The Archer (A Tale Of Heroes & Demons Book 1)

Chapter 2

Dearly Departed

"Death is the solution to all problems. No man – no problem."

Joseph Stalin

The creatures were going to kill him but for a moment he was still alive. Declan allowed himself to be dragged down the overgrown path. Dirt streaked his face and his skin glistened with sweat. He needed to replenish his energy. Besides that he needed to think of a plan. He could fight off two of these creatures but there were dozens around him. They could easily overpower him.

Now that things were calmer, he inspected his wounds. There was a deep gash on his arm where a creature had attacked him and his pants were covered in rips where the undergrowth snagged on the material. Overall he came through the encounter unscathed. Unfortunately the evening was still early.

Declan groaned inwardly. This night was not going well. He glanced down and watched as the ground moved beneath his feet as he was dragged. The creatures had taken his bow away, as well as his daggers. He had nothing to use as a weapon even if he did somehow manage to escape.

He pondered his situation. Nobody would miss him if he died, as he had no friends or family. Still, if he died there would be nothing and no one from stopping that witch from taking over not just the kingdom, but the world. He needed to live. He could not die and abandon his cause.

Declan suddenly became aware of the fact that they had stopped moving. He lifted his head and peered into the darkness around him. The ground shifted beneath him and he realized what the creatures intended to do. The creatures rarely walked the earth. They spent most of their time underground, waiting for night to claim the earth. Now they were going to return home and he was going with them.

He forced himself to stand up, trying his best to escape the creatures. As soon as he moved, though, more creatures swarmed around and pushed him to the ground. Declan's eyes closed tightly as the weight of hundreds of creatures threatened to suffocate him. Just as he began to slip into unconsciousness the dirt beneath him shifted, engulfing him in darkness.

He awoke to a bright flash of light and a bucket of icy water. He coughed and sputtered as he rubbed his eyes. He was surprised to even be alive, after all, Demonica had ordered her creatures to kill him. Maybe she changed her mind. His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he looked around. He attempted to stand but was yanked back down. His wrists were rubbed raw. When Declan glanced down he saw metal shackling attached to his wrists and ankles and was attached to thick steel chains that were held by two creatures.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." Demonica licked her lips. She was sitting on a thrown made of entwined sticks not twenty feet in front of him. Declan could see large thorns sticking out in places and wondered if there were any in the place she sat.

"What do you want?"

"Me? What do I want? Hmmm...let us see." She placed her index finger to her chin and tapped it a couple of times, making a thinking gesture. "I want to know everything you know about me and how you found it out. And do not go thinking you will just keep quiet because I have my ways to get you to speak." She smiled. Her eyes gleamed with malice.

Declan fought the urge to ask what she meant by that statement. To help release some of his anger he began to clench and unclench his fists. Slowly he began to form a plan in his mind. He stayed still as possible and tried to size up the situation. Demonica was powerful but she was not impervious to surprise. If he could move quickly and suddenly, he may have a chance at getting away. Declan hid a smile as the plan formed in his mind.

"...and do not think that you can just escape from here. There are many things, many traps that would catch even the best of the humans. Not to say that you are not talented, of course, but..." Demonica droned on.

Declan collapsed onto the stone flooring. The creatures shuffled closer to inspect him before looking to Demonica for instructions. While they were distracted Declan grabbed the chains that were connected to his hands and yanked them down, sending the creatures collapsing in a heap. When they fell they released their ends of the chains. Declan pulled them far enough out of the creatures' grasps that they would have a struggled getting them back.

He spotted his gear on a nearby table and made a run for it, dodging creatures as they flung themselves at him, trying to recapture their prisoner. Declan made it safely to the table and was able to grab a dagger just as the creatures began to converge on him. He slashed out at them, trying to keep the creatures as bay. It did not succeed.

When Declan glanced around what he saw put knots in his stomach and formed a lump in his throat. He could see no exit from this underground cavern. There were not even other entrances to adjacent tunnels. There was no escape.

The ground rumbled beneath him. Declan tried to jump but was sucked down into the earth. When he emerged again there more than double the amount of creatures holding onto his chains.

"Trying to run? Such a bad idea...I guess I will have to start the pain earlier than expected." Demonica sighed like she was speaking to a naughty child. She waved her hand and a couple creatures sauntered off, disappearing into the earth.

"You can torture me, even kill me. I don't care what you do to me. I will not talk." Declan's eyes were blazing with suppressed fury.

"Do not worry, it is not you that I will harm." She smiled her hallow smile. Her eyes focused behind him and Declan could hear screams coming from the earth. He had the oddest feeling that he knew who they belonged to.

Just when he thought they were close enough for him to see who the screams belonged to he began turning his body to look. He was hit over the head by one of the creatures. He was conscious long enough to hear Demonica screeching at the creature for knocking him out just when it was getting exciting. That was all he heard before once again Declan found himself slipping into oblivion.