The beast howled with pain, stepping back from the magical blade, a deep laceration splattering black blood onto the ground. This weapon was no ordinary blade. The demon felt the dwarven magic sting its flesh and it hissed with anger and pain, sending both clawed hands out simultaneously, tearing long deep cuts across the man’s chest.
Blood poured from the wounds and Graggis stumbled backwards. More men rushed in through the door with weapons drawn. The Greever sensed that these men were battle hardened warriors, some of whom might possess magically forged weapons as well. The demon looked at Jonas’s body crumpled on the floor and back at the men who were flooding into the dark room.
Graggis, seeing the demon turn its head toward the boy, lifted his axe over his head and threw it with incredible speed and strength. Somersaulting fifteen paces the axe slammed into the beast’s chest. An eerie howl of pain erupted from the demon as it stumbled backwards. The axe head was buried deep in its chest and the pain was unbearable. With a quick flick of its clawed hand the Greever ripped the weapon from the wound, shuffling backwards away from the knights.
It would take too long for this wound to heal. Its inert magic would be unable to quickly seal a wound inflicted by a magical weapon. The demon could probably kill the boy and the larger warrior, but it knew not what it faced with the rest of the men. The mission could wait. With an angry howl the demon pivoted, racing down the body strewn barracks and leaped out the back door into the night. The beast used its powerful legs to jump into the air, unfurl its wings, and fly into the protection of the darkness. The Greever howled again in anger. The hunt would have to wait for another day.
Graggis was kneeling on the bloody floor using his strong thick arms to hold up his weight. His chest was badly torn and blood was pouring steadily from the wounds to pool on the stone floor.
Lathrin and a handful of knights moved toward him, fanning out into the room, their swords drawn and their faces reflecting disgust and despair as they viewed the carnage clearly for the first time. Most of the knights were wearing leggings and night shirts and not much more as the alarm had awakened them from their slumber. The room was dark again. Jonas’s light had been extinguished when he hit the wall, but several of the knights had brought lanterns and they raised them to get a better look at their surroundings.
“What in Bandris’s name happened?” asked Lathrin, scanning the terrible scene, his eyes wide with horror. Lathrin and his men were warriors who had fought in many battles, had seen men killed and had experienced the horrors of the battlefield. But this was beyond their imagination. Everywhere, weaponless boys were ripped and thrown around the room like pieces of a rag doll. Body parts and blood were everywhere. Lathrin stumbled forward in shock at the death and destruction around him. “What was that beast?”
“I don’t know. It looked to be a demon of some kind. The beast was attacking the boy, Jonas, when I arrived,” Graggiss muttered through gritted teeth as he slowly stood, pain lancing through his body. Lathrin dropped his sword reaching out to stabilize Graggis’s massive body.
“Get a healer in here! Now!” screamed Lathrin. “Dagrinal, report this to the king and warn the castle if they have not already been alerted.”
“Yes sir!” Dagrinal, wearing only his night tunic and breeches, raced out the door with his long sword in his hand.
“Sir,” Graggis said.
“Yes.”
“The boy, Jonas, he was glowing when I came in. A white light was shining from him, keeping the demon at bay. It was God Light, like that from a cavalier.”
“What! Are you sure?”
“I am,” whispered Graggis, stumbling to the ground, his strength finally sapped from loss of blood.
“Get the healers now! And someone get some priests in here!”
***
Jonas slowly opened his eyelids letting his tired eyes adjust to his surroundings. They focused slowly and he saw that he was lying in a large bed. The room was big and richly decorated. His vision swam and the scene blurred; his head throbbed in pain. Dizziness overwhelmed him and everything went black again.
“Jonas.” He heard his name whispered as he tried to shed the darkness from his mind.
“Jonas.” It came again and he slowly opened his eyes to