Page 58 of The Demon of the Wood

Kaemon almost tried to stop him again, but he heard a creak and then a snap, and the chains fell off. He stared up at Jorah in shock, and the orc gave him a wicked grin.

“Come on now, bat.” He helped Kaemon to his feet and walked him out of the cage. As they did, another guard came up, the one to relieve the other of his watch and he let out a cry upon seeing them, the sound falling silent as Aife cut him down with her axe. But it was too late. The men poured out of their tents, Melina’s uncle and cousins with them, swords in hand.

Kaemon stood, wavering, on his own as the men ran towards them, yelling. Jorah was first with his axes, taking two men out swiftly. Aife and Enid followed closely behind. Kaemon couldn’t walk well but he felt something inside him, calling up and forth, seeing the smokey tendrils of darkness that Enid commanded. Something ancient in him stirred, and he closed his eyes, drawing in his breath, and pulled on that thread. Black flames, lapping and licking like shadows, burst from him, from his chest, expanding out, weaving around his friends, taking on the men further out, wrapping around them, burning them, killing them. Their screams lit up the night.

He had only a moment of hesitation on Melina’s uncle, as the smokey flames wrapped around the man, twining, and pinning him even as he tried to squirm and get free, as he cried out and cursed and yelled. But he thought of how thin Melina had been when she first came, the dullness of her hair from lack of proper feeding, the way she flinched from him and expected him to speak harshly to her or harm her. The bruises on her arms and body. And he let the shadows squeeze, pushing all the air out of her uncle until he could draw no more.

More men rushed out, Gregory amongst them. He saw the bodies, Kaemon and his friends, and his eyes widened, jaw slackened. He turned to run, but Kaemon’s flames hit his back, knocking him to the ground, running up his back and arms and legs, consuming him in a crackling darkness.

They walked through the camp, no men remaining, save for one. The guard who had initially taken Melina. Jorah brought up his axe, but Kaemon placed his hand on the orc’s arm. The Hunter stared at him.

“I would understand if you killed me,” he said.

“Did you help Melina?” Kaemon asked. She’d had a dagger in her hand that he'd seen on the Hunter.

The man nodded. “She wasn’t safe here. She wouldn’t be safe with her family.”

Kaemon’s anger stilled and calmed, like a wave returning to sea. “No, she wasn’t.”

The Hunter looked him up and down, then his gaze darted to each of the others, curiosity there. His eyes settled back on Kaemon. “Did you kill the humans of Thon?”

Kaemon shrugged. “Only the men who brought women to the forest to brutalize them.”

The man’s face drained of color, and he nodded. “Are you going to kill me?”

Kaemon hesitated for a moment. He was a Hunter, a man of the Guild. He could very well be in the confidence of the men who killed his parents, who had captured him before. But he knew this man had saved Melina. Had saved him. For if Melina hadn’t escaped, he’d still be locked up.

“No.”

The man loosed a heavy breath. Kaemon gave him one last look, then nodded to his friends, and they turned to trek through the forest.

The moon dipped lower in the night sky as the sun dusted the edges of the horizon, readying to burst forth, when they arrived back in Orc Haven. A few of the early risers were up and gave them wary looks as they saw the blood and grime coating them, but said nothing. They walked into the tavern, the patrons all asleep in the inn upstairs. Melina sat on a chair nearest the door, her body slumped across the table, asleep, a frown on her face. Kaemon smiled and walked up to her. She startled awake, then let out a sound somewhere between a shout and a sob and jumped into his arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“I was so worried,” she replied, and he cradled her face in his hands. “I thought I’d lose you forever.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me forever instead.”

She laughed. “I don’t mind the sound of that one bit.”

Jorah was behind the counter of the bar, already pouring them pints.

“A bit early for that, don’t you think?” Aife asked, a brow raised.

Jorah shook his head, bringing over the mugs to the table in rounds. “We just won a fight, got our friend back, and didn’t get a wink of sleep. I would say it’s overdue.”

Aife chuckled and headed behind the counter as well, pulling out a medical kit, and came over to Kaemon. He still had the arrow in his wing. Melina stared at it, her hand reaching up, but he gripped her tighter to him. He didn’t want to lose the feel of her in his arms. He needed the physical reminder she was there.

“I should help heal you,” Melina said.

“We have it handled,” Enid and Aife responded, both coming behind him to saw off the arrow’s ends. He winced with the movement, Melina stroking his face softly, soothingly. He stared into her eyes, taking every part of her in. She handed him the pint of beer Jorah had poured.

“Drink fast,” she instructed.

He obeyed, gulping down the beer, letting the alcohol settle over him and dulling his senses, helping with the pain. Jorah poured him another one.

“I’m going to Elf Glen tomorrow,” Enid said.

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