

A flicker of light hit, followed by blackness. Once again a voice boomed out:
“YOU WILL HAVE POWER NONE CAN IMAGINE, BACKED BY AN ARMY NONE CAN STAND AGAINST. IN THE END YOU WILL SIT ON A THRONE FIT FOR A GOD! DO NOT RUN FROM WHAT YOU ARE!”

The next thing that happened Kalo could only describe as a dream-glitch. The original voice became eclipsed by another, as the darkness suddenly flashed to light and back again. The new voice became dominant for a moment.

“NO! JOIN ME! ETERNAL LIGHT CAN BE YOURS! I CAN MAKE YOU A GOD OVER ANYTHING HE CAN MAKE YOU!”

The voice subsided as the sounds of their battle ensued. Suddenly7 the pain started up again, and as he felt he could take no more-

Kalo woke up to the sounds of his own screams of pain. He couldn’t even remember falling asleep. He laid their panting. Something at the end had caught his attention. He pried his memory for the words he had heard. He felt as if he had swung a sword all day. His muscles ached. Suddenly, he could hold on no longer and he fell once again into a deep sleep.

***
Brince walked into Kalo’s room closely followed by Kalo’s parents. He heard Kalo’s screams from the other side of the house. “Does he do that often?” he asked.
Kalo’s father nodded. “Every night lately,” he said. “It’s a wonder the neighbors haven’t said anything yet. He doesn’t remember the dreams when he wakes up though, so we don’t ask him about them.”
With a wave of his arm, Kalo’s father beckoned for them to leave.
Brince gave his sleeping nephew one last look before leaving.

***

Kalo woke to the sound of Brince whispering in his ear “Hurry! their coming early. We must be on our way!”

Brince was dressed and ready to go. He wore his tan leather overcoat loosely hanging over his white undershirt. He wore a rugged pair of traveling boots. Trailing behind him was a fearful looking Vortin, sleep still heavy in his eyes.

Brince reached out a hand to help Kalo out of bead. When Kalo reached it he nearly yanked Kalo’s shoulder out of socket trying to help him out of bed. Brince hastily began to pull off Kalo’s cloths, but he brushed him away.

“For Karon’s sake, I can do it myself!” he said in a harsh whisper.

Brince threw up his arms “Just hurry,” he said and started to pack the few remaining things into Kalo’s bag.

Kalo pulled on something loose and light. Last night they discussed the escape plan. He and Vortin would fit themselves into some of his uncle’s crates. They would stay hidden until they were well out of town. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it was their best option.

After a moment’s hesitation he put his hunting knife in his pocket.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Brince turned from his packing. Kalo’s mother came into the room.

“They’re here! You have to go!” she said, her eyes were bloodshot from a loss of sleep. She looked like she couldn’t take much more.

Brince slung Kalo’s half full bag over his shoulder. In one hand he grabbed Kalo’s arm, and Vortin’s in the other and pulled them out of the room. He led them silently through the back door, just as the Questioners came in through the front.

When they got outside Brince’s wagon was waiting. Two large tan horses were hitched to the front. Two crates packed with straw were open.

“Hurry, crawl in, crawl in” Brince said in hushed tones. The urgency in his voice was enough to motivate Kalo to get moving.

The crate was suffocatingly cramped. He squeezed in, contorting his body into an awkward position to do so. The rough hay was itchy beyond belief.

From above he heard the clatter of crates being stacked above him by his uncle. The wagon lurched forward as Brince hitched on the reigns. They clopped down the road as quickly as possible without gaining unwanted attention. Every second was miserable. In the awkward position every rut and bump in the road was especially noticeable.

Soon the wagon slowed to a halt. Kalo heard voices outside.

“You there! This city is under questioning, you may only pass if you bear the mark of one already questioned,” It sounded like a gate guard. After a moment: “Good, you are free to go, but first I have to check your goods for stowaways,”

“Alright sir,” Brince replied.
What is he doing! Kalo thought, now we’ll be found for sure!

Kalo held his breath as the crates were opened one by one. Each time the man checked one of them he murmured something incoherently.

Kalo’s heart began pounding harder. A few beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

“Those can’t be opened, officer. Air will ruin them, and they’re for the bishop down in Gregon. I have to get them there as soon as possible,” Brince said.

Kalo prayed it would work.
After a moment the guard said “Alright, everything appears to be in order then. You can go.”

They lurched forward and began their trek once again.

They hadn’t made it a hundred yards when they heard shouts from behind.

“He’s hiding two boys in his crates! Stop them!” From behind, Kalo heard the sound of hoof beets and shouts from the men chasing them.

“Get out, both of you! Now! Run, I’ll try to hold them!” Brince yelled.

Kalo and Vortin popped up at the same time. Brince was standing their holding a gleaming blade in one hand. He jumped down and went to meet the Questioners head on. Kalo could only stare as he met them and took one of the red cloaked men head on, pulling him down and stabbing him. A second ran pat and sliced through Brince as he went.

Suddenly, Vortin pulled Kalo down to the ground, “Let’s go!” he yelled.

Kalo broke out of his trance and ran after Vortin. The questioners were too fast; they caught up in a few moments. One of them nearly trampled Kalo, before turning around to make the final kill.

The next few seconds went by almost as if they were in slow motion. A group of bandits rushed out of the woods. In an instant, they were on top of the questioners.

“Kill them and loot the wagon!” one of them yelled.

One of the bandits attacked the Questioner trying to get Kalo. Kalo rushed away and pulled Vortin with him. One of the Bandits cut them off. A steal short sword was pointed straight at them. The bandit grinned in triumph at his two easy victims.

Without thinking Kalo grabbed the knife out of his pocket and lunged at the man, wiping the grin off of the bandits face. He jammed it deep into the man’s side. When he pulled it out the once shiny silver metal was now covered in crimson blood. It was the first time Kalo had killed anything bigger that a rabbit. He almost threw up, but was able to pull himself together to run away.

He and Vortin dashed away as fast as their legs would carry them. They turned the bend and dashed into the woods in the direction opposite of where the bandits had come from. Kalo pulled Vortin along one of their many hunting paths. He ran, following his trail until he made it to a large tree with its trunk partially hollowed out. They both climbed inside. For a second the only sound was their heavy breaths.

“What should we do now?” Kalo asked to break the quiet after he had gotten his breath back.

Vortin shrugged. His face was white and his hands shook almost as bad as Kalo’s.

“The only thing we can do. I think we have to get to your uncle in Gregon,” he said.

Kalo nodded. How are we ever going to pull this off? he thought. “Well, I think we will be safe if we just stay here for a few hours. Then we can be off, though we’ll have to stay off of the main roads. Hopefully when we get to my uncle he will know what to do,” he said.

If they haven’t killed him be the time we get there. Karon shine light upon us. Please don’t let them have gotten there, he thought.