The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 13 Cliffhanger

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 13

Cliffhanger

The demon Pakaar Flew with supernatural speed, tracking the fugitives by the telltale wagon ruts. He followed the trail out of the valley and south towards a pass through the mountains. He could tell that they were not far ahead and smiled wickedly. He would be the one to bring the witch to Brock. Not that Brock held any power over this particular demon, but it was always a pleasure to watch him squirm as the binding agreement they had was cinched just a bit tighter.

Brock had his agenda, to regain his power through the realization of an age old prophecy. The prophecy told of a child of light who would contain the power for all men. In order to release this power to Brock, and Brock alone, the child had to be raised in a certain way and in the end he would have to sacrifice his own bloodline. During that ceremony Brock would be able to seize the uncaged power all for himself. He would be supreme ruler. Even demons would be subject to his dominion.

Brock was a fool to think that such a plan would come to fruition. He was a fool to think that the demons he conspired with did not know the prophecy as well. Pakaar knew something that Brock did not though. During the ceremony to sacrifice the childs bloodline, demons could, for the first time, feast on the power of men. That is to say, they could add the magic of mankind to their own. In which case the would be angels from hell. They would be untouchable by light or dark, they would be a new creation, an unstoppable force in the cosmos!

The demon grinned wider as he sighted the wagon ahead. He knew that he only needed the Woman, but slaying the old man and children in front of her would be a pleasure he would savor.

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Nina sat next to Tom in the drivers seat, as Hilario and the girls rested in the back of the wagon. Tom was sullen about the failure of his ruse.

He had wanted to fool the soldiers into going on and looking elsewhere. Now, as it was, the situation was much more pressing. They had identified themselves through a little slip of the tongue or a trip of the child. Either way the outlandish wagon and costumes were now a liability. They would have to get through the pass tonight, a long journey that would be made more dangerous by the encroaching fog.

As the road ascended to the pass, the shoulder dropped off into a steep valley. Driving off of this road would be a deadly mistake. Fortunately for them they had a ram pulling the wagon. Blue was much better equipped to traverse the steep road than would be a horse or a mule, even a team of ostrich.

Nina bundled her feathered robe close around her. "So what's the plan now?" she asked.

.

"Well, I figure we'll reach the mountain town of Casa Dagger just before sunrise. When we get there, I'll drop you all off at the home of a friend and go on west to dispose of the wagon in a nearby canyon." Tom was peering ahead, squinting through the fog as he spoke. "Then I'll return on Blue and we'll head south on foot down the Apprentice Trail."

Nina was less than impressed with this new plan. "Apprentice trail?"

"Yes" Tom responded." In ages past young wizards were tested along this path. It was arduous magically, mentally, physically and spiritually. I was a mere Fifty years old the first time I tried to earn my hat. It took me three more tries to complete it."

"Then why would we be going on such a difficult route? Surely there are better ways to get to where Brock is and rescue my family!" Nina was perplexed, she wondered if Tom had finally lost his mind completely.

"Oh yes." Tom responded sarcastically "It is much easier to approach the ninth gate on the back of a demon. Have you got a demon handy? Do you know of any who will help out some weary travelers?"

"At your service!" Pakaar said in a cordial tone that dripped with menace.

Nina screamed. Tom reached into his pocket for something.

Pakaar had no intention of giving Tom a chance to do anything tricky. The demon knocked Tom off the drivers seat, sending him flying into the valley below.

Toms left hand was wrapped around the stirrups. Even with the massive strength of the ram, the weight of a grown man pulling to the side, steered Blue over the edge.

The demon grasped Nina by the hair and yanked her out of the seat as the wagon went over the side.

Nina screamed" Nooooooo!" as the wagon disappeared into the fog. Moments later she heard it crash into the rocks far below. The muted sound of shattered wood and metal. Her beautiful granddaughters, Tom and Hilario, all lost in an instant! It was too much for her heart to bear. She was powerless to do anything but mourn for her sweet lost babies.

The demon cackled with glee as he listened to her woeful screams. He turned south flying high above the mountain. Nina screamed and wailed well into the night, until exhaustion finally outweighed grief, if only for a couple hours.

++++++++

Emelia sobbed as she fed the boy, her boy. When the overseer had brought him in, she was told that this was the last feeding. That the baby was to be thrown into a sacrificial fire for Brocks demons. She could not bear the thought. Her little spark of light, her reason for being, how could they be so cruel to one so innocent?

Her own child had only been with her for a couple of days before he had wasted away. But this one, her little Timbob as she had taken to calling him. He was so much more a part of her. He was indeed special too. She didn't quite know how, but there was a light in his eyes beyond reflection, as if this child were filled with light.

When he finished feeding, she tried to coax him to continue." No baby get some more, Come on Timbob, you must feed to grow up big and stra, stra," She broke down. realizing that he would never grow up, he would never be big or strong, and she would never see him again.

The overseer came into the room. Emilia knew it was no use to beg for timbobs life but she had to at least try.

Before she could speak though he raised his hand and announced that the sacrifice had been postponed.

Emelia handed over the baby. She was smiling with relief until the overseer punched her in the nose, breaking it. She fell over, holding her nose as blood gushed out.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face!" he said, delivering a kick to her stomach before walking out of the room.

Just before the door closed, as Emelia was trying to get one last look at timbob, she noticed a woman in a black feathered robe being dragged into the room across the hall.

The woman was unconscious, that's all she could see before the door slammed and the lock clicked.

Minutes later her door was opened again and she was taken out of the plush feeding room back to the dingy cell she spent most of her time in. She sat there in numb silence awaiting the next torture.

++++++++++

Erika lifted her head, it hurt. She could not remember where she was at first. the floor was cluttered and tilted at an odd angle. She fumbled around in the dark and her face bumped into something furry. She initially recoiled, being startled by it. Then she reached out and touched it.
Wentworth hung suspended in mid air before her. "I'm in nevertime" She said hoarsely " But why?"
She thought back to what had happened today. There was the botched performance for the soldiers. She had started nevertime then. But after giving them all a dose of Toms Tranquil Tonic and painting that Captains face, she had returned to realtime.
Then they packed the wagon, lit a fire of boots and equipment, and went down the trail.Hilario was telling them all about monkeys in the jungle when...."When Nina Screamed" she said, giving voice to her thoughts. "Then Tom yelled and the wagon bumped and began to fall" That's when she invoked nevertime.She gasped at the realization that they were suspended in midair above the rocky valley below.