web and attempted to pull at the demon’s threads. --But they wouldn't move! In desperation I created a hole beneath the man. He fell and I sealed the hole with a flat piece of metal. The creature bit wildly at the barrier. I had prevailed for the moment but this was a small victory. More demons had broken through.
Kitaya reinforced the front gate while Armadon, Corel, and I fought hard to isolate the specters from the soldiers. After much effort they were finally contained. Three were trapped in the center of the courtyard, four outside the gate. They wailed and bit but the barriers stood.
“Why don’t they just fly over?” I wondered aloud.
Armadon answered. “They seem to be hovering by air propulsion. See the sand below them pushing away? It must not be strong enough to lift them any higher.”
Troops moved into position above the courtyard with crossbows at the ready. The tips were set on fire and they waited. I looked at Armadon.
His face tightened. “Fire!”
A volley of burning wood descended into the trap. The demons’ wailing pierced my eardrums and increased in pitch until I found myself covering my ears-- yet the others seemed unaffected. Then it dawned on me, earplugs! I made some and quickly and stuffed them in. Unfortunately the humans did not have the same luxury. Screaming in pain, delirious from the excruciating noise, two soldiers fell to the ground from the battlements.
The wailing ceased and I looked down into the courtyard trap. Nothing remained of the creatures; the fire had consumed them utterly.
Corel made her way back over to the group. “Could these be Gaza’s?”
Armadon nodded. “That would be my guess.”
Kitaya cried out, “They are gone! I only turned away for a second!” Her voice was shrill and panicked.
We gathered on the outside edge of the battlement and looked down. The trap outside the gate was empty.
Kitaya looked nervous.
Corel looked concerned. “Before this gets any better,” she said in a low voice, “it will probably get a lot worse.”
“Much worse,” said Armadon. “We need to formulate a plan.”
CHAPTER 5
AN UNLIKELY ALLY
001001011001110
After much deliberation it was decided that I should be the one to go and look for Humphrey. I knew little about Rath or Tiko and I felt confident that I could get Humphrey to talk. No one else, however, shared my optimism.
Corel and Armadon made preparations to infiltrate Rath's camp to find out more about the woman and child. According to Armadon's sources this information could be found inside a small black box. If they found the box, they were to contact us through the web.
Kitaya and I shared a private moment on the battlement of Armadon’s castle. I wanted her to come with me to find Humphrey but everyone else thought it would be better if she went to find Tiko. He was known to be a womanizer, and Kitaya would undoubtedly have the best chance of persuading him to join us. Not only was she beautiful but Tiko had never seen her before-- and he was always looking for a new plaything.
The thought of Kitaya using her beauty to entice Tiko into cooperating with us bothered me to no end. Though we’d met only yesterday, somehow I felt I’d known her forever. And secretly I hoped that one day our relationship would grow into something more. Perhaps when this whole thing was over I would tell her this. But not now. So we parted ways. And my heart felt heavy.
Armadon advised me to seek the aid of Sajin Barrows. As it turned out he was the second most prominent figure on the planet.
The architecture of the capital city of Oonaj, like forms in a distant dream, towered in magnificent splendor. Their phantom shapes were familiar but their origins could not be attained. I knew them from another time and yet somehow the structures did not seem to go together; pyramids and battlements, marble temples and stone monoliths? In the midst of these a mighty skyscraper reached up into the clouds. It was breathtaking to
Kitaya reinforced the front gate while Armadon, Corel, and I fought hard to isolate the specters from the soldiers. After much effort they were finally contained. Three were trapped in the center of the courtyard, four outside the gate. They wailed and bit but the barriers stood.
“Why don’t they just fly over?” I wondered aloud.
Armadon answered. “They seem to be hovering by air propulsion. See the sand below them pushing away? It must not be strong enough to lift them any higher.”
Troops moved into position above the courtyard with crossbows at the ready. The tips were set on fire and they waited. I looked at Armadon.
His face tightened. “Fire!”
A volley of burning wood descended into the trap. The demons’ wailing pierced my eardrums and increased in pitch until I found myself covering my ears-- yet the others seemed unaffected. Then it dawned on me, earplugs! I made some and quickly and stuffed them in. Unfortunately the humans did not have the same luxury. Screaming in pain, delirious from the excruciating noise, two soldiers fell to the ground from the battlements.
The wailing ceased and I looked down into the courtyard trap. Nothing remained of the creatures; the fire had consumed them utterly.
Corel made her way back over to the group. “Could these be Gaza’s?”
Armadon nodded. “That would be my guess.”
Kitaya cried out, “They are gone! I only turned away for a second!” Her voice was shrill and panicked.
We gathered on the outside edge of the battlement and looked down. The trap outside the gate was empty.
Kitaya looked nervous.
Corel looked concerned. “Before this gets any better,” she said in a low voice, “it will probably get a lot worse.”
“Much worse,” said Armadon. “We need to formulate a plan.”
CHAPTER 5
AN UNLIKELY ALLY
001001011001110
After much deliberation it was decided that I should be the one to go and look for Humphrey. I knew little about Rath or Tiko and I felt confident that I could get Humphrey to talk. No one else, however, shared my optimism.
Corel and Armadon made preparations to infiltrate Rath's camp to find out more about the woman and child. According to Armadon's sources this information could be found inside a small black box. If they found the box, they were to contact us through the web.
Kitaya and I shared a private moment on the battlement of Armadon’s castle. I wanted her to come with me to find Humphrey but everyone else thought it would be better if she went to find Tiko. He was known to be a womanizer, and Kitaya would undoubtedly have the best chance of persuading him to join us. Not only was she beautiful but Tiko had never seen her before-- and he was always looking for a new plaything.
The thought of Kitaya using her beauty to entice Tiko into cooperating with us bothered me to no end. Though we’d met only yesterday, somehow I felt I’d known her forever. And secretly I hoped that one day our relationship would grow into something more. Perhaps when this whole thing was over I would tell her this. But not now. So we parted ways. And my heart felt heavy.
Armadon advised me to seek the aid of Sajin Barrows. As it turned out he was the second most prominent figure on the planet.
The architecture of the capital city of Oonaj, like forms in a distant dream, towered in magnificent splendor. Their phantom shapes were familiar but their origins could not be attained. I knew them from another time and yet somehow the structures did not seem to go together; pyramids and battlements, marble temples and stone monoliths? In the midst of these a mighty skyscraper reached up into the clouds. It was breathtaking to
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