A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,168
an inky darkness, Jake's magic lighting the tight rocky hole as they plummeted. Jake felt the demon impact a rock, spinning them around, then they hit solid ground, the demon underneath him, sending them tumbling down a steep slope. Jake's armor kept the demon's claw at bay, while absorbing some of the impacts of his tumble. They slid down together, then dropped again, falling several feet into another passageway.
Jake rolled away, ignoring the aches and pains of his fall, then rose to his knees, sending his magic blazing into the demon. It was stunned by the fall and could not react. It exploded into ash, the sound echoing down the rocky tunnel.
He took a second to check himself out, feeling along his arms and legs, surprised not to have broken anything. He slowly got to his feet, looking down the passage. With his magic shining, lighting the area, he did not see anything else in the tunnel. He could still smell the sulfur scent that they had been approaching, so he decided to follow that, hoping he could rejoin the others. He cautiously followed the passage deeper into the mountain.
He walked warily, listening for any hints of trouble, eyes watching for movement. As he went deeper down the tunnel, he began to hear the faint sound of voices ahead. He slowed his pace, holding his power tightly, prepared to strike, trying to watch every direction.
As he crept along, he gradually noticed a light at the end of the passage. As he got closer to that light, he released his magic to hide his approach and slowed even further, barely moving. Gripping his sword just in case, he finally reached the end of the passage and cautiously looked out, trying to minimize his movements.
Beyond the tunnel was an open, semi-circular cavern, about one hundred yards wide with a rough hewn floor and a ceiling covered with stalactites at least eighty feet overhead. He could see that there were multiple passages, at different levels, around the edge of the cavern. The cavern was lit with many torches burning with a reddish flame, giving the impression that the whole cavern was on fire. The burnt sulfuric smell was strong in the air. As he glanced out, he could see that there were groups of half-men and Imps spread out around the cavern.
Across the cavern, a massive throne was carved directly out of a stone rise. At the base of the throne, surrounded by torches, was much smaller chair, made of a black metal. With a start, he realized that Keria was sitting in it, plainly dressed, secured by straps to its arms and legs.
"Come out, boy." A deep voice boomed throughout the cavern. The sound sent a shiver of terror through Jake. "I can feel you nearby."
A large robed figure stepped out from behind the throne. It was almost human in appearance, though very tall. Jake could just make out the black eyes at this distance. Jake shrank back in spite of himself. He could sense the coldness and evil radiating from it, much greater than he had felt from the Imps.
"I only want to talk with you." The demon said smoothly, searching the passages. "I want you to understand your options before you do something that will only lead to your death. As you can see, I have kept the princess unharmed, as I said I would. Hear me out, then decide."
Jake knew instinctively that it was foolish to even listen to the demon, but seeing Keria bound, he stoked his courage, called up his magic and stepped out into the cavern. The demon immediately locked onto him, its eyes boring into him, a smile appearing on its face. Keria cried out his name, the sound of her voice echoing in the cavern.
"So, you are this Jake Thomas I have heard about." The demon said, deep voice taking on a compelling tone. It came closer, striding slowly towards him. "I am Creatos, Lord of the Darkness. I can appreciate the courage you have shown coming here, Jake. Now, you need to use your reason. You do not know yet the power you can wield if you join us. Simply come to me and I will teach you."
Jake took a step back, pulling more power in, the blue light of his magic shining against the red of the torches. "I don't believe it would be that simple. You want me to be evil, just like you." He said loudly.