David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation

by T. C. Crawford

  His double blades crashed down on Orin’s magical shield, knocking him to the ground. He continued his attack, time and time again swinging forcefully with all of his might at the old mage. Orin was doing all he could to block the attacks and keep from being cut in two. He focused his energy on strengthening his barrier so it wouldn’t break under the force of the blows, but it was all he could do. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would lose.

  When all hope seemed lost and a defeat was everything but sure, a horn blew somewhere in the distance near the mountain pass.

  The demon army began to turn around and face an unknown threat to their rear, giving up on their relentless pursuit of the men in the valley who were scattered and fleeing for safety.

  Confused, the fleeing men turned to see what had caused their attackers to abandon their pursuit. They could see the demons fighting something, but they couldn’t tell what it was, until finally a vanguard of elves in brilliant armor came rushing through the enemy forces, led by a pair of raging barbarians wielding heavy battle axes.

  They were screaming fiercely and sending demons and undead flying with every swing of their axe as if they possessed super-human strength.

  As they neared, the men began to shout and cheer. They could finally see who it was leading the charge – it was Reingard and Holzer, and they had come back with an army of Elves and Dwarves at their side!

  With the sudden sound of the horn behind him and the abandonment of his force’s pursuit of the defenders, General Krauss let up on his relentless attack to turn and see what was happening.

  Just as he did, Orin gathered what strength he had left in him and sent a powerful attack towards the General, knocking him back several feet. Exhausted beyond all hope as the effects of his elixir finally wore off, Orin gave in to his weariness and dropped his staff to the ground. He could fight no longer as he embraced the end that would soon come his way.

  Enraged and seeing the old mage apparently defeated, General Krauss walked back to Orin to finish him off with a final blow. With a smirk on his face, he looked down at his opponent before lifting his swords high into the air and driving them down with all of his might. Orin looked up at the coming attack defiantly, determined to face his end with honor.

  Suddenly, a streak of silver flashed behind General Krauss and the attack immediately halted. Slowly a thin line of blood began trickling from his neckline as his head casually tilted and toppled over before falling to the ground. His body fell to its knees and likewise toppled to the side, falling into a lifeless heap.

  Confused and overwhelmingly relieved, Orin propped his head up to see what had happened. Rex was standing over the body of General Krauss, holding his blood-soaked battle axe horizontally as he followed through with his deadly swing.

  The old mage just lay his head back and let out a hearty laugh. He couldn’t believe what incredible luck he had.

  Rex and General Ryan carefully helped Orin onto his feet as he took a look around the valley.

  The last of the demon army was quickly being chased down and hacked away by the elves and dwarves along with what remained of the defenders of Ravenfell – they had actually done it – they had won the battle!

  Ravenfell would live to see another day.

  Chapter XXIV

  With the demon army defeated and General Krauss no longer a threat, the remaining forces of Ravenfell, with the aid of the Elves and Dwarves, began the long and difficult task of sorting through the carnage of the battlefield.

  They roamed through the wreckage and massive field of bodies for hours, finding the wounded and carrying them to the infirmary while the dead were taken to a field and prepared for a great funeral to be held that evening.

  The battle had taken a massive toll as expected, but the number of demons and undead easily outnumbered the fallen men ten-to-one. Still, they had lost a sizeable portion of their forces and knew that it was only a matter of time before the demon army would rebuild – being constantly supplied by the underworld with fresh recruits of demons and undead.

  This thought, although distant at the moment for most of the men – whose primary focus was sorting through the mixed emotions of having survived the battle only to have to bury many of their friends and family members – it remained constantly in the minds of their leaders.

  Nearly as soon as the battle had ended, the men were given orders to take care of the wounded and dead. Rex, Orin, General Ryan, General Owen, and King Eldergate then met with the Elven prince, Gilric Ellisar, and King Tybrin Hammerclaw of the Dwarves, to thank them for their courage and assistance and to create a plan for the path ahead.

  As they were walking to the castle for their discussion of their remaining forces and future battle strategy, the sun was setting behind the mountains once again as it had done twice already since the battle had first begun. Suddenly, the sound of distant yelling came from the road leading up the valley towards the mountain pass.

  They turned and could see a lone soldier running quickly down the path towards them, arms flailing as he screamed.

  All they could hear were his words, “He’s coming!”

  For a moment they were startled and confused, but the uncertainty lasted only a moment, for shortly after they saw a bright green streak fly high above the mountain pass before barreling down at incredible speeds and plummeting into the castle upon the hill. The impact was so powerful it imploded the entire structure and sent a shockwave reeling outward at incredible speeds that knocked everything in its path backwards and through the air.

  In a matter of seconds, the entire stronghold of Ravenfell was obliterated to nothing but a pile of rubble surrounding a crater where the castle once stood.

  In the middle of the crater, floating just high enough for all in the valley to see, was the Defiant One.

  His voice, ethereal and fierce, echoed throughout the entire valley, bouncing off the mountains around them.

  Man, Elf, and Dwarf alike covered their ears against the sudden onslaught, but his voice still resounded in their minds – there was no escaping it.

  “All who oppose me will fall like a wave against the shore. To resist is futile. You may have had the strength to fend off the first wave of my army, but you will not survive the next. Find me the boy, bring him to me, and I will be a merciful ruler. If you fail, you and your people will suffer the likes of which you have never seen before.”

  With this, he rose high into the sky and jetted across the mountain pass once again, creating a shockwave through the skies that shook the air and ground around them as he headed back to his fortress atop the mighty rock where Eldergate once stood.

  ***

  When they recovered from their shock and awe at the immense power of the Defiant One, the leaders all stood together discussing their options.

  “We don’t stand a chance against that kind of power, not without David.” said Rex calmly, looking around at the others as they stood in a makeshift command tent. They had been going over various plans to confront their enemy, and so far, nothing was looking promising.

  Reingard and Holzer had informed Rex and the others of their journey with David, Tyrius, and Erin and of David’s eventual capture by Jakob Zander of the Southern Kingdom’s Guild. They said Tyrius and Erin had gone after him, but that they suspected he was somehow taken by magic to Brineport where he would be under the mercy of the bandits and their leader, whoever that was.

  “They rode South on the morning of the battle of Draco’s Pass just three days past,” said Gilric. “They were on the backs of two of our fastest horses. With luck and the Creator’s grace, they should be in Brineport by now. What they will find there, only time will tell.” he said.

  “What do you suggest we do? We can’t wait here until the next wave of enemies come. They will surely destroy us where we stand!” said Tybrin Hammerclaw, clearly still shaken by the show of force he had just witnessed.

  “He’s right. Our defenses are all but destroyed, our fortress is o
bliterated, and we have less than half the numbers we had. We can’t withstand another direct assault.” said King Eldergate, shaking his head.

  The situation was dire indeed, and they all knew it.

  “Well, he’s giving us a chance to get David to him, right?” asked Orin, wincing from the pain in his side as he tried to stand up. Rex quickly helped him to his feet, giving him the support needed to address the others.

  “That must mean he doesn’t yet know that David is captured in the South! If he did, he wouldn’t have asked us to bring David to him, because his minions in the South would be doing it for him.” he said, looking around the room. Everyone nodded in agreement, suddenly a glimpse of hope on their faces.

  “It also tells us, for some reason, the Defiant One is not traveling too far from Eldergate to search for David himself. Why do you think that is?” he asked, searching the eyes of everyone at the table.

  When no one seemed to have an answer, Orin spoke up again, “I believe, and I may be wrong…but I believe it’s because he can’t!”

  With that, everyone looked up, shock and confusion on their faces.

  “What do you mean, old man?” asked Gilric, his expression for the first time showing a rare hint of emotion.

  “What I mean is, maybe he can’t travel too far from Eldergate because the spell that once banished him to the Dark Abyss still has a hold on him, however slightly. What if he is bound to the area until David is defeated, thereby destroying the last remnants of the power that sealed him away and freeing him at last – the power of the Mystics of Creation. The power that, although dormant it seems, David now possesses and keeps a part of this world.”

  Everyone looked around the room, each judging the merits of the information Orin was proposing. Could the Defiant One truly still be in chains?

  Orin, seeing that his message was making an impact, decided to reveal his final bit of information.

  “Did anyone else notice that when the Defiant One first arrived, after his initial display of power, that his aura had dimmed significantly? When he was on his way, his light was as bright as a star, but when he was leaving, it was barely noticeable at all. He merely glowed the way the orb now glows in David’s hand – as if it is sleeping, dormant. I believe this is because he had expended his stored energy in that powerful blast. Had he continued so far from his source of power, the Dark Abyss where he is still bound, he would have run out of strength. That is why he has been staying in Eldergate instead of leading his armies like he once did so many years ago.” said Orin.

  With this, the light seemed to turn on with Gilric and Tybrin, both of whom had fought in the Mystic Wars and had seen first-hand the might and power of the Defiant One.

  “He’s right!” said Tybrin, eyes wide with recollection. “Before, the Defiant One always glowed bright and he took pride in personally leading his armies. It didn’t matter where he went, he was always fighting alongside them!”

  “Indeed, it is true.” said Gilric pitching in. “The Defiant One was never one to shy away from a battle. After all, he was bred for destruction as a means of balancing the creations of the other Mystics. It seems now he has a reason to remain hidden away, at least until he has David in his grasp. What you suggest, Orin, may have some merit.” said Gilric, nodding his head in agreement.

  “So, what does that mean for us?” asked Rex, looking to Orin for guidance. “Do you suggest we go into hiding until David can regain his powers and defeat the Defiant One once and for all?”

  With this, everyone turned to Orin, waiting for his advice on what to do next.

  “No. I think that we should gather what supplies we can and go to the Southern Kingdom to help Tyrius and Erin find and rescue David. Without David, our future is bleak indeed. We must find him and get him to the Crystal Caverns no matter the cost. He is our only hope of survival. So long as the Defiant One remains on this earth we will never be safe, and there’s no telling how long he will remain chained like this. David is the only one who can face him, and he must do it sooner rather than later” said Orin gravely.

  “If we can get our people to the Southern Kingdom, we can rebuild our forces without the threat of the Defiant One showing another force of power like he did today. That is, if Orin’s hypothesis is true. Once David recovers his powers and returns from the Caverns, we will then be ready to take the fight to the Defiant One with David by our side!” said Rex, looking to King Eldergate who nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, I believe that is the best course for the time being. We have nothing left here for our people.” said King Eldergate. “This valley will be our doom if we stay here and have to fight again” he said gloomily. “No, we will go to Brineport and reunite with our people who have gone before us”

  “King Kane, Prince Gilric, King Tybrin, what of your people? Will you accompany us through the Southern Tunnel?” asked King Eldergate.

  Rex, the Elf Prince, and Dwarven King shared a look of mutual agreement before answering. They would all bring their forces through the Southern Pass. It would be safer to travel South through the mountains, than risk a confrontation again in the open fields of the Great Plains.

  “It is settled then. We will gather what supplies we have left and, after we bury the dead and send them off properly, we will begin our journey south through the mountain. May the Creator’s blessing be with us all!” shouted Rex, to which everyone joined in the blessing before dispersing to spread the message to their respective people.

  They spent the next several hours preparing for their coming journey and gathering the last of the dead for the funeral pyre while a group of Dwarves worked to clear the rubble from the Southern Tunnel that had been blocked before the battle.

  When the dead had all been gathered, they lit the massive pyre, each leader giving their blessings and saying a few kind words to commemorate the thousands of brave warriors that had given their lives in the battles of Ravenfell and Draco’s Pass.

  The mound was great, and the light of the fire lit up the valley in a radiant hue of yellow and orange, casting long shadows across the landscape of the men, elves, and dwarves who circled around to honor their fallen comrades. Millions of little sparks danced and flittered through the cool mountain air as the fire burned away its fuel, sending them high into the air to join the countless stars littered across the cloudless night sky.

  In the early morning before the fog had even lifted, they gathered the last of their supplies and began their descent into the Southern Tunnel, many wondering if they would ever see their homeland again.

  Chapter XXV

  David watched helplessly as he was being pulled away from his friends as their captors were taken out one by one by rogue arrows flying from the shadows among the trees. He was bound tightly and no matter how much he struggled he couldn’t break free.

  He watched in horror as arrow after arrow flew in his direction, several narrowly missing David’s body as he was being dragged mercilessly across the forest floor. The ground was rubbing his arms raw and more than once a protruding root jabbed into his ribs, knocking the breath from his lungs.

  Eventually he was dragged beyond the tree line and his captor took out a small glass ball the size of an apple from his pocket before throwing it harshly to the ground, shattering it into a thousand little fragments that glittered in the moonlight.

  A plume of smoke rose from the debris, engulfing the two of them and blocking the view of the forest and their pursuers out of sight.

  Suddenly, David felt a strange rushing sensation as he felt his body become weightless. The sound of the forest and whizzing arrows vanished and was replaced with absolute silence. Then, just as suddenly as if no time had passed at all, he landed hard on a stony floor, knocking his head hard on its surface before his vision went completely black.

  When he awoke, David found himself in a small, square room with sandstone walls and ceiling that were rough and gritty. He was lying on a straw covered cot with his head bandaged and propped up o
n a straw pillow, its rough bristles pricking his head and body in various places.

  He sat up to take a look around and saw that he was in a prison cell of some kind. The air was humid and hot, unlike anything he had felt before – indicating he was far away from where he had been the night before.

  The light shining into his room from a small, barred window on the wall gave him the indication that it was sometime during the day.

  He stood up and walked to the door which was more of a wall of bars with a section that opened and closed. He gripped the cool metal bars and took a peek outside his cell. They were rough on his hands and slightly rusted but were spaced far enough that he could reach his arm through the gaps. Not that it would do him any good – he was locked in there with no apparent way of escaping.

  From what he could see as he peered through the bars, his cell was apparently one of many and was located in a long, hall-like room with a small plain looking door at the middle leading to what David assumed was the exit.

  His cell was located somewhere between the end and the middle of the hallway, from his best estimate.

  “Hello?” he called into the hallway, hoping to figure out why he was captured and where he was being held.

  “Eh, there’s no use boy” came a raspy voice from the cell to his right, “They won’t hear you. They only come here twice a day, if we’re lucky, and that’s to drop off the slop so we don’t die before our execution” he said, followed by a rough, wet sounding cough.

  “What do you mean, execution? Where am I being held?” asked David, moving closer to the side of his cell that the voice came from.

  The man just laughed until he was stopped by his ragged cough, then finally he responded.

  “What, you don’t know where you’re at?” he mocked, “Surely, you’re innocent, then?” he asked, before breaking into another hysterical laugh.

  David shook his head, realizing he wasn’t going to get any real answers out of the man to his right, and headed back to sit on his bed.