by Logan Byrne
“Keep going!” I said as Britta gripped her wand with both hands, trying to conjure more energy to come out.
The tiger began running towards us again, its fur blowing in the wind as it squinted from the onslaught of air. Air, I thought to myself. Right now only air was blowing at it, but what if it changed? What if the air changed and got cold? A Glacio spell could be amplified, connecting with Britta’s Ventio and turning into Arctic air.
“Glacio!” I yelled, before the tip of my wand turned light blue and the chill from my wand connected with Britta’s spell.
“Yes, it’s working!” Britta exclaimed.
The two spells merged, swirling together in the hallway, as the walls and floor quickly turned to ice as clear as glass and frost began to form on the shifter’s whiskers and fur.
His movements slowed as his paws lost traction, the onslaught of our combined powers freezing him in place. We stopped, lowering our wands, before the glacial mist subsided and the hallway was left looking like something out of a fairy tale.
“Dormio Maximus,” Britta said, flicking her wand. The spell hit the shifter and he came back into human form, fast asleep on the icy floor.
“Crisis averted,” I said, smiling.
“We need to set the charges and make this place go up in flames. They’re sending in reinforcements and I’m not sure how much longer we can hold them off,” Tyil said over the radio.
“We’re close to the unicorn, hold off,” I replied.
“You have two minutes, then this place is going up in flames,” Tyil said.
I looked at Britta, her mouth open and eyes sunken in like she’d seen a ghost. “We need to hurry, now,” she said.
“Ignitus,” I said, flicking my wand upwards as I melted a path for us. We ran down the hallway, a row of random rooms with rusted metal doors hiding secrets inside, though none of them contained anything at all, let alone a unicorn.
“Last one,” Britta said, opening the door. There she was, lying in the corner, with a device connected to her horn.
“We have to get it off, now,” I said.
“We don’t know what it is. What if it kills her?” Britta asked.
“She’s going to die in about a minute either way,” I said.
Britta was worried, not wanting to hurt the unicorn, but I couldn’t stand idly by any longer. I wanted to save the unicorn as much as she did, and I never wanted to hurt it, but we were all about to die if we didn’t do something.
“Thirty seconds,” Tyil said over the radio.
I pulled the device off the unicorn’s horn, tugging at it with all my might, before some of the horn shaved off and the device was broken. “Give me your hand,” I said, and Britta grabbed onto me.
“Fifteen,” Tyil said.
“How are we going to teleport out of here?” Britta asked, as tears welled in her eyes.
“You have to believe, Britta. Just think of where we came in from, a few blocks away. Smell the old Chinese food, and hear the random cars in the distance,” I said.
“Seven,” Tyil said.
“Lexa, I don’t—”
“You can do this, I believe in you,” I said, my eyes closed.
“Four,” Tyil said.
I thought of the alleyway, with all my friends standing there waiting. I thought of Blake, of Charlie, and even Xelia, as I felt the charges explode.
“Zero,” Tyil said.
The explosions came overhead, the entire building rumbling, as Kiren’s depot began to go up in flames. I could feel the foundation crumble, the weathered building giving way, before my body began to bend and stretch, my eyes remaining closed.
Then I felt wet raindrops sprinkling on my face. I opened my eyes, seeing darkness around me as the city lights reflected in the oily puddles in the alleyway. There we were, all three of us, Britta opening her eyes and gasping before she broke out in tears.
The unicorn was still unconscious, no change in that, but we were safe. We did it.
11
“They’re over here!” Charlie yelled, as those who had escaped the warehouse ran over to us.
“They did it, they rescued the unicorn,” Blake said, exhaling deeply and pushing his fingers through his hair.
“It was horrible, I thought we wouldn’t make it,” Britta said, getting up and jumping into Charlie’s arms.
She started crying, Charlie rubbing her back and consoling her.
I looked up at Blake. “We felt the entire building rumble, cracking, before it started to fall on top of us. I don’t know how, but the magic got us out of there.”
“The only important thing is that you’re safe,” he said, before I got up and nuzzled into his arms.
I took in a deep breath, calming down my rapidly beating heart, before Tyil came up and knelt beside the unicorn. “She still has a good pulse, so I think she’ll be okay. They likely sedated her, and mixing that with whatever life force they were able to steal is going to keep her unconscious for a while. We should leave, though, before we’re seen.”
“How many casualties?” I asked, looking up at Blake.
“On our side or theirs?” Tyil interjected.
“Both. All of the lives matter,” I said.
“Lexa,” Britta said, raising her eyebrows.
“What?” I asked.
“The guy, in the basement. We, you know…” she said reluctantly.
“We left him,” I said, my eyes opening wider, as I realized I’d inadvertently committed murder.
“He attacked you, there wasn’t another choice,” Blake said.
“I could’ve gotten him and saved him. Maybe he could’ve given intelligence. Maybe—”
“There are a lot of maybes that you could ask yourself and torture yourself with, Lexa. You’ll never know the truth. But I believe you got yourself out of there in the nick of time, and there was no way you could’ve gone back for him and gotten out of there alive,” Blake said.
“We need to speak with Chancellor Pote, it’s an emergency,” a voice said outside my tent the next morning.
“How did you find this place? Its location is hidden,” a guard asked.
Intrigued, I walked out of my tent, seeing two gryphons standing nearby. “The location of this camp has always been known to us gryphons. Please, we have urgent news regarding Kiren Nightstorm.”
“I’ll take you,” I said, walking forward.
“Fine, you be responsible for them,” the guard said, visibly annoyed.
“Thank you, young witch,” the talking gryphon said, while the other seemed to only watch.
“How did you—” I asked.
“You have a wand on your hip, you know,” he said.
“Right,” I replied, laughing a little before leading them to Pote’s tent.
“Yes?” Pote asked, looking down at her notes as I walked in.
“These two gryphons showed up and say they need to speak urgently with you about matters regarding Kiren,” I said.
“Oh, Lexa, it’s you,” Pote said, perking up.
“You’re Lexa Blackmoon?” the gryphon asked, in awe. “You are legendary.”
“How do you know who I am?” I asked.
“Your name has been spread through circles as of late. They say you are the one to defeat Kiren. You have our undying support,” he said, bowing a little.
“What news do you bring?” Pote asked.
“You might want to summon Mirian,” the other gryphon said, his voice much deeper than the other’s. “It’s urgent.”
Before he could finish his sentence, the flaps to the tent opened. “Ah, Typon and Tyrine, so good to see you again,” Mirian said, as he greeted the gryphons with open arms. “I saw you fly in and knew I had to say hello.”
“Mirian, our old friend. So happy to see you well,” Typon, the first gryphon said.
“They say they bring news for us. So?” Pote asked.
“Kiren’s army is marching. They’ve been spotted in the lowlands,” Typon said.
“They march to Alornia, Chancellor. With the Malum in hand, he looks to take over the kingdom,” Tyrine said.
“What could he want with Alornia, especially so soon?” Pote asked.
“How far away were they?” Mirian asked.
“Maybe five days, maybe six or seven. It’s hard to tell with an army that large,” Tyrine said.
“He’s matching it up to be close to the blood moon,” Mirian said.
“Do you think?” Pote asked. “That still doesn’t answer why he’s going there for the blood moon.”
“Is there something there he needs?” I asked. “He seems to work in ancient relics, so is there something they have that he needs to complete his master plan?”
“I’m not sure, the high elves are secretive and won’t be telling outsiders about their belongings,” Mirian said.
“Why don’t they all just teleport outside the walls?” I asked.
“Their army is far too large. Our reports estimate at least two thousand,” Typon said.
“Two thousand?” Pote asked, in shock.
“Their numbers are large, but numbers don’t constitute skill. Most of those in his ranks are unskilled slaves not worthy against our most poorly skilled warriors. That doesn’t even include those in Alornia that Rafael has pledged to us. I believe his temperament will also change once he finds out what’s coming his way,” Mirian said.
“Should we send word?” Pote asked.
“We can deliver word, Chancellor. We can arrive swiftly and without notice by Kiren or his army,” Tyrine said.
“Go, let Rafael know of what awaits him, and let him know we’ll be there to help him defend his kingdom before they arrive. Thank you for your help, it won’t be forgotten,” Pote said.
“Come, Typon, we must go,” Tyrine said, before the pair of them left the tent and took off for Alornia.
“What could Kiren want with that kingdom? It seems like a place he’d go after the blood moon, when his powers are at their peak,” Pote asked.
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Mirian said.
“Mirian, Heta, I’m glad you’re both here,” Xelia said, barging into the tent.
“Oh, what now?” Pote asked.
“We still have one more person on the inside at M.A.G.I.C. He delivered word to me earlier that Kiren was there not too long ago, and that he deposited something in the vault. I know the force is under his influence and control, but it must be important if he put it in there,” Xelia said.
“The city is overrun with his goons. Going in there is a suicide mission,” Mirian said.
“Any clue what he deposited?” Pote asked.
“I believe I know, but I can’t be certain. Besides, my source could’ve been mistaken,” Xelia said.
“Xelia, what is it?” Mirian asked, perking up.
“The Amulet of Sha’rari,” Xelia said.
“Oh, no,” Mirian said, putting his hands on his face and rubbing his eyes.
“What is that?” I asked.
“A demonic amulet. Legend, and that’s all that it is, says that the wearer, should their magic be both dark and strong enough, should be able to control demonic entities,” Pote said.
“Not just demonic entities, the demonic entity,” Xelia added.
“Sha’rari, the Conqueror. He was banished eons ago to the nether realm, where he’s imprisoned. This must be why Kiren wanted the Malum so desperately. He seeks to summon Sha’rari from his eternal tomb,” Mirian said, slamming his fist onto the table.
“Calm yourself, Mirian. Sha’rari is a fable, nothing more. A testament to our spirit and what we’re capable of,” Pote said.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Heta. He’s not a fable nor is he myth. He’s as real as you or me, and he’s coming,” Mirian said.
“I still don’t understand what’s going on. There’s something worse than Kiren out there?” I asked.
“Sha’rari will destroy anything and everything on this planet, no matter the realm. He will enslave everything and fill the Earth with hellfire and brimstone. His darkness knows no bounds and his powers are unmatched. We have to stop Kiren,” Mirian said.
“What if we get the amulet out of M.A.G.I.C.?” I asked. “Will that stop him?”
“Maybe slow him down, I guess. But getting in and out of there alive will be impossible,” Mirian said.
“We can get in, I’m sure of it. Don’t you mages still use those impersonation spells?” Xelia asked.
“The precinct will be charm-proof,” Mirian said.
“I’m not talking about a simple spell. I’m talking about the other way,” Xelia said.
“What other way?” I asked.
“Get some of their DNA and bam, you’re them. An impersonation spell just disguises you, like you’re literally wearing a mask that can be ripped off at any time. This magic, however, will actually make you them, while their true body turns into stone during the duration. You can pass any and every enchantment with ease,” Xelia said.
“You act as if it’s that easy. Like everybody can just do it and nobody will ever be caught,” Mirian said. “The body cannot be touched, and if you stay in for more than an hour, you’re stuck as that person forever and their true body turns to dust.”
“So, pretty high stakes,” I said, nodding.
“Hey, it’s worth it in my eyes. Kidnapping two agents wouldn’t be too hard, and we could cast the spell near the precinct so we could get in quickly. No time wasted, and we know where the vault is already so it’s not like we’d be going in blind,” Xelia said.
“We don’t have another way,” Pote said, leaning against her table, her palms sweating on the surface.
“You’re supporting this?” Mirian asked, surprised.
“Mirian, we need to do anything to stop him at this point. We’re a hair away from losing everything we know and love. This is a small price to pay to get a little bit of it back. If we can get that amulet, if Sha’rari is real, then we can stop Kiren from summoning the demon,” Pote said.
“Fine, I’ll get to work at once. Xelia, you need to retrieve two agents, and be sure to take two of them who will have enough clearance to get you and Lexa into M.A.G.I.C.,” Mirian said.
“Wait, what? I’m going?” I asked, panicked.
“We can’t trust anybody else with the job. Besides, you’ll be in great hands with Xelia. Her powers and knowledge of the precinct are unmatched,” Pote said.
“Come on, let’s get some air,” Xelia said, grabbing my shoulder.
“Why does it seem like this keeps getting more and more difficult?” I asked as Xelia and I walked outside.
“That’s how our story was written, if you’re into that sort of thing. You know, fate,” she said, smiling.
“Like I was destined to get the wand, and you were destined to become a vampire?” I asked.
“And we were both destined to go into that precinct disguised as other people,” she said, as we stopped and faced each other. “Listen, I know you’re scared. I am too. We need to hold strong, though, and remember what this is all for. I’ve seen darkness, Lexa, I’ve seen a lot of it. You don’t want something like this to happen, and any little thing that slows Kiren down or stops him altogether is something we need to do.”
“At least I’m going in with you. Just promise me we won’t try to be heroes and end up stuck as middle-aged men for the rest of our lives,” I said, laughing.
“And mine is a lot longer than yours, so I have much more to lose,” she replied, laughing. “I’ll see you soon, I need to go get our guests.”
I stood, my arms crossed, looking at the multitude of people who walked past. There they were, a massive collection of magical beings and creatures, and they had no clue about the evil that was soon to be unleashed.
I didn’t know if Sha’rari was real, or if it were just a myth, but I knew that I couldn’t take the chance
on it being anything more than just a story. I had to treat this threat like it were very real, and hope that I ended up looking like a fool in the end.
I reached Blake’s tent just as he walked out, startling him, before he smiled. “Hey, I was just going to come see you,” he said.
I wrapped my arms around him, looking up and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. “What was that for?” he asked, smiling.
“No reason. Just felt like it,” I said.
12
My friends and I sat around a small campfire on the top of the hill the next night. Xelia still wasn’t back, and losing this day and possibly part of tomorrow was going to be a big hit, given I knew when Kiren was going to arrive in Alornia.
I struggled with not telling my friends what I knew. I wasn’t sworn to secrecy or anything else dramatic, but I almost didn’t want to tell them about the mission or the amulet. I didn’t want to ruin their lives, and I felt like I would be doing that if I told them what I’d heard in Pote’s tent.
Still, I wrestled with the thought that they needed to know. They deserved to know, given everything we’d been through and the fact that they would be expected to be on the front lines fighting Kiren and his army. The rest of those in the camp would soon find out, maybe within the next two days, so shouldn’t they hear it from me with a little heads-up?
“I need to talk to you guys,” I said, looking around the fire. Blake, Britta, Charlie, Faus, and Rosie all looked back at me, hanging on my words.
“What now?” Faus asked, obviously still shaken up from the last time I had news I needed to tell them.
“Faus, it’s okay. Whatever Lexa has to say, I know it will be good,” Rosie said, as she held onto his arm.
“Two gryphons came to the camp yesterday. I led them to Pote’s tent. Mirian was also there, and they told us something that I think you need to know. I figure you’ll know soon enough, and it’s better that I warn you now,” I said.
“Is it about Kiren?” Charlie asked, as Britta held his hand and rubbed it gently.
“Yeah, it’s about him. His army started advancing on Alornia. The gryphons said yesterday he was still maybe five to seven days out, but the attack would come soon. I think we’re going to be called into battle here soon enough,” I said.
