Untamed Gift (Book One of the Items Trilogy)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  Maiot struck the back of her neck and she went instantly limp, her ornate dagger falling to the ground with a crisp clang. She was now completely helpless. Gyro hoisted the unconscious queen over his large shoulder. A familiar presence came running up on his left, but it was a furious presence that was twin to Alex’s.

  Shade roared as he launched himself into the room at the same time that Alex did. He barred his fangs and coated all of his claws with clear neurotoxin. Together they landed on the engraved table at the same time and charged to rescue the queen before something worse happens.

  Suddenly Gyro encased himself in his item. He made a perfect sphere as he shielded himself and Allahandra from her rescuers. They made it across the table before Maiot could even blink. As Shade slammed into Gyro’s sphere, Lily launched herself at Maiot just as Alex did. He swung his staff from one side, just as Lily swung her enormous crescent sword from the other.

  Maiot brought both of his clawed arms up and Alex watched as his claws cut through the air, but as his swing connected with the air current, it was stopped suddenly. Even with his newfound strength Alex’s strike was nullified. What did his item just do? Lily was faced with the same problem because her curved long-sword stopped just as suddenly.

  Lily yelled “Alex, save the queen! I’ll deal with this once and for all!” he knew her strength better than anyone and she could deal with this opponent. Alex jerked back as she brought her other sword out and began fighting for real.

  He departed from one fight and joined another.

  Shade kept trying to bite and slice his way into the ball without any apparent effect. Suddenly spikes shot from the surface of the metal sphere and Alex realized it was Gyro who made those crushing spikes that killed everyone in his path.

  The spikes tried spearing Shade, but were rendered ineffective by his impenetrable fur. Shade managed to grab a spike with his teeth, but before he could do anything the spiked sphere began rolling. “Shade, Move!” he listened to Alex’s command just as a spike came close to penetrating his eyes and pinning him underneath the deadly sphere.

  Alex ran for the open door, knowing that Gyro was planning to escape with his prize, but he had a plan already in mind to get through the ultimate defense. As he rounded the corner, Gyro’s spiked ball crashed into the wall and the young Furion saw how the spikes could be changed to alter direction and roll in another direction without stopping. His sphere was wide enough to fit through the hall, but he couldn’t spike the side walls or else he would stop himself.

  Above the sphere and between the spikes Shade, remained fighting for the queen’s sake. They had become friends and he understood what would happen if they lost her. He was committing himself to the kill, while trying to break through.

  With the spiked ball rolling in his direction Alex sprinted down the hall and took the stairs, thirty at a time, even running on the walls at times. Just as he made it to the bottom of the first floor Shade’s fighting snarls, curses and roars sounded from up above and he also heard the spiked item rolling down the stairs at a swift pace. He then ran for the mouth of the palace.

  Alex stopped cold in the center of the courtyard, making sure the area was free of any and all obstacles. Gyro would have to go through him to escape. There was only one move that could work against Gyro’s item. He just hoped his secretive training had paid off.

  Slowing his breathing calmed many thoughts and focused on the immediate task while his heart pounded furiously in his chest. Calmed, his mind centered the clear core of his being. Alex knew the stance and moves by heart now, after all the practicing. The only capable technique in his arsenal was from the woman who also carried a staff. He planted his right leg so it could support the explosive move. His left leg moved back at the same time his right arm did. Tightly grasping the center of the staff horizontally, with the knot aiming behind him, he readied for the conflict. Alex needed to minimize the surface area of the impact if he had a hope of a chance.

  Once the stance was finished the crashing sound of the sphere and the destruction of tables announced Gyro’s location in the main hall, as it rolled for the exit. It seemed to fly as the sphere jumped out of the castle’s mouth.

  Alex knew Gyro could see him through his item because he was immediately charged. He cleared the stairs and Shade wasn’t far behind, still filled with rage. The younger sibling was fighting with all he had, but it wasn’t enough to scratch the spherical shield layered in spikes.

  The sphere continued to close the distance. And when it was within perfect range… Alex struck.

  Judging where Gyro might be inside his bubble of protection, Alex altered his staff in that direction, then began the instantaneous series of twisting and thrusting movements. His bare left foot spun counterclockwise and it twisted its energy up the muscled leg, then he rotated his hips, back, shoulder, elbow and eventually his wrist. The moment his ankle twisted, the staff was being brought forth. Putting a rotation to a thrust increases the piercing damage and adding his heightened strength and speed made the strike like nothing ever experienced or could be matched.

  The tip the Xeal shaft screamed from the thrust and it was like a twin to Alex’s scream. “HAAAA!!!!” Placing the tip of the shaft between the spikes perfectly, was easy, because the movements Alex’s eyes saw were all extremely slowed and detailed.

  He watched as his staff dented the item at first and then it completely penetrated a defensive item that has never been broken before. The shaft of his weapon kept spinning during the thrust and then there was another feeling. It was a feeling that was much softer than the shield. It made a wet, crunching sound as the staff passed through it too.

  The weapon landed on its true target, Gyro’s head, but there was another problem. The spiked sphere didn’t vanish quickly enough like he was hoping for.

  Escape wouldn’t be feasible. No where could he defend himself. Alex was out of options once the first spike pierced into his right shoulder. He tried jumping away with his increased strength and speed, but the spike drug him down below. The staff was wrenched from his hand as he crumpled to the ground. Then many other spikes began painfully piercing different points all over his body. It was too late. The spikes went clean through the body like a warm stick of butter being cut by a hot blade.

  This was it.

  Before he could register any more pain, Alex’s ears heard a crashing noise and his eyes saw a clear blue morning sky. But something else was happening. Stars and dots appeared in his vision and Alex knew exactly what that meant. He was losing too much blood.

  “ALEX!!!” Shade barked in fear he’s never felt before. Then the bright sky was shadowed by a massive head with stunned gold eyes. The golden eyes instantly began watering as he looked at his brother’s broken, bloody body. “Alex, can you hear me? What should I do? You’re bleeding everywhere. Don’t you die on me, Big Brother!”

  Alex’s voice was weak, slow and alien to his pointed ears. “Make sure the queen is alright. She needs help. We cannot lose her.”

  Sounds were becoming softer and more spots entered the image of Alex’s world. His eyes saw nothing, only growing blackness. His skin felt cold and his thrumming heart was quickly dropping its rate.

  Shade hurried to Allahandra’s side. She was face down, laying beside Gyro’s nearly headless corpse and he rolled her over with a toss of his nose. She was still unconscious and he knew of only one way to wake her. He licked the side of her face. It worked. “Unh, What happened…? Shade? What’s the matter?” Allahandra asked, but he couldn’t understand her words.

  Shade wined in a terrified, heartbreaking sound and looked to Alex who became motionless as red liquid pooled beneath him far too quickly. She followed his look and paled. “…Oh, no. Alex!” she almost ran on her hands and knees to his side knowing it might already be too late. She saw ragged, gaping holes riddling him as she asked. He was hemorrhaging too much. “Alex, can you hear me!”

  He wanted to say “Aye,” but was too weak.

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nbsp; “Shade! Go get my items…!” she shouted to the frightened looking giant, but he didn’t understand. She then quickly found sand in the courtyard nearby and began writing with her finger. He read quickly and then the sounds of her scraping were replaced by the sprinting of a massive weight pounding the earth, getting quieter in the distance as he drove into the palace.

  Things kept getting dimmer for Alex as he could feel the black abyss trying to take him back into its empty clutches once again. Time began to not flow as it normally did and voices didn’t seem coherent. He only could hear certain things and they were garbled. He knew how bad it was and the injuries he sustained were all grave.

  Allahandra forced her fists into his wounds to slow the hemorrhaging, knowing it might already be too late. The only hope she receive was that some of the spikes missed vital organs, but the wounds were still far too deep and arteries had been cut. Seconds after she plunged a fist into his chest and gut the sounds of many horses were galloping to her. When they saw who she was they shouted “Your Majesty! What happened?” She jerked her head to an approaching contingent to yell “GET OVER HERE NOW! I NEED HELP!”

  The fifteen warriors redoubled their efforts and saw what she was doing. She gave short and immediate orders to plug Alex’s gaping wounds. Five warriors were sent to the healing center to retrieve Niranene. The warriors went to work, trying to save Alex’s life as he remained on the knife’s razor edge of life and death.

  Then the sounds of someone screaming alerted her to the sounds of lithe swift sounds. Shade returned within less than a minute.

  “Did you bring my items!” Allahandra yelled to Shade who dropped her case by her side. She looked at two standing guards and pulled her hands from Alex’s chest and gut, to which her warriors plunged theirs in. She opened her case and withdrew each needle and began working to save him. As she squirted an entire needle of solution she looked to see Shade watching, quivering from tail to muzzle. She’s never seen any creature or human look so terrified before. She knew something bad would happen to Shade if Alex were to perish. It was as if the Shadow Fang’s entire life would end with that of his human brother. She needed to focus on her patient, pushing worrying thoughts aside. “Alex, hold on! I’ll do what I can!” Allahandra’s voice and sounded calm and meticulous, trying to keep calm herself so she could focus on the task. Worrying caused mistakes and injuries such as these needed a calm focus. Still, in such a short time Alex had become a valued member of her family and she’d do whatever it took to save him.

  Allahandra then began trying to force his gaping holes shut, hoping her items would be capable of miraculously holding him together. It would be the first time she’s ever pitted them against such a daunting task. She hoped it would be enough.

  Then the queen cursed “I don’t have enough solution for every puncture. I’ll work on the most life threatening. Everyone else, compress the other holes I cannot seal until more help arrives!” then she looked over as a tall figure stood in the distance and the queen gritted her teeth and cursed when she thought she had the situation under some kind of control.

  Lily was here and she saw Alex laying in the middle of the courtyard dying.

  And when the abyss almost had him in its clutches for all time Alex clearly heard a particular voice running. “ALEX!!! NO!!!” That voice was musical and he focused his hearing while fighting against the darkness to listen to it for a little while longer. Then the voice turned into a fierce kind of soothing. “You’ll be alright! Come back to me! I can’t lose you! I need you to fight for me! Don’t you dare die on me, Alex!”

  He felt more burning in his chest, but also in another part of his body. It felt like it was in his abdominals. There was a painful pressure as he felt his body being forcibly closed. Then there were many sensations of heavy pressures pushing down on parts of his body that still burned, but also felt cold. All the while this was being done a quiet sobbing mixed with the person who approached. That voice is worried about losing me? Why?

  Then another person began rushing up and the voice matched Niranene’s. “My Queen, I got here as fast as I could what…” her voice was cut off by Marlin’s scream “ALEX!”

  Then he couldn’t fight any longer. His will just couldn’t maintain or support his consciousness. Darkness was the only alternative and it took him willingly.

  Alex had done all that could be. There was nothing left in him to fight with as he also embraced the cold and eternally dark abyss.

  Chapter 26

  For some reason Alex felt something? He knew that he could faintly feel his body, but shouldn’t I have gone to the other side by now? Right? He wondered oddly. Was I already there, in the next life? How could I feel anything as a spirit? Why am I still alive, am I? Wasn’t I supposed to be dead and rotting in a grave? Didn’t those spikes kill me? Am I still dreaming or is this feeling just an illusion the other side created for me?

  He wasn’t even aware of what day or what time it is. Is time relevant after one dies? What is happening to me? Can’t I get some answers?

  Then he tried opening his eyes, but they were so heavy, like someone kept them closed with their fingers. Sensations gave a sense of reality in the muscles that controlled his eyelids that were struggling to open, but they were still extremely difficult to release so his vision could see more than eternal darkness. Then he tried hearing and counted five other people in the room breathing. He didn’t know how or why he could hear them breathe, but he could. It helped to focus on something other than himself. There were two unique breathers that caught his attention. It was deeper and stronger than the rest. Shade? Alex could tell that he was somewhere off to his left, but he wasn’t breathing in the right direction. Then there was one much closer and it was a soft and controlled breathing. He’s heard it before, but…

  Pain was everywhere once he realized what the sensation meant. Some were sharp pains while others were dull and throbbing. He tried moving his arm, but it seems to be pinned. His legs and torso were all in the same predicament.

  With all the force he could muster his eyes finally cracked open. Alex managed to see his body and it seemed to be in some form of a full body casting. It wasn’t made of linen and hard as stone like his first thought, but it was a silver metal which he realized to be someone’s item. Everything on his body was encased except for his head and neck.

  “ALEX!” a high pitched female voice shouted. And the sounds of other people approaching were swift.

  His eyes sluggishly moved to the person who spoke and he saw the purest white hair sitting next to him because of the posture. Alex felt an immediate and compassionate touch on his cheek. Unfortunately the person had rough calluses, but the gesture meant more to him than he first thought. His heartbeat started fluttering to the gentle touch. It took a moment to see who the person was despite his body’s natural reaction to the familiarity. Soft amethyst irises were looking at his in hope. Pink lips quivered as she smiled happily. She was a beautiful woman beyond all measure and Alex just watched this stunning creature approvingly. Then he caught her smell.

  Sea breeze…

  His foggy head cleared, but his body remained in the same state. His mouth was dry, but it managed to obey his will with some effort. The squeezing of his lungs and dry throat told him it wasn’t a good idea to try, but he needed to say something. “Lily?” His voice croaked and sounded foreign to his memory of how it should sound.

  She sobbed a quick laugh and quickly covered her mouth.

  The room was silent as he scanned where he lay. Apparently they put him in his large guest room; courtesy of the queen. From all of the lit oil lamps Alex could deduce that they were already well into the night. He then began noticing who else was in the room besides Lily. Marlin began sighing with a relieved smile. Allahandra was patting her heart with a grateful expression. Niranene patted Marlin’s back while watching her astounding patient with curious eyes. She seemed confounded for some reason though. Finally Alex had to raise his eye level to se
e his foster brother, Shade. He looked more relieved and happy than anyone else in the room.

  “Do you remember my name?” He asked with a smile tugging at the corners of his lip flaps.

  Alex pursed his lips as he forced another breath out of his lungs, but something else happened when he tried communicating his brother’s name. That usual tickling feeling that his voice undergoes began screaming in agony. The pain and anguish caused the air to be trapped in his throat and the result shot him into a coughing fit far beyond the pain he was already experiencing. Alex couldn’t stop himself from coughing even when his body screamed for the torture to stop. Lily’s eyes actually began to spill over with tears knowing she couldn’t do anything.

  Everyone wanted to help, but Niranene and Allahandra moved everyone back. A flash of thin silver in the queen’s hand moved and then it was jabbed into the side of his neck. The pain wasn’t even noticeable compared to his body’s fit. Then his body began relaxing and cooling at the same time. Soon his reaction to coughing subsided. Only when he stopped coughing for a few minutes did the queen finally remove her item from his neck.

  Then Niranene finally spoke to end the silent streak. “Alex, it would be best if you didn’t speak, let alone try talking to Shade. Your body is still highly traumatized from all it withstood. It would be best if you did the least you can. It was a miracle beyond miracles that you even survived at all. All those… never mind, now I want you to use your eyes to communicate. When we ask a question I want you to blink once for yes and twice for no.” This was the head healer talking and not the timid woman Niranene. “First I want to know if you know who I am?” Alex blinked once. “That is a good sign that you don’t have a brain injury. Now are you in pain? … Alright I’ll help relieve your soreness…” For the next twenty minutes Niranene was the only one asking any questions. He answered as best he could by only blinking. She had her item case with her and she crushed up different proportions of pills in a pestle and began grinding. Each pill had a unusual color and she poured the powder into a clear glass. The glass of water took on a deathly looking tinge of black. It had a hollow reed in the glass and Alex knew that it was him who had to drink it.