Chapter 7: Struck Down
The comforts Dameon spoke of were some quilts and huge bearskin rugs on the floor. Of course, no chamber in the cave was entirely free of old world junk, so objects had to be pushed aside. Kelden rested and meditated on his injuries until dawn of the next day. By then, he felt much better and the bump on his head had gone down. After a quick breakfast, the group prepared to depart.
"There is one more detail," said Dameon, before they left. "I must blindfold you so you can't learn the secret entrance to my cave. And I want my mace back. It's more than what it appears to be."
"Forget it," said Theodus. "I'm well aware that your mace is a Mezzelt weapon. The crystal structure tells me that. I consider this device to be immoral, the binding of a helpless spirit creature into an inanimate object."
"A good many seers possess them," said Dameon. "So save your lecture on morality, Dar fiend. Yes, it's a Mezzelt weapon--and my link. It's no different than you--except that it can't talk and thus I don't have to hear its pathetic speeches. Now hand over my mace!"
"I'd rather destroy it," said Theodus, "thus freeing a fellow demon back into the wild where it belongs."
"And maybe I'll do the same to you," snarled Dameon, "if you do anything other than return my link to me at once!"
"Give it back to him," said Kelden. "As a former seer, he does have the right to own it under Legaran law. Besides, most demons don't mind being bound into weapons, remember? Your kind doesn't get bored like we humans." Kelden fell silent, hoping he'd struck a chord with Theodus' lawful nature.
"If you insist, master." With a scowl, Theodus tossed the mace at Dameon. The big man snatched it from the air and gazed longingly at Theodus' head, as if he envisioned crushing the Dar fiend's skull.