Jonis by Rowan Erlking (free children's online books txt) 📖

shook his head while Corporals Pegsley and Wigg lifted the faint lieutenant into sitting positon. “He touched you. He put his hand on your face and touched you.”

Swallowing, Jonis peered at Lt. Gillway’s glazed eyes. “You stupid—! Why did you do that?”

Blinking at him, the lieutenant managed a smile. “It worked. Good.”

Tears broke from his eyes. Jonis tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand, but it seemed to just spread them. “Merkham, you could have been killed. I could have killed you.”

But Lt. Gillway was still smiling. “Nah. You would have died if I didn’t. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Jonis really sobbed now. Covering his face with his hands, he shouted, “Don’t ever do that again! Merkham, don’t ever….  It would have been better to let me die.”

His friend sat up, still weak but grinning. Lt. Gillway patted Jonis on the back. “No, it wouldn’t. You haven’t tried Kalsworth’s famous cinnamon twist rolls yet. We have to add to that three-thousand-year memory of yours.”

Unable to answer that, Jonis just sat and stared at him. This human. He was willing to risk his life to save a Cordril. To save him.

The men of the demon-hunting troop listened to fire burn up the moaning corpse behind them. The wind blew over the stench of the other fire as the smoke reeked over the town. Only Lt. Gillway looked around as if pleased with a successful operation, waiting for any one of them to speak.

Cpl. Higges spoke first. “You know, maybe that was the reason we were sent here.”

“What?” Lt. Pratch looked up at him.

With one arm folded across his chest and a pensive expression on his face, Cpl. Higges said mostly to Jonis, “I was just thinking that maybe Private Macoy better be more careful on our expeditions. It seems to me that we were sent here first on purpose.”

Jonis blinked at him as he got to his feet. “What are you saying? That the Patriarch of Brein Amon sent me here to die?”

Cpl. Higges shrugged. “Why not? Everyone has been uncomfortable about taking you back to Ladis. Think about it, the one kind of demon you were not prepared to fight, and we were sent to it first after getting rid of all those worms? I bet this town has had this problem for a while. Look at how well they were handling it already.”

There was no use denying it.

Jonis pulled his arms in again, wishing this Cpl. Higges had not pointed it out. 

“Don’t be such a cynic.” Lt. Gillway stood up, still shaky. His knees wobbled. “How would the Patriarch of Brein Amon know that this particular demon would be able to kill Jonis with a touch?”

Cpl. Higges raised his eyebrows, looking less like a man who was merely cranky. “He’s the Patriarch of our nation. He has a council of fourteen men, plus a spy network and an army at his beck and call. Don’t you think that he could have them research the ways to kill a Cordril? Think about it.”

Jonis did. Of course the Patriarch might be having second thoughts about letting a Cordril join the army. Of course Jonis’s success in ridding the southern border of demon worms might be a little frightening to the Sovereign. Still, Jonis’s desire to live a normal life as an accepted equal drove him to not give up.

He glanced at Lt. Gillway for some help.

His friend patted Jonis again on the back. “Don’t worry. We’ll prove to the Sovereign that you are a loyal citizen of Brein Amon. Then he’ll try to get you on his side instead. You know people have to warm up to you first. He just doesn’t know you yet.”

Sighing with some relief, Jonis glanced over at the charred and now completely dead corpse on the street. Yes, they would prove it.

Cpl. Higges smirked and shook his head as he looked the other way.

 

Chapter Seventeen: Hunting Night Stalkers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Anyone with a brain and the ability to form words can use magic.”

 

 

 

 

“Welcome, Corporal Emas. I’m glad you came in time,” Lt. Gillway said, waving him into the eating booth they had rented at the inn.

The reddish haired young man glanced around the open bar and stepped quickly into the private stall. “Yes, sir. Reporting for duty.”

“Sit down,” the lieutenant said, gesturing to a chair.

The corporal obeyed quickly. “Yes, sir.”

Jumping right into business, Lt. Gillway folded his fingers together, grinning as a shark would when finding new prey. “So, you have been sent to join the demon patrol—specifically our group. What crime did you commit to be punished in such a way?”

The corporal swallowed. “Crime? No, sir. No crime. I was transferred because I have a knack with some demon articles. My grandfather was a magister.”

That only made the lieutenant grin wider. “Settle down, Corporal. I was only teasing. Most of the newbies in the patrols seem to think they are being punished when they join us. How fortunate you are to be such an optimist.”

He waved over for the waitress to hurry up. “I hope you are not nervous being assigned to work with Corporal Macoy. However, the generals believe that the corporal is talented at training demon hunters. We have produced some of the best in the business, you know.”

“Yes,” Cpl. Emas replied, glancing around the room in search of him. “I heard that, uh, Cordril was working with you.”

“He is under my supervision,” Lt. Gillway said with a nod. He then handed the corporal a pair of sunglasses. “And you must defer to him only when I say so.”

The corporal nodded.

“Take these.” Lt. Gillway placed the sunglasses into Cpl. Emas’s hand. “They are for anonymity when we enter demon villages.”

“For me? Or that…uh, Cordril?” He took them, opening the ear rests and trying the pair on.

Smiling, Lt. Gillway replied, “You’re smart. That will be very helpful. Now be wise and careful with your tongue. What you say, not only to Jonis but also about him in public, will affect our jobs. Got it?”

“Understood, sir,” the corporal said.

The waitress grinned at them both, handing over two large mugs of beer.

“Will, uh, Corporal Macoy be joining us for lunch?” Cpl. Emas asked.

Lt. Gillway shook his head. “No. He grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen and went to work early on. He’s scouting out our case at this moment.”

“He sounds particularly diligent.” The corporal took a sip of beer, wiping the foam off his nose.

“He’s the best demon hunter I ever ran across.” Lt. Gillway took in a long drink.

“How many have you met?” the corporal asked.

The lieutenant started to count on his fingers. He tilted his head, staring into space as he counted. “Well, over the past two years we have met approximately seven demon hunters, five of which wanted to kill Jonis.”

“Jonis? Is that Corporal Macoy’s name?” Emas asked, staring at him. “You are awfully familiar with him.”

Smirking, the lieutenant took another long drink. “Yep. That kid and I go way back. Of course, he isn’t much of a kid anymore. Still skinny though.”

Jonis walked in then, looking just as the lieutenant had described him—tall yet not quite filled out as a grown man was. His sandy brown hair had gone back to that long mop he wore before he had joined the military, his hair mostly falling into his eyes. He gave a characteristic smirk when he saw the new recruit for their demon patrols and crossed over to his friend.

“So, how does it look?” Lt. Gillway asked him.

The waitress stood by to take Jonis’s order.

“No thanks, I already ate,” Jonis said to her.

“Would you like something to drink then, with your friends?” she asked.

Jonis glanced at their beers and caught the lieutenant’s mocking gaze. He said, “I’ll have an apple juice.”

“With rum,” Lt. Gillway added.

“No rum,” Jonis interjected, making a face at him.

The waitress left, winking at the lieutenant. He watched her go, whistling.

“That’s a woman,” Lt. Gillway murmured.

Jonis smothered a laugh. He glanced back, watching her flutter her eyes at his commanding officer. “Merkam, why don’t you go and talk with her? Arrange a rendezvous or something. You keep flirting with her enough.”

The lieutenant waved the idea out of the way. “Nah, she flirts with everybody. Besides, we have work to do. Now tell me what you found.”

Sighing, Jonis did not remove his smirk. “Come on, you like her. More than I have seen you like any girl, and she doesn’t flirt with just anyone. Look at how she spurns those guys. And they have been flirting with her all week.”

Shaking his head, though going red in the ears, Lt. Gillway said, “You are changing the subject. We came here to deal with a demon problem not flirt with girls.”

“The demon problem can wait,” Jonis replied, leaning over the table. “This situation is more serious. Merkam, I want you to be happy. Eventually you should find a wife. Why not her? She seems game.”

“Not this again.” Lt. Gillway groaned, leaning back in his seat. He looked at Cpl. Emas for help. “Jonis here seems to think that I won’t be truly happy until I am married. He has been harassing me for the past five months. Can you tell him for me that a soldier cannot afford to have a wife, especially a demon hunting soldier?”

The corporal glanced at Jonis and then at Lt. Gillway. He shrugged. “Actually, I’d have to agree with Corporal Macoy.”

“Aha!” Jonis clapped his hands and laughed in triumph. “See! I told you so! Every man needs to find that one woman that makes his head swim. And I believe that she is the one for you.”

“Back to business.” Lt. Gillway growled. “Private—I mean, Corporal, report on our demon situation.”

Jonis knew that was the last word in the argument, though he still smirked at the idea of getting his good friend married off. He had seen the toll the lonely life of a hunter for the military had taken on his friend. The man was incredibly lonely. More frequently, Lt. Gillway had glanced at happy couples and sighed a bit too often. Perception being one of Jonis’s skills, he knew what the man was thinking. The cravings for women had flooded Jonis over full-well when his voice had changed to a deeper manly tone. Jonis now understood the desires of the man who had gone to Harmas to chase after whores. He also clung to the stronger drive to find someone who simply understood him. If anything, Jonis believed that his own increasing loneliness could be somewhat eased by helping his friend find his lady. Discovering someone for himself seemed impossible. Haunted by the memory of his mother and her painful thoughts, Jonis knew his options were limited.

“Ok,” Jonis sighed, glancing about as the waitress returned with a drink free of alcohol. He nodded to her, slipping a silver piece in her hand as a tip.

She smiled at Lt. Gillway once more and walked off.

In a low voice, Jonis whispered, “I took my walk and asked questions as usual. What I got was not encouraging. In fact, I’d rather leave this town right now and come back when it is all over.”

Lt. Gillway groaned. “Jonis, we came already. Is it what they think it is?”

Nodding slowly and with a great