The Demon's Blade by Steven Drake Page B

jerkin. It looked old beyond the count of years. It was a simple book bound with twine in a plain brown leather cover, unadorned with any lettering. It looked to be nothing more than an old journal, and it certainly did not look like anything that had ever been important. Darien carefully opened the book, and indeed, it was incomprehensible. The pages had yellowed with age. Some were crumbling into pieces, and some clearly already had, judging by the tiny flakes of ancient paper which had collected between the remaining pages. The letters did seem familiar, like something half remembered from his earliest youth. Perhaps this was ancient elven writing, and then again, perhaps it was only the scratching of a woman gone mad.
    "I see," he said calmly as he handed the book back to Jerris. He knew then what he had to do. Jerris didn't know anything useful. For whatever reason, Jerris’ mother had given him only the vaguest idea of what the stone was or where it came from. He needed more information, and there was only one way to get it. "Well Jerris. I have decided what I must do. I said that I would help you, and I shall. Your mother may be mad, and she may not. I intend to learn whether your mother’s words are true or not. I cannot do so while she is held captive by the Duke, so I will give you what you want. I will aid you in her rescue."
    Jerris simply sat frozen in apparent shock. Finally, he stammered out a response. "Do you… Do you really mean that? You will help me free her?" Darien nodded yes, and Jerris burst into tears. "Thank you! Oh thank you! Praise the everlasting light of the stars!"
    "Do not thank me prematurely. In return, I may ask for that talisman," the shade cautioned his suddenly tearful companion.
    "I would give it without hesitation to see her free again, but what do you mean that you may ask for it?"
    "I meant just what I said," he retorted. "I may ask for it in payment, and I may not. It depends on what I learn from your mother. In all likelihood, I will either take it, or help you find a suitable place to hide it. It’s simply too dangerous for one as young and inexperienced as you to wander around with it. A wench told me about it before you even walked into the inn. If she told me, she might have told any shady character who offered her a coin."
    "You mean there are shadier characters than you?" Jerris said, suddenly in good spirits.              
    Darien chuckled a bit. The lad could not possibly know how truly clever his comment had been. "Perhaps not, but there are certainly less agreeable ones. Enough of that though, I must plan the rescue.” Then he walked down the opposite passage from the one they had come in and Jerris quickly followed behind.

Chapter 9: The Rescue
    The calculating shade spent several days planning the rescue attempt. In his typically methodical fashion, he scouted the castle with careful precision. The Executioner always carefully considered every option, and tried to anticipate every possibility, lessons learned well during his education. He had used these same skills many times since, tracking minor criminals, obtaining items for those with enough coin to pay, and other such tasks for which he was well suited. Indeed, this would not be the first, or even the second, time he had been tasked with extricating a prisoner from captivity. Still, this time felt different. He took more care than usual. He had already begun to doubt the wisdom of helping this young man. For whatever reason, the cautious half-elf felt a foreboding, as if some unknown danger was lurking just outside his perception. Nevertheless, the bargain had been struck, and he had resolved himself to proceed in spite of his misgivings.
    Darien quickly discovered Jerris to be mostly worthless. On the first expedition to the castle, Jerris got himself lost in the woods surrounding Kantu, and it took the better part of half a day to find him. When they finally reached the castle, it became apparent