“What’s the problem?” Leonidas asked.
“There’s a small army of ape things in the clearing out there. I counted at least fifteen before I shut the door.”
“The spirit can’t defeat us with her magic so she’s going to try brute force. Not terribly elegant, but possibly effective. Form ranks in front of the door.”
The mercenaries clanked into position and readied their shields and spears.
“Open it, Shade.”
The assassin pulled the door open and leapt back behind the soldiers. No rush of screaming monsters greeted them. Leonidas looked between two of the soldiers. A dozen ape beasts stood staring at the doorway from twenty feet away but made no move to attack.
What were they waiting for?
Leonidas didn’t get the impression that the creatures were smart enough to realize how poor the strategic position was relative to the defenders. Maybe it was the spirit’s influence.
Did she want a standoff? Maybe it would give her time to finish off Domina and the others. Then again, maybe she wanted him to think that and make a rash move that would lead to them being overwhelmed.
Leonidas growled a little. He could go back and forth in his head forever and never get a definite answer. He was just going to have to make a decision and go for it. And since he didn’t want to lose Domina when they still had so much left to do, there was only one real choice.
“If they won’t come to us,” Leonidas said. “We’ll have to go to them. Form a defensive square and prepare for battle.”
The soldiers shared a few nervous looks, but quickly got into position with Leonidas in the center and Shade at the rear ready to close the door behind them.
“Forward.”
They marched out. The moment the first soldier cleared the doorway the monsters bristled and bared three-inch fangs. The mercenaries didn’t hesitate, instead advancing at a steady pace toward the waiting beasts.
Behind them the tower door shut and Shade joined him in the center. They were committed now. No way would the monsters give them time to put in the entry code.
As if the door closing was a signal, the mob attacked en masse. They hit the front line with enough force to stop the soldiers dead in their tracks. The scrabbling of their claws on the steel shields set Leonidas’s teeth on edge.
One of the apes tried to leap into the center of the formation.
Leonidas gestured and a burst of magic from his ring sliced the beast in half, sending blood and bile raining down on its fellows.
The death of one of their own combined with the smell of blood to drive them into an even greater frenzy.
A fresh batch of screaming monsters came from behind the tower to attack the rear of the formation. Despite the fury of the attack, none of Leonidas’s soldiers had fallen, or even called out in pain. The heavy armor and shields were doing their jobs.
When the initial attack had spent its fury, Sergeant Shanks said, “Spears out!”
Gaps opened in the shield wall and the spears thrust out into the massed apes. With a mix of efficiency and brutality, the soldiers stabbed into the mob felling monster after monster. Screams of fury turned to squeals of pain.
One of the monsters broke and ran in a limping trot, blood matting its fur. Leonidas blasted it to pieces. He had no intention of letting a single monster escape. Every one of the bloody things was going to die here and now.
His men knew their business and the slaughter was completed in barely five minutes. There was no time to celebrate their victory. The gods alone knew how far they had to go to reach the others and what trials they’d face.
“Let’s move,” Leonidas said.
As they marched out of the tower clearing the spirit said, “Enjoy your victory, human, it will be your last.”
Leonidas ignored the taunt. He had plenty to concern him beyond empty words.
The scorching heat of the dog monster’s fire breath brought sweat to Rondo’s brow. He was crouched behind two rows of mercenaries who were doing their best to hold the staircase against the horrors that had come suddenly and violently to life. They had all assumed that the specimens were long dead, but they’d been wrong. Those tremors had struck at exactly the wrong moment. Talk about rotten luck. Even Domina had been forced to admit their search was over.
She was upstairs in the small entrance area trying to figure out how to get rid of the vines blocking their retreat. Before falling back, she tasked Rondo with guarding the staircase against the hybrids. A single look exchanged with Simms transferred command to the corporal. It was the first and best order he could think of.
When the flames stopped, the horse hybrid trotted in, spun, and lashed out with a kick that hit with the force of a battering ram. The front row slammed into the second’s shields before being pushed back into position just in time to absorb another fire blast.
How long could they keep up this pattern? Surely the dog would run out of fire eventually. Or maybe it wouldn’t. Rondo didn’t know enough about dragons, much less dragon hybrids, to venture an even vaguely informed opinion.
“Simms, can you see any of the other experiments moving around?”
“No, sir, though it’s awfully dark along that back wall. At least they aren’t attacking us yet.” Yet being the operative word. “Anything happening above?”
Rondo trotted up just enough to peek over the top step. Domina was mixing the contents of two of her vials. Maybe she was close to opening a path. Rondo had no idea and no intention of asking.
“Looks like she’s making progress,” he guessed. “How are you guys holding up?”
“We’re hot and bruised, but no one’s bleeding,” Simms said.
That was the best they could hope for under the circumstances.
“Sir, we’ve got movement,” one of the soldiers said.
Rondo risked standing up enough to look over the heads of the front row. A vague shadow shifted at the edge of the light. What had been in the glass cylinder in that section? Damn it, he couldn’t remember.
The answer came a moment later when an orange tabby cat with the head of a blue dragon stepped into the light. It couldn’t have weighed more than ten pounds. Its puffed-out tail twitched as it stared at the soldiers with bright yellow eyes.
The cat hybrid opened its mouth and a white glow grew in the back of its mouth. The memory came crashing back. Blue-scaled dragons breathed electricity.
The knowledge came half a second too late. The lightning bolt shot out into the central soldier. His body spasmed as his muscles contracted all at the same time.
He collapsed and a momentary opening appeared in the shield wall.
The dog and horse hybrids rushed to fill the opening. Simms lunged toward the gap, shield leading while the back row struggled to drag the limp soldier out of the way.
Heavy blows from the horse’s hooves filled the air with a horrendous racket.
Rondo reached out and got a hold of the fallen man’s wrist and heaved. Gods that armor weighed a ton. The back row got the man out of the way just in time for the front rank to close and turn aside a blast of flame.
“That was too close,” Rondo muttered as he checked the unconscious mercenary’s pulse. It felt strong and steady. That was something anyway. “Simms, I don’t care if you have to use every spear we’ve got, the next time you see that cat hybrid, kill it.”
“You read my mind, sir.”
Rondo barely had time to settle himself for the next round of attacks when Domina’s squad came running down the steps.
“What—”
A horrendous explosion from the entrance cut him off in mid question. Smoke rolled down the steps and Rondo covered his mouth. A little warning would have been nice.
“Domina?” Rondo called. “Is it safe to come up?”
“Of course it is. What do you think I am, an amateur? The doorway’s clear.”
Thank the watching gods. Maybe she could throw some of whatever she just used down the staircase and seal the mons
ters in forever. Either way, it was time for them to go.
“Simms, pull back to the top of the stairs.”
Rondo shooed the mercenaries behind back the way they’d come. They went, but not with great enthusiasm. When he reached the top step Rondo said, “We’re clear, Simms.”
“On our way, sir.”
The mercenaries backed slowly up the stairs, never breaking formation, until they reached the top.
“As soon as we clear the way, those things will be on us,” Simms said.
“Domina?” Rondo asked.
“Ugh! Do I have to do everything around here?” She stalked over and threw a vial down the stairs between two of the locked shields.
The resulting explosion sent everyone but her sprawling and the staircase crumbling into rubble. The path to the basement was sealed, at least until the hybrids dug their way out. Rondo hoped to be long gone before that happened.
All that remained in the doorway was the singed remains of the vines that had blocked their path. Whatever Domina used had done the job with gusto. It also blew chunks out of the door frame, but that was a small price to pay for their freedom. Now to get out of here and join up with Lord Black.
He glanced at Domina, but she was busy glaring at the ruined staircase. Probably still angry that the lab hadn’t offered up anything of greater value.
“Simms, let’s take a look outside.”
“Yes, sir.” The corporal barked orders and a square of soldiers was quickly put together with Rondo in the center.
Being the first through the door didn’t really suit Rondo, but Domina was in no fit state to take the lead. Never thought he’d be eager for her to start shouting orders, but here he was.
The square exited the stone entrance and froze a moment later. A dome of massive vines surrounded them. The barrier started thirty feet from the building and went all the way around. They couldn’t even levitate out since the top was sealed as well.
“What now, sir?” Simms asked.
Rondo’s laugh sounded brittle and hysterical in his ears. “Now we hope Domina has a bucket of whatever she used to get us out of the lab.”
Leonidas glared at the wall of thorns blocking the road. His group had barely left the tower clearing when they ran into it. The vines were as big around as his forearm and sported thorns six inches long and needle sharp. Worse, no magic ran through them. The spirit must have created them then removed her presence so he couldn’t drain it. Clever and annoying, but it wouldn’t stop him. Figuring out how to get through the barrier without completely draining his ring’s stored energy was another issue.
As he was thinking, Shade asked, “Want us to start chopping, Boss?”
“Thank you, Shade, but if we have to cut our way to Domina and her team, I’m liable to die of old age before we arrive. It’s magic or nothing I’m afraid.”
“I told you,” the spirit said. “You’ll never escape my forest alive.”
How did she make her voice appear from everywhere and nowhere at the same time? It was like hundreds of people speaking all around him with one voice.
Wait. If she was present everywhere and made of magic, he should be able to find her. Leonidas crouched, placed his right hand on the ground, and closed his eyes.
Where are you?
His awareness stretched out into the earth and he soon found faint wisps of energy like that which surrounded the spirit’s human form. It wasn’t much, but he grabbed it and drew it into the ring. And he didn’t stop pulling. Energy came from further and further away, filling the gem slowly but surely. Was there a limit to how much he could take before the spirit died? He didn’t know, but if that’s what it took to escape, he’d find out.
When the green gem fairly sparked with magic he stood and released it at the wall of vines blocking their path. Emerald energy screamed out, vaporizing the first fifteen feet of the wall and blowing the next fifty feet to splinters.
They advanced, Leonidas drained more of the spirit’s magic, and released it in a destructive blast. Seventy feet at a time they advanced. Soon he could sense the spirit’s magic so clearly that he didn’t even need to pause and release. He just absorbed and blasted in a constant flood of destructive energy.
The pace wasn’t fast, but it was steady. Once the spirit tried to pull her power away, but his ring had too tight a grasp on it and Leonidas had no intention of letting her escape. Maybe he could kill the spirit and maybe he couldn’t, but either way he meant to leave her as weak as possible. There was no choice if they wanted to escape the forest.
After half a day of blasting, they finally reached a dome of vines. Through the narrow gaps he could see Domina and the others. Beyond them was a stone building, probably the lab. Bringing the destructive flow of energy under control, Leonidas burned an opening in the barrier and stepped inside.
The moment she saw him Domina came running over and hugged him. “I knew you’d come for us.”
“Of course,” Leonidas said.
He stopped draining the spirit’s magic but kept a firm grasp on the flow. If he needed it, he could resume his attack in an instant. Not for the first time Leonidas was glad that using his ring didn’t exhaust him the way using magic exhausted a wizard. Even so, he wasn’t as young as he used to be and it had been a long day. It was time to call Jax and get out of here.
“Did you find anything interesting in the lab?” Leonidas asked.
“Not as much as I’d hoped.” Domina pulled a vial of crimson liquid out of her satchel. “Pure dragon’s blood. This was the best thing I could save. I don’t know what happened, but the lab was in shambles. Some old experiments came to life and we were forced to retreat and seal the entrance. There wasn’t a single book.”
“Strange,” Leonidas said. “There wasn’t a library in the tower either. I wonder if the mad emperor moved his entire operation elsewhere. That’s a mystery for another day. Call Jax and we’ll get out of here.”
“With pleasure.” Domina closed her eyes and fell into deep concentration.
“You think that spirit’s just going to let us go, Boss?” Shade asked.
“No, but I understand her power now. I don’t believe she can stop us.”
“I will stop you,” the spirit said, her voice filled with anger and perhaps a hint of pain.
“I don’t think so.” Leonidas tugged on the energy flow, just enough to remind her that he wasn’t at her mercy. “You have a choice to make, spirit. Let us be on our way or watch me burn this forest to the ground with your own magic. I’ll do it one tree at a time if it takes the rest of my life, I swear.”
“You are a monster,” the spirit said. “The Dragon Empire was a blight on the world, why would anyone seek to restore it?”
“It was the height of human civilization,” Leonidas said. “Under the emperor’s absolute power, we reached levels undreamed of before or since. Is it so strange to want to bring those glorious days back?”
“That glory was built on the backs of slaves, human and dragon. I watched it rise and fall. Saw the misery your civilization wrought. Bringing it back will help no one.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree. Will you let me leave or do I resume destroying your forest an inch at a time?”
“Jax is on his way, Leonidas,” Domina said.
“Everyone gather around.” Leonidas waved them into position.
When they had gathered as close to him as possible, he drew power from the spirit and levitated the entire group. As they rose, he watched for any sign of aggression.
The spirit made no move and the energy flow remained stable. Ten feet from the top of the vine dome, Leonidas burned an opening for them.
No effort was made to repair the damage. Though silent, the spirit had clearly surrendered. That suited him fine. The time it would have taken to burn his way out of the forest wasn’t time Leonidas cared to waste.
They cleared the treetops and a moment later the ships came soaring toward them. Jax positioned the ships under
Leonidas who divided the group in half and lowered them to the decks.
He topped off his ring’s energy supply before turning to Jax. “Take us home.”
“You will regret this foolishness, human. Your arrogance will send you to your grave.”
When they had moved out of range, Leonidas released his hold on her magic. Maybe the spirit was right. Empires did have a tendency to end badly. But before then they accomplished wonders. He was happy to gamble on the wonders outweighing the destruction.
Chapter 17
Moz examined his bloody thumb by the meager light of the basement’s sole lantern. He’d slit the pad trying to force the lock with his finger. That was after four days in the cage. After a week the boredom became more tolerable. He’d gone from being angry that he got caught to focusing on how to escape his predicament.
His ranger training had covered torture of all sort, both receiving and delivering. What they hadn’t practiced, not directly at least, was keeping your mind occupied while locked up alone in a rich guy’s basement. To be fair, it wasn’t the sort of scenario his instructors were likely to have envisioned. The Kingdom of Carttoom tended to take more aggressive action against captured rangers.
After a week of sitting silently and making no move when his guards brought his twice-daily meal, if you could call a tin cup of water and half a loaf of stale bread a meal, they’d begun to let their guard down. Instead of waiting for him to finish eating, they tossed his food in the cage and left. Rude, but that would work in his favor. The real trick was going to be surviving his crazy plan.
When he heard the guard clomping down the stairs, Moz hung his head and slumped against the bars opposite the cage door. This posture put the guards the most at ease. Seeing him looked whipped seemed to amuse them. Moz hoped they enjoyed it. When he got out, they were all dead.
When a long shadow covered the cage floor, he looked up at the guard looming over him. It was the usual guy, better than six feet tall, bull neck, huge gut, ratty tunic, and poorly maintained sword sheath hanging at his side. Wherever Crow found him, he should send him back. Not that he was going to get the chance if Moz had anything to say about it.
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