THE_REALM_SHIFT Read online

  The body of the demon began to vaporize like smoke on the wind. His weapon faded with him until there was nothing left of the creature. Ethan watched in amazement. Would the creature be back? He did not even know what had happened to it. Whatever the case, the demon seemed to believe that this was not his end. Ethan kept that knowledge tucked away in his mind. If he could wound them, then at least for a while, he could dispatch them from a fight. The demon he had wounded while inside of the old woman had been thrust from her body by his strikes. There were rules of engagement here he needed to learn quickly. I wonder what would happen to me if they wounded me in this way. If they kill me in this realm, will I die physically? The thought was too awful to contemplate. Just don’t get hit, he told himself.

  BOOM!

  The railing in front of Ethan exploded. Wood splinters sprayed outward and upward as Ethan watched the cannonball pass right through his body. The projectile from the enemy ship continued unabated across the surface of the deck and disappeared into the roiling Azure Sea on the other side of the Maelstrom.

  Ethan clutched his chest checking for injury. He didn’t have a scratch on him. The liquid metal armor he wore had not repelled the shot. Instead, the shell had passed through him as if he wasn’t there. Then it occurred to him. He wasn’t there, at least not in the physical realm where the cannonball was. That could be useful, he thought.

  Then he remembered the enemy had fired upon the Maelstrom. Bonifast’s crew scrambled back and forth, preparing to retaliate. Ethan found Gideon among the frantic crew. The priest stood at Bonifast’s side again, watching the enemy vessel. The captain sounded the order. “FIRE!â€�

  A terrible volley of cannon fire erupted from the port side of Bonifast’s ship. Ethan watched as iron cannonballs flew through the air toward the enemy vessel still bobbing with the ocean swells. Ethan tracked each one of the shots.

  Several of the heavy balls struck the slaver in the aft end at different heights, as the vessel lifted up on the storm surge. Most of them splashed into the side of a blue wave, scattering plumes of sea spray into the air before disappearing. The gap had not been closed with the slaver. Bonifast had intended to do so before starting his attack. But the other ship had fired first and he would return their fire in even greater amounts.

  I’ve got to get over there before Bonifast blows it out of the water! An urgency to save his sister boiled inside of him. But how can I get over to the slaver? Lightning struck in the distance ahead of them. They were sailing into the worst part of the storm. Ethan had to act now.

  The demon had leaped from ship to ship in order to attack him moments ago. He had seen them float through the trees as a child while he and Elspeth were escaping the massacre at Salem. There was no reason to suppose his abilities to operate contrary to the physical laws were any different. If I’m really this Deliverer everyone keeps talking about then Lord Shaddai please help me to know what to do.

  Ethan ran to the railing and jumped up on it. The crew still buzzed about like bees as cannon fire erupted between the ships. Fortunately, the storm surge caused a great deal of inaccuracy on the part of both crews, giving him more time to act.

  Ethan noticed, as he stood on the railing of the tossed vessel, his body did not sway back and forth. He might as well have been a statue fastened to the wood with nails. As he watched the slaver in the distance, Ethan caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked to his right and found a gull sitting on the railing looking directly at him. The bird seemed to be gauging the boy’s intentions.

  “I’m going,â€� Ethan said, although he was not sure why he talked to the bird.

  The bird cocked its head sideways, regarding him. “I’m just not quite sure how to go about it is all,â€� he said.

  The bird, as if in response to his query, lifted its wings and then stood there looking at him. Ethan watched the bird. Then the gull hopped up into the wind and sailed across the expanse toward the slaver ship. For some reason, Ethan felt like he was being told what to do.

  Cannonballs pounded into the rolling waves just beneath the hull of the ship, sending spray into the air. Ethan hunched down like a spring, then released. His body rocketed away from the railing of the Maelstrom. He felt like a bird in flight, careening through the air toward his target. The slaver ship surged upward on a wave, coming to meet him as he landed safely on the deck.

  When Ethan turned to look back, Ethan saw the gull perched upon the railing next to him. It regarded him once more, seeming to nod its approval before taking flight again. Ethan turned his eye to the heavens and whispered, “Thank you,â€� unto the Almighty.

  SECRET IN THE HOLD

  The crew onboard the slaver ship desperately tried to get away from the larger vessel pursuing them. Cannon fire continued to erupt from both ships. Everyone on deck threw themselves to the ground as another volley smashed through equipment and rigging, sending showers of splintered wood through the air.

  Ethan flinched as things popped and smashed around him. He knew the physical dangers could not harm him. Still, it took getting used to. He’d already seen one demon, but Ethan sensed, somehow, it had not been the only one.

  The slaves must be kept in the cargo hold down below, Ethan supposed. He walked across the deck as the men onboard passed through him, trying to keep the ship elusive and remain alive at the same time. It was a curious thing to Ethan. He walked upon the physical deck just as he would in his natural state, but the men passed right through him—even the cannonballs, the ocean spray, and the wind itself simply passed through.

  Then Ethan thought about what he had already seen. He remembered the demon, who had appeared in the rented room at the Weary Traveler Inn. The demon had come right through the floor and then stood upon it. Maybe that’s all there is to it, he thought. If I think about what I want to do then perhaps that changes what I can do. If I think I want to pass through this deck then—

  Instantly the deck gave way and Ethan descended. He quickly stopped himself, landing below the upper deck of the slaver in a dark hallway. Well it’s down, he reasoned, so I’m going in the right direction.

  Men appeared in the hallway, startling Ethan. They ran right through him in the dark without the slightest notion that a fourteen-year-old boy was there. He shook his head at his reaction. It was going to take time to adjust.

  Ethan continued down the hallway slowly. He did not have to be concerned with men, but demons were another matter. And they were present somewhere onboard. Ethan felt them like a fog in the air. His body tingled with pricks of darkness in their presence. He wondered if he produced the same sensation in them.

  He came to a door. Even in the dark, Ethan’s preternatural eyes saw well. The door was locked with an iron bolt at the top and bottom. He started to gauge its strength. Then he remembered he was in the spiritual. But what if—

  Ethan concentrated on what he wanted and reached out for one of the bolts. To his joy, he grabbed it and was able to apply pressure to it. The bolt was stiff, but it slid back out of the doorframe. He had touched the physical world from the spiritual realm. He was so excited about the discovery he almost forgot why he was there. Elspeth.

  He left the other bolt alone and fastened the one he had undone. Ethan did not want someone to discover anything amiss, if they happened to come this way.

  Ethan passed through the wall. Once inside, he found the room completely devoid of light except for a sliver of gray coming through the cargo bay doors above. Ethan heard the sound of the sea raging against the hull all around him. The hollow boom of the cannons echoed within the walls and gave the room a larger feel as the sound reverberated around.

  Ethan found it much more difficult to see in here despite his spiritual sight. The darkness was more than just an absence of light. He felt it. Ethan heard heavy breathing, living things here in the dark. He grabbed his sword which
became luminescent in his hand.

  Forms became visible in the darkness, lying on beds of hay. But these were far too large to be humans. Ethan cautiously walked over to one of them. It was a man of some sort, but a giant man. From head to toe, he was easily three times the size of a normal human being. The giant slept, unaware of him.

  Ethan gazed within the man. The tingling in his body grew stronger now as he drew nearer. What he saw amazed and terrified him at the same time. At least one hundred demons resided within this single giant man. As he stood there, mesmerized by the sight, he realized more giant men were moving in the dark around him.

  He reacted on pure instinct, striking at movement behind him. One of the giants let out a horrible cry of pain. A hundred cries from the demons within mingled with it. Ethan suddenly realized he had stumbled into a terrible situation. The compartment came alive around him.

  They could see him, or at least, the demons within these giants could see him. Ethan had gotten himself into serious trouble. Demons leaped out of the giants in large numbers, leaving many more within the hulking warriors to control them.

  The demons drew their weapons for battle. Some held swords while others brandished huge maces. Ethan whirled around trying to take in as many of his opponents as possible. Evil laughter rose from the ranks of giants and demons.

  Ethan noticed another sword had appeared, floating by his left hip. He removed it quickly with his right hand, shifting the first to his left. It felt good. Shaddai, help me to do your will, he prayed within himself.

  Demons moved in. Ethan whirled the twin blades in tight circles, striking anything he could reach. The giants moved away from him as the demons encircled him. Ethan noticed the giant man, the one he had initially hit, bleeding from a deep wound to the chest. I actually struck his flesh with this sword, Ethan realized. No wonder they’re moving back. The demons mean to protect these giants.

  Any further consideration of why Mordred would transport these giant men on his slaver vessel left his mind as the battle for his life ensued. Demons lunged at him from every direction. Ethan struck out with both swords. He countered assaults, parried swords, ducked a swinging mace, somersaulted over a demon, then struck the creature down.

  THE_REALM_SHIFT

  Every time he managed to create an opportunity for escape, more demons swarmed in upon him. It did not appear that Ethan could win this fight. He now faced too many opponents in too confined a space. Ethan searched for a way of escape. He could pass through the physical walls, but not through the spiritual creatures hemming him in.

  A thought kept bouncing around in his mind. Why are these giants sailing for Emmanuel? Ethan tried not to think about it—after all, he was fighting for his life. But the thought would not go away.

  The giants backed as far away from the fight as they could. The demons blocked Ethan at every turn. He remembered the old woman from Tilley—the one controlled by a single demon. That woman had been nearly one hundred years old, yet she had fought with the strength of ten men. Even Gideon could hardly handle her in the fight. If Mordred built an army with these demon-possessed giants, then what normal army could hope to stand against him?

  Ethan still did not know how many giants were even in the cargo hold. But if Mordred had more ships, bringing more giant men, then…the thought was terrible. Ethan had to destroy the giants. Bonifast was trying to sink this ship, but with the storm raging around them, it might not happen. And for all Ethan knew, Gideon may have convinced him to hold his special ammo until Ethan returned.

  He was losing ground fast, barely defending himself at this point. He had nowhere to run. Ethan looked toward the walls of the cargo hold. The hull was blocked. Demons hovered above him, even standing upside down upon the ceiling of the cargo hold, all barring his retreat. There was no place for Ethan to go but—down!

  Ethan immediately used both swords to hack through the floor beneath his feet—not because he couldn’t pass through already, but to allow water into the cargo hold. The brilliant blades cut through the sturdy wood like hot knives through butter. Ethan dropped down as the wood gave way. He sank down into the lower hull, which housed the spine of the ship. With his swords illuminating the dark confines of the space, Ethan ran across ballast stones toward the spine and began slicing through it.

  Demons dropped into the enclosed space with him. When they spotted him and saw what he was doing to the ship, they immediately rushed after him. Ethan made his final cuts, then hacked through the last layer of the hull beneath his feet. The last thing Ethan saw was astonished demon faces.

  Water erupted into the compartment, filling it quickly. Ethan let go of the physical completely, while the ship sped on, away from him, taking on water. He was in the Azure Sea now, but he was not wet, not drowning. He needed no air in this state.

  Ethan rose toward the surface. As he came to stand upon the water itself, he saw the Maelstrom pass him, still in pursuit of the slaver—its cannons blazing after its prey.

  Ethan ran upon the surface of the water toward the ship. He leaped upward, gracefully landing upon the deck of the Maelstrom. He immediately shifted back to the physical realm.

  Ethan stumbled as gravity took hold of him again, air filled his lungs, and the storm winds beat upon him. His face slammed into the deck as the ship bucked upon a wave. He had the feeling of jumping from a speeding horse—when you hit the ground after that split second of weightlessness and freedom. Reality smashed into him like an enraged bull. He lay on the soaked wood of the deck feeling nothing but fatigue and pain.

  Gideon appeared by his side. Ethan’s ears rang. His friend seemed far away, trying to speak to him. Rain fell. That was all he could manage to focus on—the feeling of the rain on his face again. Then everything went black as Gideon’s muffled voice and the sounds of the cannons faded to nothing.

  THE CAPTAIN’S TABLE

  Ethan heard a soothing voice in his head. All he discerned in the darkness was a thought that was not his own. “Well done my good and faithful servant.â€� It was so peaceful and warm. Ethan did not want to leave it. But consciousness intruded and he heard a male voice filtering into his ears. Light penetrated the soothing darkness. The blurry images became clearer, until Ethan saw Gideon’s face looking down at him.

  The warrior-priest smiled at him then. “Glad to see you’ve come back to us, friend.â€�

  That word, friend, seemed to hang in the air and resonate. Ethan was glad to see his friend, Gideon, as well. He noticed, as his eyes took in the room beyond Gideon’s face, they were not on the deck of the Maelstrom anymore. They were in a small, warm room and Ethan was lying in a very comfortable bed with quilts over his body. A lantern burned above him, hanging on a hook fastened to the low ceiling. “Where am I?â€� he asked.

  “The captain’s quarters,â€� Gideon said. “You’re a regular hero, Ethan. And when you’ve regained strength, Captain Bonifast would like to meet with us.â€�

  “Really?â€�

  Gideon nodded. “He’s invited us to dinner this evening.â€�

  Gideon placed a tray on the table next to the bed. “This should perk you up a bit.â€�

  Ethan found a bowl of soup, some sort of chowder, and a small loaf of fresh bread. The steamy vapor rose from the bowl. Gideon got up to leave. “I’ll come back to check on you in a little while. Eat that food. I’ve seen the cook and you wouldn’t want to explain to him why you left the food sitting on the tray.â€�

  Ethan got the point and smiled, sitting up in the bed. It was so comfortable. Ethan would never have expected a rugged ship’s captain to sleep in such a comfortable bed.

  “Gideon?â€� he asked as the priest opened the cabin door to leave.

  “Yes?â€�

  “What happened to the slaver ship?â€�

  “I trust you wil
l enlighten us on that very subject at dinner. After all, you sank it yesterday.�

  Gideon smiled, closing the door behind him as he left the room. Ethan sat there in the bed astonished. His memory began to return. The realm shift, the demon attacker, the slaver’s cargo hold, and the secret Mordred had been hiding inside of it. Yesterday? I’ve been unconscious since yesterday?

  Ethan shook his head, which still hurt. He brought the tray of steaming food over onto his lap and devoured it eagerly. He wanted to get his strength back quickly if he was going to be dining with Captain Bonifast.

  Later that evening, Brass came to the captain’s cabin with a set of nice clothes for Ethan. He was large enough for his age to wear adult clothing. He had a nice, white button up shirt with a cuffed collar and dark brown trousers with a brown leather belt. Brown leather boots and a finely tailored blue waistcoat finished the ensemble.

  Brass waited outside while Ethan changed into the clothes. Then he escorted the boy to the captain’s dining room, down the hall. When he walked into the room, Gideon and Captain Bonifast were already having a friendly conversation at the table. “Ethan! Come in, lad, come in,â€� Bonifast said. “We were worried that you might not wake up for a while.â€�

  “Just wore me out, I guess,â€� Ethan said. He watched Gideon’s facial expressions, trying to gauge how much he should reveal. Gideon gave him a knowing look and nod. Evidently, it was time for honesty with their new ally.

  “Let’s sit down, gentlemen. We have much to discuss,â€� Bonifast said.

  They each took a seat at the rectangular hardwood table. It held fresh bread and cheese next to a candelabra. Ethan noticed the candleholder fastened to the table with small nails in order to keep it from sliding around as the ship moved with the sea. “I’ve had Cook prepare roast pig for us this evening, men,â€� Bonifast said.