“By the way,” he gave Tom a sickly smile, “I am warded, you can’t get through.” Tom simply kept going forward “I don’t think,” he added, as Tom continued to advance.
“Hey, let’s call it even. My... associates torched your... master’s party, you shredded my associates! Fair is fair, right?” The young wizard was really looking green now, apparently on the verge of a nervous breakdown, or severe nausea or both.
“You know,” the young man almost cried, “these wards would be a real pain to try to break. I won’t bother you if you don’t obliterate me.” Tom didn’t say anything, he simply stopped within arm’s reach of the kid. Tom didn’t, of course want to hurt him, simply make him leave. He reached out and picked the young man up so that they were at eye level. Tom opened his mouth to say something, but had to think, so he just ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to decide what would work best. At this point, the guy broke down and cried, tears started rolling out of his eyes and down his dirty cheeks. Tom’s nose also detected a certain odor that he recognized immediately. He’d heard of people shitting their pants, but never actually seen it.
Suddenly he was tired of the whole thing. It had been cruel of him to frighten this guy so, even if he was an ambusher. Wanting to end it, he just brought the fellow close to his face, and dropping his demonic voice and letting his weariness show, he simply said “Get the fuck outta here.” He then tossed the little wizard a ways off, but gently, so as not to break any bones.
Tom turned back towards the wagons, to see if anyone was left alive. He noted that Lenamare’s friend had vanished, in fact the only person he saw moving was the girl who had been by the older woman. He walked down to the front wagon to see if she was O.K. As he got close, she turned and saw him, and started looking around wildly. Tom sighed, hoping he wouldn’t have to put up with an hysterical woman. She reached down and grabbed something, and just as he got within about a foot of the wagon, she spun around. She stuck her fist practically in his face.
“Halt... Halt, d.d.demon,” she stuttered; she seemed to be shaking. “I... I have thy ring and I command thee to obey me!” Tom was weary from fighting and really didn’t really feel like dealing with this. “Thou art mine... Tomasedwardperkinje! Thou must obey my will. The power of the Covenant of the Ring binds thee to my will demon!”
Enough again, thought Tom. Apparently, she too thinks this ring has some compulsion on me. Time to disillusion her. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Trying not to hurt her with his strength and sharp claws, he gently pried her fist open and removed the ring from her finger. It was a little tricky, he really wasn’t used to using his new fingers for such delicate work, but he got it off without too much pain. In order that she get the point, he held it before her face, on which there was an expression of shock. He then brought his finger and thumb together, and flattened the ring like it was made out of Styrofoam.
What he had not expected was for her to faint. Girls just didn’t do that sort of thing anymore, not where he came from. Of course, he reminded himself, demons didn’t pry rings off their fingers, either. Not knowing what else to do, he carefully lifted her off the wagon and laid her down on the ground. He then stepped back and looked down at her, trying to decide what to do next.
“You didn’t kill her, did you?” asked a soft voice that seemed to becoming from under the wagon.
In order to see who spoke, Tom had to squat down and peer under the wagon. Laying on the ground was a small boy, with brown hair and eyes, homespun breeches and shirt, about nine years old, who was staring at him intensely.
“No,” Tom said softly trying not to frighten the kid. “She seems to have fainted.”
“Fainted?” the boy said curiously as he scrambled out from under the wagon, to gaze upon Jenn’s face. “That’s not something I’d expect her to do. Jenn’s really not the fainting type. Alvea yes, Jenn no. Hmmm.” Rupert looked down at Jenn’s recumbent form, as puzzled as Tom about what to do. “I don’t know what you’re supposed to do, gently slap her face maybe.”
“I guess, I don’t know either.” At this point Tom realized with a slight start that this boy didn’t seem frightened of him at all. “Excuse me?”
“Yes,” said Rupert looking calmly up at Tom’s eyes.
“Why aren’t you running away in fear of me?”
“Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to?”
“Well that seems to be the general reaction to me. I was simply puzzled why you’re not.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Demon’s just don’t frighten me, especially you. I know you won’t hurt me.”
“Oh?” Tom said, surprised by this statement. True, he wouldn’t, but how could this kid know that when every adult thought otherwise. He arched his eyebrows in a mock serious fashion. “You do, do you.”
This at least got a reaction. The boy suddenly looked troubled and doubtful. He swallowed, stepped back a step, and licked his lips. “W... Well, I don’t think, you’ll hurt me.” He amended.
Tom smiled at this; he liked this kid. At last, a rational Astlanian. Unfortunately his smile exposed his fangs and caused the child even more distress. Quickly, realizing his mistake, he said, “Very well, I suppose you’re right, I won’t.” The boy looked suddenly relieved. “But, how do you know that?” Now the boy looked really uncomfortable, but not frightened.
“Uh, I’d really rather not say at the moment, sir.”
“Hmm,” strange little kid this was. Very well then, let him have his secrets. At least here was a possible friend. “What’s your name kid?”
“Rupert, sir.”
“Very well Rupert, you can call me Tom.”
“Tom?” the boy seemed a bit puzzled by this, but seemed relieved that no further questions about his beliefs appeared to be forthcoming.
“So, Rupert, where is everyone else in this little expedition of yours?”
“Well, sir. Mistress Jehenna teleported away, as did Master Trisfelt with Chass, Gloria and Sydney. Everyone else, except for Jenn here, is dead. I think.”
Disappointing, but apparently the kids got away. From his inflection, Tom judged that the names Rupert mentioned along that Master Trisfelt, to be the children he’d seen. That fact was worth something. It also seemed likely that the woman who called him, was this Mistress Jehenna. She seemed to behave like a whack job of a wizard: save her own ass first, and only then worry about everyone else.
At this point there was a groan from the girl on the ground. Tom stepped back to give Rupert room, and to be out of her eyesight when she opened her eyes. Rupert bent over Jenn’s face, looking down at her intently.
Jenn’s eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was Rupert’s concerned face. “Rupert,” was all she could say, the whole horrible event rushing up on her. “You’re alive. I’m alive!” she struggled as if to rise but Rupert held her down. Fortunately, she didn’t try too hard, so the boy was able to keep her down.
“Be still,” he cautioned, “you just fainted, you don’t want to get a head rush and do it again do you?”
“But how. That demon, he was about to rape and kill me.” Tom grimaced as she said this, although she of course, couldn’t see him. “How come I’m still here? How are you here? Where is everyone else? Where’s the demon?!” At this she sat up, accidentally knocking Rupert aside. She came up, with her back to Tom, and didn’t see him. She looked all over the place, searching for the demon in front of her. Then she noticed Rupert fidgeting beside her.
“Yes, where is it?”
“Uh, Tom’s behind you,” and he pointed.