by Eden Redd
“Reeko!” Nia shouted with triumph.
The goblin kept his gaze to the street as he continued to build the wall. “I was in the area and thought you guys could use a hand.”
The mages and familiars pointed their spells up and blasted a volley of fire and mana discharges over the spiked wall. The slimes crowded against the new wall as magical energies rained down on them. Bodies exploded or burned. The slimes tried to climb only for the stone spikes to curve over them, trapping them when they touch them.
Trystan let his mind open wide and a spark of a thought touched him. Slowly opening his eyes, the mage allowed his senses to see all the energy around him from the massive stream spilling into the giant Bella to the wisps of connections from mages and their familiars. Following those lines, the mage focused on his own connection to Bella. It was faint and fading away but it was still there. Following it, the mage could finally see mana pathways through the giant Bella’s body. They glowed like thick roads, circling and flowing, supplying mana and life to her entire form. The mage looked to her head and he could see the pathways. The experience he had with Gwen filled his mind with untried knowledge but he knew he could get through to her. He could help Bella fight for control.
“I know what to do.” Trystan said loudly.
Slimes opened glowing hands. Mana surged through their forms as they pointed open palms. Reeko watched from his vantage point as the slimes aimed and fired. Mana bolts struck the wall, cracking it. Several more volleys struck home, knocking away huge chunks. The goblin cast spells, trying to rebuild the wall but the slimes were throwing so much magical bolts of energy at it, he simply couldn’t keep up.
“They have another trick. I can’t hold them off!” Reeko shouted as sweat beaded at his green brow.
“What do you need?” Nia asked as she turned to Trystan.
“I need to get up there. I need to connect with Bella’s mind.” Trystan said as it all became clear.
“We don’t know any flying spells.” Aznara shouted as she streamed fire over the wall.
“I think I have an idea!” Reeko shouted and looked to Wendy.
The blonde haired ogre nodded to her master. A single horn gleamed in the sunlight, her massive form heaved and jumped. Trystan and Nia watched as she hit the cobbled street with a rumbling thud. Trystan looked at the ogre as she stalked closer to the mage, dropping her club to the side.
On the other side of the wall, two slimes took hold of one slime. Silently they used their power to launch the slime into the air like a blue spear. The blue slime’s eyes fell on Trystan as she sailed upward. Trystan was looking to Wendy as she stalked forward, he didn’t see the airborne slime point a palm as her body sailed toward him. Nia’s eyes caught a glimpse of the slime as it aimed at the prone Trystan. Fire bow shifting, it turned into a red shield. The fire mage dug her feet into the ground and jumped. The slime stared, mana pouring into its hand, exploding and streaking forward. Trystan managed to turn his head to see the slime fire a mana bolt for his head. Nia’s body took up his field of vision as she shielded his body with hers.
The bolt of energy struck the red shield, shattering it. Nia gasped as she twisted her head but it was not enough. The bolt struck the left side of her face. The fire mage spun as pain exploded. Trystan watched with disbelief as Nia fell to the ground, a wisp of smoke rising from skin and burnt hair.
Mana powered through Trystan’s body like an engine turning on. The slime’s hand formed a blade as it continued its descent, ready to drive the point through his heart. The world slowed down as Trystan raised a hand and spoke an arcane word. The slime’s eyes widened as it’s body was forcibly torn apart, not in patches or sections but cell by painful cell. It managed a small scream before it was ripped into dust.
The mage spoke a water spell as his heart hardened. Reaching out, he took control of over a dozen slimes. The mage could feel his heart burning with his own exploding mana. With Trystan in control, twelve slimes instantly turned, hands and arms forming into wicked weapons. Without hesitation, they attacked their sisters in arms, hacking and slicing at goo bodies
Madness curled around the mage’s heart. The dark beast inside was unchained and now it hungered for blood. Trystan moved like an automaton, controlling his newly acquired slimes and forcing them to fight to the death, taking down as many as they could with them.
A weak hand reached up and clutched as Trystan’s robe. The mage looked down to Nia as she lifted her head and stared at him with one eye. Horrific sadness rained down on the mage as he knelt down, hands reaching out to the fallen Nia. The image of her half blackened face etched into his soul.
“….save….Bella…..” Nia said weakly as her strength gave out and her head lolled to the ground, her hand letting go of his robe.
Aznara and Sunara were on their knees by their fallen friend. Sylk looked to her master as he was on his feet. Wendy stepped closer, eyes wide. Trystan nodded to her. The ogre reached out and took hold. Muscles bulged as she lifted him up and threw him. Trystan held no fear as he sailed upward. He didn’t think about missing the giant slime or even if his plan was going to work. The only thought in his mind was to save Bella.
The giant slime turned her head to the side, a giant eye seeing the blue mage fly toward her like an arrow. Trystan crossed his arms over his face as he slammed into the blue slime right below the ear. The mage’s entire body sunk into the blue goo. Hands and fingers unfurling, the mage held his breath and he stared at mana pathways. Remembering how Gwen touched and took hold, the mage did the same. With open mind, body and spirit, the mage let his pathways merge with Bella’s. The influx of mana was so powerful the mage opened his mouth in a silent scream. Trystan fought through the blinding pain and oceans of power taking over his body. The mage forced his body to be a conduit with torrents of mana opening up every part of his mind and lighting it up like every star in the sky. Alien control was locked away and the blue slime stood still.
“Master?” The giant Bella voiced like a scared child.
Trystan had more mana then he could ever use flowing through him. The mage willed his body through the slime and emerged from her neck. He took a step and blue slime hooked his feet and ankles to keep him from falling. With another step, more slime took hold.
Trystan looked out across the city from his familiar’s shoulder. Bellatrix and Bella continued their destruction. Guardian knights and magistrates fought on, trying to stop or contain the slime behemoths. Half the city lay in ruins as fires blazed and magistrates helped their wounded.
“Master….I’m sorry. I couldn’t…….” Bella said with a booming voice.
Trystan looked to her with understanding eyes. “I know but the whole city needs your help now.”
Bella looked to the green and red slimes. “I understand Master.”
Aznara screamed and pumped her clawed fist into the air as she cheered the giant blue slime on. Bella turned and began walking toward Bellatrix as the green slime swatted at elemental knights. The green slime didn’t even notice as Bella formed a tentacle and sharpened the end. The tentacle shot out and harpooned the green slime through the back and exiting her bouncing chest. Bellatrix turned her crazy eyes to Bella as the slime moved forward with Trystan on her shoulder.
“Sister? You still serve them?” Bellatrix looked down as the tentacle in her spiked out and sank deeper into her body.
“I serve my master, Trystan Song!” Bella boomed across the entire city.
The hooked tentacle pulled and Bellatrix was yanked to her blue sister. When she was within arm’s reach, the blue slime curled her free hand into a fist and smashed it into the Bellatrix’s cheek. The blow caused her whole face to swell and wobble as the kinetic energy knocked her off balance. Trystan, taking full advantage of the nearly unlimited amount of mana surging through his body, pointed his palms and unleashed a continuous mana bolt stream. It struck the dazed green slime, knocking her further off balance. Bellatrix cried out as her body twisted and s
he fell to one knee.
Belle turned to see Bella thrashing her green sister. The giant red slime ignored the feeble attacks of the city’s guardians and stomped to Bellatrix to assist. The red slime stopped when a single mage flew in front of her and held out his hands.
“That’s far enough!” Professor Hart said with a magnified shout.
Belle smirked as she continued to move forward, ignoring the puny mage. Mist flowed from Professor Hart’s robe and formed his foxy kitsune familiar.
“Lana, mana merge!” The professor commanded.
The lady fox familiar nodded and her body glowed. Hart turned his back to her as she floated behind him. Trystan’s senses were magnified as he watched with wonder. Lana floated behind her master, light glowing brighter. Hart disappeared in her light and the area flashed.
Belle raised a transparent red arm as a small mana wave hit her. When she lowered it, an entity floated in front of her. Trystan marveled as Professor Hart and Lana formed a new body. They glowed with golden light. There facial features mixed to form angular lines and a pointed nose. Small triangular ears pointed up as a small thinner fox tale waved from behind. Runes glowed along their white robe as they floated in the sky.
The giant red slime snarled as hundreds of tentacles burst from its body. The merged Hart and Lana darted through the sky, dodging tentacle after tentacle. When they flew just out of reach, a large red hand reached out to grab them. Trystan was spell bound as Bella struggled to keep Bellatrix subdued with another punch.
The merged Hart and Lana made quick hand signals, their movements becoming wider and more spectacular. The calm day turned into a maelstrom of wind. Belle’s outreached hand opened and a mana bolt blasted forward. The fox/human entity stopped with the spell movements, one had raised up and smacked the bolt out of the sky. The bolt was redirected to Belle’s foot. The explosion destroyed part of her foot and the street underneath. The red slime stumbled, hand reaching out and crashing into a building.
Hart and Lana were not done yet. They continued their spell as mana whirled and wind blasted the area. The fox/human entity screamed as mana stormed. The very air took form. Trystan watched astounded as a giant white spear formed over the city. It was nearly the size of the giant red slime. Belle looked at it with wide eyes as the spear shifted and the point aimed at her chest. A moment later it shot forward, impaling the red slime.
Belle fell to her knees as the white spear pulsed with puzzle-like magic. The slime’s entire body vibrated as it struggled to get back to its feet. Hart/Lana looked down and made one hand signal. The spear glowed with cell damaging light. Belle groaned in pain as the spear tried to rewrite her very form. A red hand took hold of the spear shaft and began to pull.
Trystan stared as the red slime pulled more of the spear from her chest. Despite their best efforts, the mana flowing into them continued to heal them and overcome any spell. Bellatrix had regained her footing and slammed her shoulder into Bella. The blue slime stumbled back as the green one pulled the tentacle from he her body. Trystan pointed his hands and fired off a devastating mana stream. They had to keep fighting or the whole city was lost.
***
Gloomis was over the green forest with the glowing ruins. Looking down, he took aim and called on all his mana. Words were spoken and a flash of pure mana slammed into the shielded ruins. Gloomis continued to pour it on as the shield cracked. It was harder to penetrate the shield without Vela’s help. The Headmaster let out a grunt as the mana stream burned bright. The shield collapsed and the energy struck the ruin. The shockwave knocked down trees in all directions for miles as a cloud of smoke billowed high into the blue sky.
Gloomis did not take any time to admire his work as he flew off back to Stukarr, hoping it wasn’t too late.
***
Headmistress Vela looked down at the base of Gray Peak mountain. An orc town was not far. The headmistress knew she couldn’t blast it for fear of destroying the nearby town. Vela made several hand signals and finished with a clap. Rocks, stones and boulders flew up to her armored form. Mana caused the very element to cling to her body. More and more rose up, encasing the headmistress in a giant ball of rock. Vela knew the only approach was a direct one.
Like a bullet from ancient history, the ball of stone shot down toward the shielded ruins. Hitting the shield, she pressed with all her mana and mental power. The rock ball vibrated as the shield cracked. Energies whipped wildly until the shield shattered. The rock ball slammed into the ruins, crashing and breaking anything in its path. Vela calmly controlled every action as the ball curved underground, smashing the containment chambers.
The town of Rudal looked up to the mountain as explosions shook the very ground. After a few tense moments, a large ball of rock blasted from the base of the mountain and high into the sky. Rock peeled and fell away. The orcs stared in wonder as Vela emerged and gave a quick wave before speeding off back to Stukarr.
***
Belle pulled the spear from her chest. The white spear faded before it touched the ground. The red slime stood up and glared menacingly at the entity floating above it. Before the red slime could rear a fist back, confusion filled its eyes. Trystan stared as the mana stream pouring into the slime faded away. Belle stumbled back, her body beginning to shrink.
Trystan turned to Bellatrix and she too looked confused, her body slowly shrinking. Bella cried out as her body grew smaller. The ooze holding Trystan on her shoulder loosened. The mage lost his footing and fell. Trystan tried to think of something to slow his fall, fighting the sudden weakness and exhaustion. A second later he felt his fate was sealed and he had nothing left to cast. A white blur took hold of the mage when he was fifty feet from the ground. With gentle floating, the creature that looked like Hart and Lana landed in the middle of a street.
Trystan looked to the entity as it winked. A moment later, light engulfed it and split into two. Professor Hart and Lana fell to their knees, huffing and gasping for breath. Bella shrank down to her normal size with Bellatrix down the street. Trystan weakly moved to the blue slime. Bella looked back at her master with a long loving smile. The blue slime walked away from her master toward the green slime.
The mage watched as the two slimes opened their arms. Hugging one another, the blue and green slime merged into one malformed blob. Trystan could barely keep himself standing as he tried to step closer. Down another street, a red slime sprinted. Trystan never saw a slime move so fast. The blob turned to meet the running Belle. The red slime made a jump into the air, arms wide. The blob reached out and took hold of the red slime.
Trystan, Professor Hart and Lana watched as the color slimes merged and melted into each other. The thing pulsed, twisted and moved of its own accord. It shrank down and began to take shape. Trystan gave a weak smile as the colors changed into a violet purple. Seconds ticked away as it finished morphing into a purple Bella.
“Trystan, thank you for helping me change back to my true form.” The slime looked around at all the destruction. “I am truly sorry for everything that has transpired.”
Trystan fell to his knees in exhaustion. “You were separated for so long, what is your actual name?”
The purple slime gave a tiny smirk. “My true name is Bella.”
Trystan felt the connection between them sever completely. The slime before him was no longer his familiar. The mage looked down at his exposed and melted skin on his arm. Looking back at Bella, questions formed.
“You’re not a simple slime are you?”
Bella nodded. “I’m a queen slime, part of my essence taken from the true queen of slimes. Now that I am whole and no longer anchored to a mage, I can return to merge with my true self. Thank you for freeing me.”
Trystan felt a sad ache in his heart. Behind him he heard shuffling down the street. Turning his head, he spotted his friends walking toward them with magistrates and mages. Wendy the ogre carried Nia in her arms.
“You better leave before they make you answer for this.�
� Trystan said in a low weak voice.
“I will always remember you dear Trystan.” The purple slime blew a kiss. A moment later her body changed into a stream and streamed into a nearby jagged hole in the street.
Magistrates moved forward, blasting the hole and diving in after the fleeing slime. Trystan used all his strength to stand up again and stumble to his friends. Aznara was first to take his arm and help him along. The mage stepped to Wendy as she held Nia in her arms. Trystan raised his arms and took Nia into his. Sinking to the ground, the mage cradled his love in his arms, holding her close to his chest. Reeko, Sunara, Aznara, Sylk, Vossa and Wendy sank down to their knees, hands all touching the tearful Trystan and Nia in his arms.
Miles away, Vanessa sat with wide eyes. Gwen held on, losing more and more of her mana to the undead woman. The ink witch felt her heart flutter as life slowly drained away. Vanessa tilted her head up and let out a long sigh.
“The threat is over.” Vanessa said simply.
Gwen pulled her hands from the undead woman. Without a word, she stumbled off and fell onto the grass. Turning onto her back, eyes looked skyward for a long moment. The ink witch admired the beauty of the day as her strength gave out. Shadows closed in and the witch passed out into peaceful darkness.
Eighteen
Trystan stood at the door in the middle of a busy corridor. Hand tightening around a bouquet of flowers, the mage took in a deep calming breath. A sweaty hand took hold of the metal door handle. The mage pushed the handle down and opened the door.
