Chapter 15: Phantom Devils

Nathan looked out the window of King William’s office. The mage watched as in the North, red smoke rose high above Dean Forest. He straightened his head just a little bit; he could see black smoke just a small distance away from the red smoke.1

He was also joined by Krissa and Tasan, who stood waiting for orders from the King. The two women were silent for quite some time. 2

He blinked and the two different colored smokes collided with each other, mixing together in a swirl of light and color.3

“How long?” he asked to no one in particular.4

“For the last hour,” William answered from behind.5

“Zoreon is brewing something,” Nathan said softly to himself.6

Earlier William had retold the tale of the stranger Brutus becoming Zoreon. The mage did not tell the King about what might have happened to Larissa. Come to think of it he had not seen nor heard from Larissa for quite some time.7

Nathan was still debating with himself on if he could really trust Moranna.8

Could he a ford to trust the girl? Could he a ford not to? He paced thinking on what he should do. Or what he could do. The possibilities were slim.9

Trust your heart.10

He looked back out the window, his eyes lingering on the smoking forest. Then he made his decision.11

“I need Moranna,” he said softly.12

Krissa found the girl and was brought before Nathan.13

“Moranna,” he said taking her shoulders in his hands, “I need you to tell me everything you saw Zoreon do before came to see me.”14

She did her best in retelling Zoreon’s plan in trapping Larissa in the crystal.15

“Hmm…” he said thinking, “do you know where he keeps his staff with the crystal on it?”16

“No,” she answered, “he keeps it with him. He takes with him everywhere he goes. It seems like he never puts it down.”17

“Thank you, Moranna.”18

“Nathan,” the girl said, “I followed Zoreon out to the forest.”19

“What?” asked William, “you aren’t even suppose to be outside the palace walls.”20

“I know I’m sorry father,” Moranna said, “but you should know that when he stopped halfway, I noticed that he wasn’t alone.”21

“What do you mean?” asked Nathan.22

“There were others with him.”23

“His followers?” asked William.24

“Yes, but they weren’t human, I think,” said Moranna, “they seemed human, but I could see right through them. Some where white, others were red and black and they kept shimmering.”25

“How many?” asked her father.26

“A rough estimate of about one hundred and fifty, strong mages,” Moranna said and was dismissed.27

“Mages!” William said looking at Nathan who was thinking.28

Tasan gasped, “He’s building an army!”29

“Not just any army,” Nathan said coming out of his thoughts, “It’s a Phantom Army. He’s raising dead mages to fight his way to power again. He’s using dark magic.”30

“How are we suppose to fight against a transparent army of mages and his dark magic?” asked Krissa speaking up from her corner of the room.31

“We have to fight,” said William, “How many strong mages do we have?” he asked Nathan.32

“About one hundred, sir,” replied the mage.33

“What about Zoreon?” asked Krissa, “surely he’s more powerful than any of us?”34

“I’ll deal with him,” said Nathan, “his power may be greater than mine, but I know how to weaken him.”35

“How?” the King asked.36

Nathan thought about it then replied, “Tasan I need a potion.”37

£38

A dark hooded figure sat on a log warming himself by a small fire. Bane shuddered and flipped his fur hood up to shelter himself from the freezing sharp wind. The fire wasn’t enough to settle the mind of the spirited hunter. After Zoreon had brought him back to life, Bane had seen less of the dark mage. He fed a few more sticks to the fire, hoping it wouldn’t go out before Zoreon came back.39

He hated waiting for his mater to finish criticizing and torturing his victims. It wasn’t fair that Zoreon could roam the city while Bane suffered from frostbite even though he couldn’t really die again, but the cold was torturing as it was.40

Footsteps crunched the frozen ground behind the hunter. Bane stood to greet his master. “What news have you, master?” he hissed.41

Zoreon ignored him and strode past Bane and deeper in the forest.42

“I need more demons,” his master said more to himself.43

“What is it you wish I could do?” asked Bane quickly picking up his bow and quiver, following his master.44

“Your powers are of no use to me, right now,” Zoreon said quietly.45

“Then why did you bring me back from the underworld?” the hunter challenged.46

“Because I will need your skills,” snapped his master, “You’re arrows don’t just pierce flesh. They trap the soul. I want the city to suffer.”47

Bane was silent for a few seconds as they weaved in and out of the trees. “Master,” he asked, “how many more do you need?”48

“At least two hundred and fifty,” Zoreon replied irritation in his voice.49

“How are we to find two hundred and fifty dark mages’ bodies?” asked Bane, “Jemiston has never encountered that many demons since the time of the great gathering. The first demon was too powerful to be given a proper burial. No one knows what happened to his remains.”50

“I do,” growled Zoreon, “my power exceeds beyond the powers of The Mighty Captain Scarkorsh.”51

“And you are sure you are up to the challenge?” asked Bane.52

Zoreon glared at Bane. The hunter shivered under the dark mage’s stare. Zoreon whipped back around and didn’t answer the question, quickening his pace. Bane followed his master out to a small clearing where it rose above a good size valley. The hunter looked down into the darkness and could see the that the ground in the valley heaped in some parts. Bane looked a bit closer and realized that he was looking at a cemetery.53

When Zoreon reached the hill, he paused looking down into the cemetery. From the hunter’s view, Bane thought he saw a hint of hesitation in the demon’s movement. In a few minutes Zoreon started his descend and so did the hunter.54

In the cemetery, the two demons wove in between the head stones looking for a specific body. Minutes passed before Zoreon stopped in front of a crumbling rock that served as a head stone.55

Zoreon bent to touch the stone with one finger. When the mage lifted his finger, all that was left was a red dot that shone bright. Zoreon straighten.56

“Wait here,” Zoreon said.57

He weaved in between the head stones again. Bane watched as his master do the same thing three more times to three other head stones before coming back to Bane.58

Bane looked to his master for something to happen. Zoreon raised his hands out in front of him with his palms up.59

The hunter looked to the grave in front of them. The Ground began to rise creating a small hill about four feet wide and eight feet long, the size of a normal human. The ground kept rising until it seemed that it would burst which it did creating a upturn in the ground. Chunks of grass and dirt fell through as something or in this case someone tried to climb out of the hole.60

It was a man with dark skin, black hair, and eyes that seemed to have no color except the black of his pupil. Bane could faintly see that there was a tattoo of a blue eagle on the right side of his face.61

Bane growled softly and folded his arms so he looked intimidating and not so awed. Zoreon lowered his arms and went to embrace the newcomer, quietly conversing. The master steered the newcomer over to Bane.62

“Madais,” Bane said roughly greeting the demon.63

Madais nodded in Bane’s direction acknowledging the hunter’s presence, “Bane.”64

Zoreon led Madais through the cemetery, Bane following closely behind. His master wove in between the head stones again finding the graves he had marked, but all Bane found was turned up dirt and grass with a hole where the body should be.65

Zoreon wasn’t concerned with the up turned graves, but kept walking away from the head stones and out of the cemetery. Reluctantly Bane and Madais followed.66

The demon walked about five miles away from the cemetery then veered right, weaving in between the trees and their shadows. A few seconds later Zoreon stopped and the other two about ran into the back of their master.67

Zoreon turned slightly to glare at them then turned his attention back to what was in front of him. It was another headstone. This was another rock its color was of a faded salmon. It’s face was cracked down the middle, but the crack stopped three inches before it ran into the ground. There were also many other cracks, but it never quite crumbled.68

Madais folded his arms and stood still next to Bane with much patients waiting for his master. Easier said than done, thought Bane.69

The two watched as Zoreon again rose his hands, palms up, and again the ground began to rise in front of them. Ten seconds later another figure climbed out of the ground.70

This figure’s appearance looked frightening. The figure’s left side of his face was normal, but the right side was deformed. It was so scrunched up that Bane was unsure that the demon could see. The demon didn’t really seem like it bothered him. The hunter looked down as he saw that on the figure’s left hand his ring and middle fingers had been caught off.71

Bane shuddered as a chill went ridged down his spine at the thought of what could have had the courage to sever the fingers, when the rest of the body was more intimidating? The hunter didn’t linger on the thought for long.72

Bane looked Madais’ way and the scout went even stiller. When the demon approached the hunter and the scout, Madais bowed slightly, addressing the figure as Captain. Bane bowed and addressed the Captain in the same way.73

The Captain nodded in approval then focused his attention back on Zoreon. “What is our situation?” the Captain asked.74

“We are about to take our places,” replied Zoreon, “our time is almost near.”75

“Good,” the Captain said grinding his teeth together. He was about to add something, but noticed that Zoreon was looking past him.76

Everyone looked to see that three figures were crossing toward the small group that had formed in the dark.77

One was a man with black hair and blue eyes. A scar had been cut just above his lip on the left side of his face. The right side of his face was covered by a metal mask. Bane noticed that there was a smaller scar above his left eyebrow.78

Behind the man with the mask was a menacing man with a viper tattooed on his left check. The man’s eyes were a yellow green that darted in every which way they could.79

The last figure to approach was a woman. She had long brunette hair all the way down her back. Ruby colored eyes shown back at the other strangers in the dark. This female was tall for her age which Bane guessed to be in her mid twenties. She wore a big trench coat over her body which no one had ever seen even when she was alive. The collar was up high around her neck. White gloved hands fluttered at her side.80

The three approached Zoreon and greeted their master with hand shakes or a small hug.81

The man with the viper tattoo came up to the woman and hissed in her ear. “Venessssssa,” he sounded much like a deadly snake, “Sssooo good to sssseee you.” His tongue flicked out toward her ear.82

“Like wise Viper,” Venessa said rolling her eyes. Viper hissed and flicked his tongue out again just inches from her ear as if to taste the woman.83

“Down Viper,” the man with the mask’s voice boomed slightly, “Don’t toy with Venessa. We have work to do.”84

“Commander Jarro is right,” The Captain agreed, “Much is needed before the moon rises.”85

“Captain Scarkorsh,” Zoreon said with power, “You are no longer Captain of this new dream.”86

The Captain started, “you have no right to stripe me of my title.”87

“That was your title back in your day of age,” Zoreon pointed out, “That was then, this is now. I brought you back from the underworld under my power. You are under my command. Or you can go back to the underworld rather than serve me.” He looked around the group, “that means the lot of you all. If you choose not to serve me, I can send you back now.”88

No one voiced their opinion. “Good,” Zoreon said, “Now I need your strengths to help me ready my army.”