Into the Demons Lair

CHAPTER I

Larien stormed out of her Uncle Gabriel’s home and headed straight to where her Dragon was waiting for her.  There were two Dragons standing there, where there had only been one earlier, but she didn’t give the second one a thought.  She figured it probably belonged to Alyssa, which could mean anything as her sister often visited their parents.  She didn’t look around to see if her sister was with her Dragon, didn’t stop to tell anyone where she was going, or anything else she would have normally done.  She walked up to her Dragon, jumped up into the saddle, and ordered it to fly her to the Demon Mountains.

Not a good idea, Larien’s Dragon commented, as it took to the air with a single bound.

I didn’t ask your opinion, Larien snapped back.

Touchy, touchy, the Dragon chided.

You better not blab where we are going to everyone you meet.  If you do, I will hear about it and, I will make you sorry that you did, Larien warned.

So what could you do about it if I did, give me to another rider?  Be still my beating hearts, I am wounded to the core, The Dragon retorted.

You will be if I hear you ratted me out, Larien threatened.

I won’t have to, there are others who will do it for me, The Dragon replied, as it stuck its tongue out at Larien.

Larien frowned, as she realized her Dragon was right.  She wouldn’t reach the entrance to the caves before the whole Elven Empire knew where she was going.  Well, it didn’t matter, because she was here and no one was going to stop her.  She would be long gone before anyone could do anything about her plans.  She raised her arms into the air and gave a silent call to her Dragonets.  It was time they had their first taste of battle and they were still small enough to fit through the entrance of the cave system.  By the time they were finished with the Demons, there would be none left.

Larien’s landing and the gathering of her Dragonets were witnessed by two Elves.  Her sister, Alyssa, who had landed her Dragon close enough to make it simple for her to follow Larien on foot, and King Lothrariel.  He had seen her in a vision and was quick to react, although he wasn’t about to go after her in person.  He turned to Rothliel and subtly suggested that his brother follow her.

I just had a vision, one I am sure you will be interested in, King Lothrariel began.

Another infestation of snakes heading for the Great Guardian?  Rothliel joked, as he grinned at his brother.  He knew that wasn’t the case, but he couldn’t think of anything that he would be interested in at this moment, especially when Lothrariel was headed for a meeting with his Life Mate, S’Larea.

Nothing like that, King Lothrariel assured Rothliel.  We both know that the new Great Guardian is safe where it is, barring the complete annihilation of the Elven Empire.  Do you remember the first meeting of the new counsel that we were involved in? 

Yes, I remember.  I also recall thinking that the table we were using was way too big for the number of Elves in attendance, Rothliel pointed out.

You remember how I saw my Life Mate in the sphere at that time?  King Lothrariel asked.

I remember, Rothliel replied.

I seem to recall that you saw yours at the same time.  I was able to see her as well.  She was a brunette with silver blue eyes and she rode a red Dragon, King Lothrariel described Rothliel’s Life Mate.

I remember, vaguely, but that was five hundred years ago or so, things change and, to be honest, I never gave it another thought after a while, Rothliel admitted.

I know who your Life Mate is and, I know you are not going to be happy about what she is doing at the moment, King Lothrariel informed Rothliel.

You are itching to tell me all about it, so why don’t you, instead of playing games?  Rothliel suggested.

Very well, your Life Mate is Torrent and Serenity’s eldest daughter, Larien, King Lothrariel replied.

Rothliel couldn’t say he had heard much about the girl, other than that she looked like her mother and was best friends with Eärwen.  He remembered meeting Serenity several times over the centuries and had to admit that she was a beauty.  She was also a very high-ranking Elf.  Did it run in the family?  It was possible.  A look at Lothrariel’s expression told him it did.  Was she reckless about how she used it?  He was afraid to ask, but he had to know.

What is my Elven beauty up to?

She is entering the Demon Mountains with her band of Dragonets.  She plans to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but instead of going after the Demon Hordes when they gather outside of the lairs, she is headed into the mountains, to try to wipe them out there.  King Lothrariel informed Rothliel.

Does she have any idea what she is getting herself into?  Rothliel asked.  He couldn’t believe that any Elf would knowingly walk into a situation that dangerous.

She knows there is danger, but she is also very sure that her Dragonets are capable of getting the tasks she wants them to do, done, King Lothrariel explained.

There are millions of Demons in those mountains, more than she can begin to imagine.  Surely she has been told about that.  Look at the thousands they sacrificed without a second thought when they tried to keep us from rescuing Eöl.  Rothliel exclaimed.

No one knows how many Demons are living in those mountains.  We could be over estimating their numbers.  King Lothrariel pointed out.

We both know better, Rothliel replied.

I want you to go after Larien, Rothliel.  It is time that you did something for you.  It is time that you met and claimed your Life Mate.  Don’t miss this opportunity and, by doing so, allow her to do something foolish, something that will get her killed and rob you of the one chance you have to complete a Life Mate bond.  Opportunities like this only come once in a lifetime, if we are lucky.  Don’t miss yours! King Lothrariel ordered his brother.

I have to wonder if the fates will ever give me something simple to do in this lifetime.  It seems to always be the same thing, Rothliel, go into the Demon Mountains and save someone from a certain death.  I hate those mountains and I hate being underground.  I am an Elf, not a mole, Rothliel complained.

Stand around complaining for much longer and you won’t need to concern yourself about going into the mountains after her, because she will be on the Demons menu for their evening meal.  King Lothrariel warned Rothliel.

Rothliel frowned at his brother, then threw his hands into the air in a form of helpless surrender, as he turned to head for the Demon Mountains.  He wasn’t as reluctant to go after Larien as he sounded, although he would have been a lot happier if it didn’t have anything to do with Demons.  He was thoroughly sick of those mountains.  He could have groaned in frustration when he arrived at the base of them, just in time to see her smallest Dragonet disappear through the entrance to the cave system.  That meant she was already inside.

The least Lothrariel could have done was open a portal close to the area where the tunnels start.  He hasn’t been able to think of anything but S’Larea ever since she sent him that message saying that their time had come, Rothliel complained, as he talked to himself.  He had a feeling something momentous was about to happen, and he couldn’t put his finger on the reason.  It, however, had to do with Larien and whatever was about to happen inside those mountains.  That meant it was up to him to make sure everyone got out in one piece.  He wondered whom he had to thank for this honour.

CHAPTER II

Larien’s entry into the Demon Mountains was easily accomplished. There were no guards on duty, although there were signs of Demons having been there earlier. She quickly decided to move on and, motioned to her Dragonets, as they slipped into the tunnel at the back of the cave. It wasn’t difficult to decide which way to enter the passages leading into the lairs. There was only one entryway and it looked well used. She wondered how far she would get before she encountered guards and hoped it would be a long time. She really wasn’t looking forward to starting a war when she was only beginning to enter enemy territory, but she wouldn’t back down from it if she had no choice.

Larien hadn’t gone thirty feet into the tunnel when she came face to face with the guards who were reporting to their post for duty. There were four of them and they smiled, as they greeted her. They didn’t notice the Dragonets, as her companions hovered high overhead.

Look at what we have here, the first Demon purred, as he approached Larien.

Larien narrowed her eyes, as she took a measuring look at the Demon who had spoken and assumed a fighting stance. She already had her first five moves planned. The first Demon wouldn’t be much of a challenge, from what she could see. He had no way of knowing how well trained she was. He also wasn’t going to expect her to attack. She liked how he advanced. He was blocking the others’ view of the action and her next movements. That would allow her to set up her following actions, before they had a chance to react. She was going to have to work fast after that, because she was sure they weren’t stupid enough to just stand there and watch, as she killed their friend.

Larien didn’t reply to the taunting remark the Demon guard made. She waited until he was close enough to reach out to touch her, then she kicked out with her right foot to land her first blow. She then pulled her sword from its scabbard. As she had thought, the first Demon was the easiest, as she rammed her sword through his heart, while he lay wheezing on the ground. She chanted a quick spell, to take care of the body, as she removed the sword and turned to face the three remaining warriors.

You want to play, too, boys? Larien taunted.

The three remaining Demons couldn’t believe what the petite Elven female had done. She had kicked the guard in the balls and he had gone down heavily. It had made them wince with the imagined pain. She had then killed him, while he lay on the ground, writhing in pain. This woman was dangerous. That didn’t deter them, however. After all, there were three of them and she was only one small Elven female.

When the Demon guards ran to attack Larien, she was ready for them. She raised a hand over her head and, then brought it back down in a slashing signal. Her Dragonets knew what was expected of them and with a peep of acknowledgement, they descended on the unsuspecting trio.

The Demons saw Larien’s signal, but had no idea what it meant, although they caught the message that it was being given to someone, or something, in the upper part of the tunnel. They looked up to see what or who she had hidden there, just in time to notice the six Dragonets swooping down on them. The Dragonets spewed flames as they descended, aiming it at their enemies, and the Demons scrambled to defend themselves. It was too late. There was no time to react before the Demons burst into balls of flames. The Dragonets didn’t quit spewing fire until there was nothing left of the warriors but ash and smoke.

Larien coughed, as she covered her nose and mouth with a cloth to filter the stench of burning Demons and the acrid effects of the smoke. She then moved on. She knew her plans weren’t going to get easier. She had been careless and, if anyone saw what happened, they would quickly alert the rest of the population about the threat lurking inside the tunnels. Those left her with two choices, either turn back, or be more careful, as she worked her way further into the mountains. She didn’t consider the first option a serious one. She was committed to her plans and wasn’t going to give up this easily. She was going to do what she had come for, or die trying.

Alyssa watched her sister go into the cave that marked one of the entrances to the cave system and frowned. She couldn’t help but wonder if Larien knew how reckless her actions were. She was about to follow, when she saw Rothliel slip from the tree line, to follow the trail Larien had left as she had travelled. That was something she hadn’t expected and questioned, especially as he didn’t look very happy to be there. She didn’t blame him. She wasn’t particularly pleased about what she was about to do either. It reminded her very much what her mother used to say, when Larien and her were young and got into trouble together. I swear that if one of you jumped off a flying Dragon, the other would follow.

Unfortunately, both Larien and Alyssa had responded in the affirmative at the time, as she remembered. Serenity had wasted very little time before trying to correct that thought. Her words, however, had fallen on deaf ears, for the girls had learned early in life to recognize the spark of maternal pride their mother felt for them. Serenity knew that her girls would continue to carry on the family legacy as Dragon Riders; how could they not? There were Dragonets everywhere to prove that they were strongly allied with the talent it took to follow in her footsteps. To make sure that they had an alternative choice, in case she was wrong, Torrent and her made sure that they shared the classes taught by General Gabriel. There, they learned what it was like to be an Eagle Claw, along with their cousins. To this day, his lessons, along with the words he passed on to them, remained and were repeated, every time they went into battle.

Remember always, protect your partner’s back.

Alyssa watched, as Rothliel slipped through the opening of the cave to follow in Larien’s wake. She knew he wouldn’t notice her, for he was too focused on her sister. She shadowed him close enough to hear what he was saying, as well as doing, and was careful to catch both his words and actions.

Rothliel gave a frustrated sigh, as he entered the tunnel. He could smell the results of Larien’s battle with the Demons and, knew that if he was able to smell the burned residue, the Demons would too. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

With extreme care, Rothliel mixed the fine black ashes that were the remains of the Demon guards, with the residue of the mosses that were growing on the walls. The plants, he noticed, were thick here as they had a ready source of sunlight, and the task went fast. He would have preferred to have removed the telltale signs of what had happened completely, but knew that was more than what he could do in the time available. He needed to catch up with Larien and, she wasn’t about to wait for him, not in the mood she seemed to be in. Not even if she knew he was following in her footsteps.

Alyssa stood in the shadows and listened to Rothliel as he muttered to himself, while he worked. It didn’t take long for her to put things together and she grinned, as she considered the ramifications. Rothliel, it seemed, was following Larien for more than the obvious reason of keeping her safe, although it was his main objective. She wondered how her sister was going to receive the news that her Life Mate was coming to her aid. Before Eärwen had met Eöl, Larien would have been very receptive to the idea, but now? She had a feeling that Rothliel was in for a rough time. To Larien, at this moment, Life Mates equated trouble.

Alyssa moved forward, as Rothliel left the area where the Dragonets had reduced the Demon guards to ash earlier, to inspect Rothliel’s work. She had to admit, he was thorough, even under pressure. She continued to follow his tracks with a grin. It might be amusing to watch the fire spark between the two Life Mates, at least until Larien decided to accept the inevitable.

As Rothliel and Alyssa continued to trail after Larien, she foraged further into the tunnels. She wasn’t being as careless as she had in the beginning. The short battle with the Demon Guards had made her realize how much trouble she might be bringing on herself. The Demons were not going to welcome her into the lairs with any more enthusiasm than she would show them if they arrived at her front door unannounced.

The sound of voices coming from the end of the tunnel that Larien was travelling through heralded trouble for her. She had nowhere to hide. If she ran back to the opening she had used to enter the tunnel from, the Demons would hear her footsteps and know someone was there who shouldn’t be. If she continued to go forwards, she would end up in a battle with the enemy again, something she couldn’t afford to continue doing. The last thing she needed at this point of her mission, was to announce her presence in the tunnels, because if it were known, she would be hunted. If the Demons were on the lookout for her, she would never reach the main lairs. She already knew it wasn’t going to be an easy trip and didn’t want to complicate things even further. Trying to reach her goal was going to be hard enough, considering the huge numbers of enemy warriors who seemed to be traveling through the passageways.

Rothliel knew Larien was in trouble the moment he reached the opening of the tunnel. He used the vegetation on the walls of the cave as an extra set of ears and eyes to check on the enemy, then quickly broke into a soundless run. He knew she was aware of the problem, but wasn’t sure what to do about it. If she ran, the Demons were sure to hear the sounds she would make, even over those that they were creating. An Elf could move soundlessly under the right conditions, but he doubted if she had any form of training under these. As a Tratchar, he could cushion the sound of his feet against the rock with moss, so the surroundings didn’t affect him the way it would her.

Larien quickly looked upwards, as she checked to see how high the ceiling was in the tunnel. She had left her Dragonets behind in the cave she had vacated, with instructions to stay hidden in the upper shadows. She told them that when she felt it was safe for them to go on, she would signal. They were well hidden where they were. She checked the area where she was, to see if she could find a good place to hide also. She could see that would be impossible. The roof of the tunnel was too close to the ground to be much help and there was nothing large enough to shield her. Even if the Demons didn’t look up while passing, they would be able to see her from a distance, because there was no covering large enough to hide behind. At this moment, the only place that might give her any cover was in the moss on the walls but, as she wasn’t a Tratchar, they wouldn’t do her any good either.

Alyssa hung back. She had noticed the danger signals Rothliel’s body was sending. She doubted if he realized it, or would care if he did. He had tensed up the moment he had reached the head of the tunnel, then broke into a run, a sure sign something was about to go wrong. She looked up, at the slightest movement of a wing from a Dragonet overhead, and counted the small bodies of Larien’s friends, as she met their concentrated gazes. All were present and accounted for, which meant her sister had to be close by, something that she already knew. She was probably in a lot of trouble as, without the Dragonets to help her in case of overwhelming odds, she would be vulnerable to attack. She hoped Rothliel would be able to get to her before the Demons saw her or they would both be in danger.

Alyssa would find out whether the images coming her way would end in tragedy or not shortly. In the meantime, she pulled her weapons. She knew that if her sister was in trouble, it wouldn’t take long for the sounds of battle to reach her and she would race to their rescue. If Rothliel didn’t reach Larien first, there would be either the sound of steel on steel, signaling the fact that he hadn’t gotten there on time. If he was successful, there would be silence. If no sound was heard beyond that of the Demons walking on the stone paths, that would mean Rothliel had managed to hide Larien before they were found and both were safe. She looked around and figured she wouldn’t have any problems finding a hiding place, for there were boulders strewn everywhere in the cavern, and the ledges further up were large enough to give her cover if needed.

CHAPTER III

Larien pressed her body as deeply into the spongy softness of the moss covering the walls beside her as she could, and hoped it would be enough to hide her from the Demons who were getting closer to her area. She wasn’t holding out much hope of success. She was sure the Demons would notice her immediately. In preparation for the fight that would cause, she wound her hand around the hilt of her sword and waited to see what was about to happen.

Rothliel could have kissed Larien for her decision to hide in the moss, although it wouldn’t have done her much good without him. He wasn’t close enough to take her into the plants that were growing on the walls, but he could use his talent to shield her enough from the advancing Demon forces to be effective. He had another fifty yards to go before reaching her, when he heard the first faint steps of the enemy troop. They had reached the curve where she was hidden and, he pushed the illusion spell he had quickly conjured, at her. He wasn’t worried about himself, for he could easily become one with the vegetation.

Larien couldn’t believe her luck when the Demon Warriors marched past her hiding spot, without even one noticing her. It wasn’t that they didn’t look at the walls, for they did, in ways that made her wonder why they hadn’t seen her. All that she cared about was that they hadn’t bothered to look carefully enough to see her. She counted them, as they passed and, wondered where they were going and why. There were forty Demon Wizards and over two hundred Demon Warriors and, she was sure, they had to be headed for the Free Lands.

The last of the Demons had barely passed, when the mountains began to shake, and they were all knocked off their feet. Something serious, Larien thought to herself, was happening, and she could only wonder whether she had picked a bad time to act, as she held on to the walls as they shook beneath her hands. She bit her lips to silence the fearful cry that threatened to escape from her. It was times like this when she wished she had inherited some of the Earth talents her cousins had. Gildren would have been able to tell her what was going on immediately, for he was the most like his father, Gabriel, that way.

The floor near Rothliel cracked and heaved and he swallowed his fears. He could only imagine how scared Larien must be, but there was no way to reach her without giving away their presence to the Demons who surrounded them. They were going to have to deal with what was happening in the best way they could.

Alyssa wound her arms around the largest boulder in the cavern that she could and clung for her life. The whole mountain was shaking and, unlike her sister, she had enough Earth talent to know what was happening. She reached out to touch Larien, through their sisterly bond, and spoke, uncaring whether she questioned her presence in the mountains or not.

Hold tight, Larien, the Mountains are about to erupt, but it won’t affect this area, so we are safe. Alyssa warned.

Larien could have sworn, and did, Damn, Alyssa, what are you doing inside the mountains? And, what do you mean they are about to erupt, but we are safe?

Alyssa rolled her eyes. Trust Larien to figure out exactly what she was up to. Well, she wasn’t about to admit it. There was enough going on around them to make her sister doubt her instincts at this moment and she was going to use that as an excuse.

I don’t have to be in the mountains to talk to you. The rock is riddled with so many holes it is a wonder it still stands. I know you can’t sense it, but the tops of both of these Mountains have exploded into the skies above us. There is smoke billowing out of the cavity that it created. If I were you, I would get out of here before things get more complicated. Alyssa advised.

"I am not leaving