by Joshua Hoyt
Chapter 22:
The color from Tom’s face drained as he saw Ahti standing between them and the exit of the courtyard. The woman was not very tall but there was something unnatural about her that frightened him and her long jet black hair mesmerized him as it flowed in the light breeze. Kristiana stepped up to John. “You’ll not find us so easy to defeat this time,” she said to Ahti.
“There doesn’t need to be a fight. All we want is the boy,” the witch hissed. “Give him to us, and we’ll let the rest of you go.”
“Never! We will not allow you to corrupt him as you have corrupted yourself,” Kristiana said.
Tom felt Aithnea and Cody step closer to him as they tried to shield him from the danger that grew around them. Several dark elves stood next to the witch and more approached as Kristiana and Ahti talked. Immediately around the witch men from the red dragon clan glared menacingly at them and their cold weapons glinted in the sun.
“You will regret your decision, Kristiana,” the witch said. “There’s something coming that is much bigger than all of you.” The witch smiled as she spoke.
Tom filled with dread and apprehension. He tried to imagine something more deadly and menacing than what they already faced. He pulled his weapons from his belt and cleared his mind trying to relieve some of the tension that thickened around him.
The witch’s arms moved in chaotic motions and her lips moved repetitively. The hair on Tom’s arms and back of neck began to rise as he felt the air fill with electricity. Tom’s mind reached out to Aithnea and they wove their energy together in preparation for the attack. Threads of energy filled the space between their small group and the horde of enemies that lay on the other side of the courtyard. Suddenly a ball of electricity shot from the witch’s outstretched hand slamming into the barrier of energy that Tom and Aithnea had created.
Kristiana’s polished dance ended with a sudden burst of energy that she hurled at Ahti. Ahti dove to the side as the bolt slammed into several men standing behind her. The men fell to the ground dying instantly. The bolt went through them and continued through several more rows of men.
Tom filled his mind with the fire that he had become accustomed to, weaving in the energy that Aithnea lent him. The flame grew in intensity within his mind and then appearing in the air in front of him. He hurled the ball at the oncoming men, engulfing them in flames. Men screamed in pain as they hysterically ran around the court yard trying to put the flames out.
Several men fell as shots rang out from Cody’s and John’s pistols coupled with the arrows that Tanya let fly in rapid succession. Many of the men died when the lethal projectiles slammed into them. Others, though, lay on the ground clutching their wounds, trying to stop the life blood that flowed freely out of their bodies.
Tom felt Aithnea preparing a spell and he weaved his own energy into it. Tom saw Aithnea begin to move her arms gracefully through the air as she prepared. When Aithnea finished the spell Tom felt energy leave his body and shoot out toward the oncoming onslaught of men and elves. The energy split into thousands of tiny pieces peppering a large group of men. Tiny spots of blood instantly appeared on their faces and exposed skin. The men howled in pain grabbing at their faces and exposed arms, trying to remove the stingers.
The mass of men rushing them looked like a huge wave falling on the beach. Each time the wave hit, Tom felt as if a small bit of him had eroded and that soon there would be nothing left. The next wave came and Tom discharged his pistol dropping one man only to have two more appear in his place. He saw Aithnea falter slightly as she struggled to maintain another barrier that she had created to stop yet another attack by Ahti.
Caspin rushed past Tom changing from man to werewolf as he passed. Many of the men scattered as they saw the monstrous creature coming toward them. Caspin tore brutally into the men stupid enough to stay and fight him. Caspin left a path of battered men and elves as he fought his way toward the witch. Cody and John followed the path that Caspin left giving him support along the way.
The field that Aithnea held broke as Ahti sent forth a huge ball of energy that hit Caspin square in the chest knocking him to the ground. Tom shot several magic missiles toward the witch which were deflected by her own barrier. Caspin jumped up in a frenzy as he continued to clear the path toward her. No longer using tactics but brute strength only forced his way to the woman who had destroyed his life and faith. The dark elves and men that stood to protect the witch fell back from the onslaught of the indestructible force heading toward them.
Tom’s mind went numb as Tanya and he created a physical barrier of flashing swords between Kristiana and Aithnea and the foes that pushed past Caspin’s wrath. Tom’s arms felt like lead as he continued to lift his sword, now having to use both hands to hold it. He had abandoned the pistol. The last bullet had been discharged to ward off a dark elf that had appeared out of nowhere. Tom swung down again and again, not wanting to continue but knowing that if he didn’t they would overtake Aithnea. The fire with which he had surrounded his blade, died out. His energy spent and a weakness spread through his entire body. He slipped and an elf cut a long slice down his left arm. He cried out in agony as he felt his arm turn to fire where the sword bit through his armor. He knew that it was only a matter of minutes before he would fall. Another sword hit him, but he minimized the damage by rolling out of the way. He still felt the bite of the cold steel. The man who had hit him fell at his side with an arrow in his back. Tom looked up in surprise and saw that many more elves and men began to fall from arrows that protruded from their bodies and limbs.
The men that had surrounded him were now regrouping around the witch as many more fell. Tom jumped to his feet. Feeling lightheaded from loss of blood, he nearly fell back down. He saw that Caspin had fallen and that Cody and John had their backs to each other fighting over the top of his body. Tom stumbled toward where Tanya fought several men. She desperately swung her weapons defensively, trying to hold them back.
Tom stopped. A whooshing sound came from behind him increasing in noise and intensity. As he turned, he saw the witch standing only a few yards from where John and Cody fought over the body of Caspin. Ahti had a wide grin on her face as she looked to where the sound came from. The ground shook violently and Tom looked in horror as the palace looked like stiff jello wobbling to and fro. Suddenly a loud cracking noise came from the building and Tom saw a huge fracture descend from the middle of the palace. It slowly made its way to the base and huge slabs of the walkways that reached out to the towers broke off and fell to the ground all around them.
Tom’s mind froze as he watched a large slab that had broken from the side of the palace. The slab fell toward Aithnea and Kristiana. The two had fallen with the shaking of ground all around them. They had no chance of getting out from under the block. Tom closed his eyes and with every ounce of energy that he had left sent it toward Aithnea. The slab slammed into the ground atop the spot where the two lay. “No,” Tom cried out as he stumbled toward the slab. He ignored the chaos and panic that rippled through the men and elves. His only concern was to make his way to Aithnea. He fell to the ground as another shock wave rippled through the battle ground, knocking full grown men around like rag dolls. Tom wiped at the steady flow of blood that now ran down his face as he struggled onward toward the pile of rubble. Crawling on all fours he at last reached the pile, bloody tears freely falling from his face.
“Aithnea,” Tom’s voice cracked as he yelled for her. On his knees he pulled a boulder from the top of the heap sending it down the side of the pile. His fingers, scratched and bleeding, pried at yet another stone that lay on top of his friend. With shaking arms and barely able to breathe through the smoke and dust that surrounded him, he pulled at another boulder that refused to budge. He collapsed. Tom lay on top of the rubble gasping for breath, seeing nothing but death and carnage, he slowly closed his eyes. “Aithnea,” he whispered. Then everything went black.
