Daemon Hunted

The sheets were soaked with sweat. I leapt to my feet, hands going for my throat to feel for an injury… blessedly I found nothing. After a panting moment trying to catch my breath, I let out a sigh. It was just a dream, a god-awful dream, but just a dream, I reminded myself. I reached and opened the nearby blinds, letting in sparce light as the first rays of morning fell upon my window.

“What a night,” I groaned, throat dry. I sat back down on the side of the bed, running my hands through my hair… and I felt something as I moved. I looked down at my chest. At the point where the daemon had touched me. My skin was raised like it had been burned by a brand. The sigil wasn’t as clear as it had been in the dream, but its overall shape was. It looked like a pentagram with a strange marking in its center.

I had been marked.

“That’s not good,” I hissed, my heart beginning to race anew.

I was out of bed and dressed in moments. I had to get home and find out what had happened. I wished I had time to shower but this place was no longer safe. My duffle packed easily after I slipped into new underclothes and threw on my jeans from the day before with a new red T-shirt. I took a few extra moments to fold my precious maps safely into my bag.

“This shouldn’t be possible,” I grumbled as I put on socks, my mind still racing over the events. I needed to see Fren. He might have an answer. I packed my last few remnants like my toothbrush and the warding stone which I found had been horrifically cracked in two.

I opened the door to a picturesque mountain landscape. Other than the white Honda from the night before and an old truck that I assumed was Phillis’s, the parking lot was empty. The sun wasn’t yet visible over the mountains in the distance, but enough light was present to show it would be in moments. Nothing was quite like waking up in the Idaho mountains, and under different circumstances, I would have set back to enjoy the moment.

I didn’t take time to stretch like I normally would. I had an intense desire—a need—to leave this place. So, instead of my normal routine I flat out ran to the mixed market, gas station, and inn front desk. I needed to tell Phillis I was checking out and give her the key.

“Hello Cal,” Phillis said, tucking gray hair behind one ear and sliding her readers up onto her head as I entered. She looked tired, with dark shadows around her eyes.

I’d planned on throwing my keys to whoever was manning the desk and closing out my stay, but I remembered how worried she’d been the night before. I couldn’t rush out, not without a last few words. “I’m surprised you’re here this early. I figured it would be one of the others.”

“Like I said,” Phillis said with a slight smile, “good help is hard to come by.”

“You shouldn’t be burning the midnight and early morning oil on your own,” I said.

“I agree. When my husband comes back from his fishing trip in Alaska, I’m going to take a few much-needed days off.”

“Well, good for you. If you find yourself in Boise, let me know.” I pulled out a little business card for my shop ‘Earth’s Bounty’ and handed it to her.

Phillis squinted through her readers and looked my card over, “A crystal shop?”

“It pays the bills, and in my opinion, it’s also worth seeing. There’s a good diner across the road and some other amazing shops. I’d be more than happy to show you around.”

“I might have to give that a try, next time we're in Boise. It’s not too often we go to the city for anything but restocking the shop and getting supplies.”

I grinned. “I bet, but the views are better out here.” I tried to hide my stress and the urgency I felt inside to get far from this place, but it must not have been good enough as Phillis pulled off her readers and gave me a looking over.

“You’re up early, did you sleep alright?” It was no surprise she might ask about the room and my sleep. The bed was horrible, lumpy, and old, and the room smelled like a ski lodge, but the easy access to the forest and her genuine kindness more than made up for it. They had clearly been making do for some time.

“Yes, it was fine. Unfortunately, something came up and I have to get back to town today. Here’s my key.”

Phillis nodded, but I saw a note of defeat in the motion as she took the key. I knew that of the four rentable rooms, only two were in use. I was leaving, and the other couple probably would be too.

“All hiked out then?” she said, voice grasping for normalcy. “Well, I’m glad you stayed, come back anytime ya hear. We’ll look up your shop next time were in the area.”

I nodded and said thanks. She might not feel like inviting me again if the TV, phone, remote, fire alarms, hair blower, and mini fridge were all broken. I’d unplugged them the second I got into the room, as well as pulling out the batteries from the fire alarms. I’d also tried to control my aura, but even that might not have been enough to shelter them. Especially with my crazy dream. Who knew if anything still worked?

I stepped outside, relieved that I could get on my way. Brisk autumn mountain air enveloped me, cold against my skin, as the doorbell chimed on my exit. I regretted not grabbing my jacket from my bag and almost pulled it out. I loosened my bag to do just that, however, my misting breath reminded me of the cold air I’d felt in many of the dreams. That remembrance sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the chill air. I hoisted my bag back up and jogged to my car, I could use the drive to train my focus against the elements.

This wasn’t the first time I’d had dreams. Every time I left my home for an extended period, she found me. This time it had only taken two nights, which was the fastest yet. It always happened when I was away from my home and the protections I’d built, and it was happening more quickly. I needed to find out why.

I rubbed the spot on my chest, which made me wince as if I’d touched a severe sunburn. Much worse.

I tossed my duffle into the back of my jeep. It was an old CJ-5, with a light brown almost rust colored paint job which helped hide the actual rust in places if you looked closely. While it looked like nothing special, it was a vehicle that would work consistently for someone like me. Most of the time anyway. And when it didn’t, it was easy to work on.

I hopped in, not needing to bother with a door as it currently had none, and I didn’t have the disposable income to buy new ones. A simple soft-cover roof was all that kept the heat relatively present and the rain mostly off, which was frequent this time of year.

It started, thankfully. And nearly as important—the heater cranked to life with it. I planned on training my will as I drove, withstanding the cold, but cold and insanely cold were two different things. I grumbled, knowing what my magical trainer Fren would think. Still, he wasn’t here, and I was so the heater was going to stay on. In moments I pulled out of the lot and onto the state highway that split the wild of the forest.

My ears grew cold from the racing breeze in moments but despite that, the tension I’d felt since waking lessened and my shoulders relaxed as I put miles between myself and the place the daemon had found me. I needed to figure out how it had happened and why the dreams were getting more intense.

Before it was too late.

I’d intended to stay in the mountains for a few more days until I caught whatever creature was picking off travelers in the woods. Initially, I had no sure proof it was supernatural, and therefore something I needed to deal with over the local authorities. It was clear it was, and I would have to deal with it, but my priorities had also shifted. I had a literal daemon marking me in my dreams. I picked up speed and manually shifted into fourth gear, slowly increasing to 65 mph which was about the max speed I could coax out of the old machine. I wasn’t entirely sure of my speed—the gage bounced up and down wildly—but I did the best I could manage. I wanted to get as much distance from the inn as I could in case the daemon had some other way of reaching me outside of dreams.

The drive home took two hours, I slowly passed through state parks, small mountain towns, and lone cabins. Those occurrences grew more frequent as I neared Boise.

I slowed down when I left the state highway. Despite wanting to get home quickly, I didn’t want to injure someone and getting a ticket wouldn’t help my bleeding bank account. I passed through downtown, headed to the north end, to my home and shop. To the place the daemon had yet to find me, and I hoped never would. I shivered at that thought, but considering it had never happened… I should be safe.

I lived in an area of town that mostly consisted of houses built a hundred years ago or more. Many were renovated and worth ten to thirty times their original price. Newer homes were built to match the old craftsman styles of the community. The densely packed autumn trees in people’s front yards passed by in a blur of yellows and reds. Piles of leaves were starting to fall and build up near fences, in ditches, and along sidewalks.

I turned onto a side street, then into an alley that went behind a few storefronts which lined the main road. The main road was a quaint relic of a bygone era nestled among the houses that dominated the blocks around. There were only a handful of stores, and the craftsmanship of each building was as variable as the wares inside. My own store was the same, its exterior walls were built of quarried stone, brick, and ancient old wood. The street appealed to locals and tourists alike and during our busy seasons, we got a lot of foot traffic. I pulled up behind my store and home, parking where I usually did, my jeep bouncing over the uneven ground.

‘Earth’s Bounty’ had been my new age crystal and rock shop for the last three years. The alley behind was nothing special, the road was old, and the backyard fences that rimmed it were nearly all in need of care and replacement. The potholes turned into pools of water which would soon turn to ice and a dumpster across the lane was the only stand outs. The fence line divided the commercial space from the urban, though many of the houses were barely distinguishable due to trees, bushes, and unusually long lots which made the parking area about as private as you could get in the city.

I jumped out, and nearly rolled my ankle on a rock as I turned to grab my bag. Grimacing and hoping Fren hadn’t noticed, I jogged up the back stairs. They were made from bare concrete, which was probably older than my parents, whoever they had been. The door was a large wooden affair that might outweigh my jeep. It swung open on silent hinges after I unlocked it with my keys. The handle was old, worn, and frigid cold to the touch, but as I stepped inside my shop, I took my first relieved breath in hours as warmth and familiar smells passed over me.

I was home.

I was safe.

Compared to where I had been, it smelled wonderful. Kate, a bubbly college student, and my only employee was manning the counter. She was about six years younger than me, and I considered her like my younger sister, though I had never had siblings of my own. She waved and gestured to the coffee machine set behind the counter.

“It just finished if you need a warm drink.”

I smiled, trying to hide my own concerns, “I’m fine, the cold worked enough for me today, but thanks for the offer.” I said, knowing that my racing heart and mind wouldn’t be helped by coffee today. I was as alert as I was going to get.

“You’re insane,” she said, holding her mug of coffee close to her chest as she looked me up and down. I was only wearing my T-shirt to combat the cold. The skin of my forearms and likely the rest of me was bright red and flushed.

“Fine, you’re probably right. I could use something to dethaw my fingers at least.”

I poured myself a cup of what remained of the coffee, the warmth instantly beginning to bleed through the mug and warm my skin.

“Good?”

“As always,” I said with a small sip, “Thanks for insisting.”

Katie nodded sagely, but I could see through the façade. She was the last person on earth to tell anyone what they should do, but personally was the most capable person I knew.

The coffee machine was remarkable beyond the simple fact that it kept running. I’d purposefully bought an expensive, ancient, euro-looking one which was housed in an elaborate cast iron exterior. It was meant to look artistic… or like a gothic steampunk coffee machine but it fit my needs. Iron was the big need. Iron tended to disrupt nearby magical energies and I’d done a few extra things to help it stay running, but still, every time I saw it, I knew it had been money well spent.

A family of out of towners were perusing the shop. A few scented candles burned in the windows letting off an enticing vanilla aroma—Kate’s own recent touch upon my shop. She had a company card, one that consistently worked compared to mine which wouldn’t scan after about a month of being in my immediate vicinity, I generally carried cash.

“Has everything gone well?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s been busier than usual, but more than easy to manage. How was hiking, you’re back early?”

“Yeah. My plans changed, but I’m going to have to keep the schedule largely the way it was. I’ll probably be heading back out soon.”

“Works with me. I love getting overtime this time of year.”

“Well, if you need any time off, or help with anything, let me know.”

“Will do Cal. Thanks.”

I nodded, and headed across the shop, the thud of my hiking shoes sounding heavily on the old wooden flooring of the store as I passed through. Pathways were worn smooth through the shop from steps just like mine, decades before I’d bought the place. I liked the sound of it, it made the ground seem solid and this building was more solid than any newer build. The walls were thick stone and brick, depending on where you looked, the wood flooring thick hardwood with hundreds of rings showing in the planks, demonstrating the age of the original trees, the girders and planks were wider, thicker, and longer than anything you could find commercially now. Each plank across the floor was massive, aged, and distressed uniquely from wear and tear over the past century.

The building was stronger still as I’d reinforced each wall myself. Painstakingly using my mana and the few runes I knew to craft the bulwark of my home. Any enchantment or Artifice took serious work and effort. The wood itself had been easier to strengthen because Fren had done it. They might not quite match steel in strength, but it would be close.

Towards one wall of the shop was a stairwell that had steps going up into a high second-story floor which was my room. There were also stairs going down into the basement, to what I referred to as ‘my office’ which it did have, but that was only a small part of the space. I unhooked a small brass chain which blocked the stairs from investigative shoppers, making it clear this was not an area they needed to go, and I descended into the basement.

The stairs took a right turn before meeting a door at the bottom level. The brickwork wall was painted white in the shop above, but around the turn it fell back into deep red hues. I pulled my keys free of my jeans and unlocked the door. I was sure Kate and previous employees wondered what I did down here and why things were so secret, but there was no way around it. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what I’d tell my friend Fren. He might have knowledge about the new threat, and perhaps he’d have some insight about the Daemon stalking my dreams.