Night Lords

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

When the last ray of sunshine left the sky, the meeting house was open to the humans, and we had to vacate quickly. Belun came to find me and said that I was back on watch tower duty with her. 'But I was meant to be at the-'

'Thrin's orders,' she said. 'Come on.' Max didn't leave my side. 'Max, you have your duty to tend to, leave,' she shooed him away with her hand and reluctantly he left. 'You've really pissed Thrin off,' Belun said as we made our way to the watch tower. As we approached, three Night Lords came into the town carrying a few birds' cages each with bats inside them. 'Well done, everyone.'

'These are all the bats we've found.' Lancer said. 'What do you want us to do with them?'

'Take them directly to Mallorie,' she told them, and with a small bow, they all left. 'See how easy it is if you obey the rules and orders?' I remained silent. 'It's not that you are obstinate, Petra. But you need to understand that while we are not a coterie, we do expect everyone to pull their weight.'

That irked me. 'I do pull my weight! I don't shirk my duties. Yes, I may complain sometimes, but I never not do what is asked of me. Besides-' my skin began to prickle uncomfortably. I was mere feet from the watch tower. Jumping up to it, I stared over the side, my eyes focussing on the slight movement of anything. I pulled out my bow and knocked an arrow.

'What's wrong?' Belun asked as she came to my side and, seeing my pose did the same with her own bow and arrow. 'How many?'

'I never know how many, but there is a Deemon nearby.' I saw a bush move, and one lowly Deemon, an earth Deemon, came out into the open. It slowly walked towards the gate and then knelt down.

'What in the name of Titus is it doing?' Belun breathed. 'Leave, or we'll shoot!' She bellowed. The Deemon didn't move.

I lowered my bow. 'It can't understand you, Belun. Deemon,' I called down, 'Why have you come?'

Spooked that it was being talked to other than one of its kind, it stared up into the tower. 'I have come to speak with you, the Deemon Talker.'

'Lovely, another nickname for me.' I sighed.

'What is it?' Belun whispered. 'What does it want?'

'It wants to speak to me. Please stay here, you have a good position to shoot, if need be. But I don't think that will be the case.'

Belun growled. 'No! You are not going down there to speak to a Deemon!'

I huffed. 'I'm tired of being told no. Sorry, Belun.' I jumped down to the ground, and the Deemon flinched but didn't run. 'I am the Deemon Talker,' I had my arms spread out to show I meant no harm. I then stood several metres from it and waited for it to speak. But after what felt like an age, it didn't. 'If you wish to speak with me, why will you not talk?'

Still kneeling, the Deemon slowly looked at me and frowned. 'Why do you talk to me in such a way? Your kind would have killed me before now.' It glanced up at Belun, who had an arrow pointed right at it. 'That one is prepared to.'

'I've told her not to shoot. Please talk. Why have you come?' I was growing impatient.

'We know of the humans that are diseased in your settlement. I was sent by Eurmek. If you do not let us kill those humans, they will kill you,' it threatened.

'What is the disease? Does it addle their minds?' I suddenly asked, taking a step towards it; it shuffled back in defence. 'I mean you no harm. I simply wish to understand what is going on. Bats with infected blood attacked these humans last night, and they are severely ill. It is my belief these bats previously fed on those humans that were disposed of in the cave.'