A Darker Shade of Sorcery - - (leveled readers .txt) 📗

tickled its chin.

Xavier frowned and pulled a glowing object from his pocket as it emitted a loud beeping noise.

“Wha… is that a cell phone?” Brooke asked, amazed.

“Uh huh,” Xavier pushed a button to stop the beeping.

“I didn't know we could have them? How do they work?” She asked excitedly.

“Oh, you have to buy these special ones in the city,” Xavier replied, “they can only pick up signals in this realm, handy to text mates though. Venators used to use scrying mirrors to communicate, and some still do, but most use phones.”

“Jed,” Brooke turned and hit him in the arm, “as soon as we can, you, Evan and I need to get these phones and exchange numbers. It'd be so cool. God, I've missed texting.”

Xavier snorted in derision as he read his latest text. “It’s not that cool when you've got an orc stalker who won’t leave you alone. I told her she wasn't my type, but I guess she didn't get it. Maybe I should let her know she's not my preferred species or gender.”

“Or, you could just tell her you're already taken,” Zeke interrupted moodily, causing everyone to laugh.

“I can't believe I didn't know you two were gay,” Jed remarked.

“Well I don't blame you with Zeke.” Xavier popped his phone away. “He never even told his parents. I thought you'd have sussed me out though.”

“How come you didn't tell them?”

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“Wasn't close to them,” Izekiel mumbled, burying his head in his comic, “at all.

There’d be no point either. I was in breach of the Yurod religion.”

“When I told my dad he kicked me out of the house,” Xavier said.

“That's horrible,” Brooke exclaimed.

“Oh it's alright. The Venators found me a couple of months later.” Xavier smiled, but there was no humour in his eyes. Being thrown on the streets by his own father must've been hell.

Just then Elijah poked his head round the door,

“C'mon, Evan wants to meet us in Archives now.”

“What for?” Emillia asked as they set off.

Jed shrugged, although he thought he knew.

*

Too soon the twin suns sank below the city's tallest towers and darkness encroached. After his Water element training, Evan hurried to the Archives and waited for his friends to arrive.

Zeke and Xavier emerged first, quickly followed by Jed, Emillia and Brooke. Jed and Emillia were engaged in conversation, but Brooke stared at Evan thoughtfully.

Last to arrive was Elijah with Cera in toe, Evan's stomach knotted painfully.

“So what's this about then, mate?” Jed asked, sitting on a book as large as an armchair. There were several giant tomes in the Archives, originating from the realms of trolls or ogres, but certain Venators merely used them as seats.

Jed smiled as he asked, but concern filled his eyes.

Evan swallowed hard before gathering his courage.

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“Look, everyone I've been… I've been hiding something from you.”

“Is it that you like guys?” Xavier grinned.

“Uh, if he does it'll be me he's attracted too,” Jed joked.

“What is it, Evan?” Brooke asked seriously.

Evan took a deep breath, “Th…there’s someone, or rather a demon of some kind, that's after me. I think he's the one sending all these minions to try and capture me.”

There was a long silence.

It was broken surprisingly by Izekiel, “Yeah, we know. Well, we kinda' guessed after you and Cera were attacked. I mean that's the second time demons have managed to break into the Fortress and both times they went after you.”

“Yeah, it wasn't hard to put two and two together, mate.” Jed smiled.

Evan was shocked, “But… but how come you're all still hanging out with me, why aren't you staying away? Any time you're near me you're in danger, more demons could come and hurt you, kill you.”

“It's what we've been trained for,” Elijah shrugged. “We have to deal with demons, even if they are terrifying.”

“Besides,” Brooke added, “what kind of people would we be if we stopped being friends with someone just because he was being hunted by demons?”

“Probably normal ones,” interjected Jed.

“We’ve got your back, Evan,” Brooke promised.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Evan was in awe, he'd never met one person, let alone a group of people, who’d put their own lives in danger for him.

But he couldn't let them.

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“But it's my fault, the demons want me, not you guys, if anyone got hurt because of me I'd…”

“It's not your fault dude,” said Jed, “you didn't ask to be a magnet for monsters and all that other evil crap.”

“Well actually, we sort of all do by training to fight them,” Elijah laughed.

“Is there anything else?” Cera spoke up, “do you know anything that can help us sort this mess out?”

“Well,” Evan struggled, overwhelmed with emotion, “there's a name, I tried tracking it down in the Archives but, no luck.”

“A demon name?” asked Xavier.

“I think so, Kurrlan it was.”

“No way,” Emillia shouted.

Everyone looked at her blankly.

“I know that name, I saw it in a book just a couple of days ago.”

“Out of all of us, I’d never guess you’ d be the one to know something,” Xavier exclaimed.

“What, why?”

“Because, you know I love you, Emi, but you're dumber than a box of Imps. No offence,” Xavier put lightly.

Emillia gasped, “Offence taken you…you…”

“Let me know when you think of a good insult,” Xavier snorted.

“Pompous swat?” Zeke offered in his deep baritone.

“Hey, you're supposed to be on my side.” Xavier looked affronted.

“What book?” Brooke said.

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“Erm, well I don't remember,” Emillia struggled, “it was big and had a really long name.”

“That helps.” Jed raised an eyebrow.

Emi's face lit up, “I know which section I found it in though.”

“Lead the way,” Elijah said.

All eight of them followed the ditsy blonde as she hurried through the many bookshelves, Evan praying they found something useful.

Fortunately Emillia discovered the tome in question within minutes. It was hard to miss, considering how large it was.

Emillia picked it up with effort and placed it on one of the nearby tables. The book was ancient, it's cover originally black but had started to grey.

The title read: The Most Powerful and Influential Figures in Demon History.

Evan stared at it curiously, could this book finally hold some answers?

“It was about three quarters into the book.” Emillia flicked through the pages. “I remembered because some of the demons have pictures too, really gross ones.”

“There,” Brooke pointed to a particular page.

Evan bent down hastily to read the small passage, nerves mounting: The Dread Lord Kurrlan: A demon Dread Lord who fought in the Great War of the Realms. Kurrlan served as a minor lieutenant to the High Queen Akirandon. Akirandon was Ezanathul’s right hand and is now the ruler of Velkarath, domain of the Dark-Venators. Not much is known of Kurrlan, save he faded into obscurity after the dark god was defeated.

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So Kurrlan was indeed a Dread Lord. Fear ripped at Evan's stomach and nausea slid up his throat. If this Kurrlan was after him he didn't stand a chance, not against the most powerful type of demon. There was no more information, not even a picture like other demons in the book had. Not that Evan had expected the book to tell him exactly why an evil monster kept sending his minions to capture him.

“Akirandon?” Zeke whispered. “Gettelung said she's the reason Dark-Venators exist and why they always try and sabotage our missions.”

Emillia shuddered.

“But it says Kurrlan hasn't served Akirandon for ages,” Jed pointed out. “He must be working alone to get Evan, but we still don't know why.”

“Hmm, could be worse,” Xavier offered, attempting to lighten the mood. “At least this Ezanathul doesn't want a piece of you too.”

“Yeah, good thing the god dude’s long dead,” said Jed.

“What about the man who tried to strangle you?” Cera asked. “Do you think he’s working for Kurrlan, too?”

Evan shrugged, lost for words.

“Try not to worry.” Elijah looked at him seriously. “The Masters have dealt with Dread Lords before. Only Arch-Realmers get given missions where they have to face them, but still, we know they can be defeated.”

Evan nodded. Perhaps I'm going into shock. He felt both hot and cold at once.

Seeing it written down made everything more real somehow. At the back of his mind he'd hoped, prayed, that the demon attacks had just been a coincidence. He knew now there was no way they could be.

“I'm-er, fine. I think I'll just go to bed early. Training really wore me out today.”

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He left the Archives chamber without another word, aware his friends were staring after him.

Evan escaped to his bedroom, making sure to set the seal on his door. After the first demon attack, he’d looked through the Archives books for anything that could help him. It wasn’t until recently that he’d discovered a spell which would alert him to anyone entering his room. He’d been laying the spell by his door every night for the past two weeks.

He knew it wasn’t necessary, he had the orc guards and the Masters were on high alert, but Evan felt safer with his own spell there too.

He climbed into bed, relieved that his friends were willing to stand by him, but still feeling rotten that he was the reason everyone was in danger. He thought he’d be too agitated to sleep, but less than an hour later he felt himself drifting off.

*

Evan awoke to utter darkness. His first thought was he awoke because it was too hot… until he realised it was because he couldn’t breathe.

As he sat up, alarm turned to abject terror as he saw the white hooded stranger creeping towards him.

The stranger’s face was covered by his hood, but his outstretched hand was visible as it worked the spell cutting off Evan’s air supply.

Spluttering and choking, Evan stupidly tried to pull the invisible vice off his throat, until he came to his senses and flung an energy bolt at his attacker.

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The stranger stumbled as the spell hit him and Evan could immediately breathe again. He seized Ruaden by his bed and was about to swing at the stranger when the hood was pulled back and Evan saw who was beneath.

“Jed?”

Evan’s best friend grinned back at him. Not his usual mischievous grin, but a smile that made him look maniacal.

“Ah, I was hoping I wouldn’t be discovered until I’d delivered you to my Lord. Oh well, it might be more fun this way.”

Evan just looked at him. He had to be dreaming, this wasn’t real life.

“Jed, what are you… why are you pretending to be… you were strangling me.”

Evan struggled to speak as his mind tried not to collapse.

Jed continued to grin, his eyes afire with sick hilarity.

“It’s nothing personal, mate. Just following my orders. Now, will you meet my master willingly, or do I have to… convince you.”

“You