by Dale Britton
"Nice shot," Ian said as they retreated. His breath formed a cloud in the frigid air. "You're a hero."
"No," Johnny said. "You're the one who saved us. How did you fight off its control?"
"I don't know," Ian admitted. "I could just feel it in my mind. I couldn't stand having it there. Maybe it's because I'm more cynical than you. Or maybe I'm not as emotional. Whatever. It just couldn't convince me."
"Or maybe your brain is too primitive," Jordan called back from ahead. "Only smart people like us were affected."
"Haha."
When the group finally left the passage and burst out into the cold daylight, the light of the late afternoon sky was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen.
Chapter Eighty-Two
"We will have to set up camp," Lylor said. "We will not reach the island this day."
The group had traveled several miles from the mouth of the tunnel and only now were they beginning to feel safe. The huge lake spread out before them, the light of the setting sun glistening off the waves. Their destination was now visible a short distance to the south. From where the group stood, it looked like a small dark splotch on the water. The tiny island looked ominous, and the friends were glad they weren't going to have to explore it until tomorrow.
"How long were we in that tunnel?" Jordan asked. "It's weird. It seemed like forever, but I don't think it was very long."
"Seven hours," Lylor said, studying the angle of the sun. "Most of the day. In a passage that should have taken but thirty minutes. I pray that the loss of time will not come to haunt us."
"I wonder how Ollie and the others are doing," Jordan said. "I hope they're alright."
"Me too," Johnny felt a twinge of guilt. With all the problems they'd been facing, he had barely even thought about the rest of his friends. He shivered suddenly with a horrifying thought. What if something had happened to them? What if they were dead?
"I am certain that they are in good health," Lylor said, noticing the others' somber expressions. "Ollie is becoming a talented mage, and with George's newfound strength and the others' abilities they are a powerful team."
"I just wish we could talk to them," Jordan said. Back home she could text Ollie whenever she wanted to, but that was obviously impossible here. Of course, Ollie was with Sarah. He probably isn't thinking about me at all.
"There may, in fact, be a way to view their progress," Lylor said. "At least, if the stories are true.
"What stories?" Ian asked suspiciously. "Your information about the tunnel didn't turn out to be very accurate."
Lylor smiled wryly. "I cannot argue that. But there are legends about this island."
"The Island of Shattered Souls, right?" Ian said. "It doesn't sound like a very happy place."
"It is so-called because many beings traveled to this place seeking solutions to their problems. For many, it was a last resort. If you had nowhere else to turn, if you were in the worst state imaginable, you might make a pilgrimage to this island."
"But why?" Johnny asked.
"Because, according to the stories, there is a pool on that island. If one is to look into the pool, he will see that which he most needs to see."
"Do you believe the stories?" Jordan asked.
"I have met those who have claimed to have seen it," Lylor answered, "but even so, before having met your party I did not believe them. Now, however, I am certain that it exists, and that this is the very reason that we are being sent to the island."
"It makes sense," Johnny said. "If there's one thing we need, it's knowledge."
"Yes," Lylor agreed, "but there is danger."
"Of course there is," Ian said.
Lylor ignored Ian's remark. "Many have come to the island and found nothing. Others have gone and never returned."
"What happened to them?" Jordan asked.
"I know not. I fear that we will need to discover this ourselves. Now come, we must make camp. The sun is getting dangerously low."
As they set about preparing for the night, Jordan looked out over the lake. The island was barely visible in the fading light, but she could still see the black smudge in the water. The Island of Shattered Souls. It sounded like the perfect place for her. What would she see if she looked in the pool? What did she most need to see? Whatever it was, she was afraid she wasn't going to like it.
Chapter Eighty-Three
As Ollie fumbled through his bag to find a warding cube, his mind raced. How had the demons gotten in? Had they broken through the ward they had set at the entrance? Or was there another way into the dungeon? For the sake of their horses, he hoped that it was the latter.
"Hold them off! I'll set up a ward."
It only took seconds for the hoard of snarling and howling demons to reach the group that huddled around the empty chest. Several of the creatures fell to Yrabelle's knives in those few seconds, but it was not enough even to slow them down. Sarah became a blur as she activated the ring, while George spun in circles trying vainly to face all of the creatures at once.
"Hurry, Ollie!" George yelled. "There are too many to fight!"
Ollie flung open his bag and quickly found the pouch that held the party's collection of warding cubes. He tried to ignore the shouts of his friends and the screeching of the demons as he untied the string holding it closed. In his haste to get to the cubes, he accidentally ripped the pouch apart, spilling the precious wards all over the ground. Ollie bit off a shout of frustration.
Somebody screamed. Ollie tried to block out the sound as a chill flooded through him. Had that been Sarah? If he didn't find a warding cube immediately, then he and his friends were dead. Maybe I'm already too late.
Yrabelle's light still worked, but it was flickering erratically. This worried Ollie immensely and it also made it hard for him to see anything in the darkness of the dungeon, let alone where the cubes had landed. The world had turned into a kaleidoscope of dark forms flying past him on all sides. Ollie dropped to his hands and knees and cast his fire spell for light.
"Ollie! What are you doing?" George shouted again. He sounded tired and more than a little scared.
Ollie's hand finally found one of the cubes. He sighed in relief. "I'm going to activate the cube! Hang on!"
Ollie spoke the spell that activated the ward. Immediately the shield formed and began to expand. Demons screamed in anger and pain as the wall of the ward pushed them backward and away from the party. Sparks of magic flew everywhere, lighting up the room. Ollie finally got a look at the aftermath of the battle.
George was bleeding from several cuts. He looked horrible, but he was actually holding out better than the rest of the group. Sarah was barely on her feet. She had used her ring to the point of almost putting herself back into a coma. And Yrabelle... the elf girl was the worst. She was lying on the ground in a heap, her face covered with blood. George was already kneeling at her side.
"Is she..." Ollie started.
"Breathing," George said, and the relief in his voice was palpable. "We're going to need some healing potion."
The demons were surrounding the borders of the ward, snarling and screaming. How long was it until morning? It was impossible to tell from this far underground.
Ollie passed a potion bottle to George, then turned his attention to Sarah.
"Are you alright?"
Sarah leaned against him. "Exhausted. I almost went too far, but it was either that or let the demons get to us."
"You did good." Ollie looked out at the demons. They stared back at him with glowing red hate-filled eyes. Something was bothering Ollie, but he couldn't figure out what it was.
"What's wrong," Sarah said. "What are you looking at?"
"I don't know." The demons had quieted and watched the group closely. It seemed like they were waiting for something. But what could it be?
"Is the ward smaller than usual?" Sarah asked.
Ollie studied the ward. It was smaller. Quite a bit, actually. It was maybe half as big as it normally
was on the surface. And, he realized with horror, it was getting smaller.
"Guys, I think we're in trouble. There's something wrong with the ward."
"Do something, Ollie," George pleaded. "There's no way we can fight them again." He held Yrabelle on his lap and was forcing her to drink the potion. She looked better but didn't show any signs of waking up.
Ollie scrambled around until he found another cube and set it on the ground next to the other one. Maybe there was a flaw in the first one. He concentrated and spoke the spell again. There was a spark of magic as the ward activated, but then it flickered and died.
"What's wrong with it?" Sarah's voice trembled with panic. "Why won't it work?"
Ollie suddenly realized the answer. "It needs magic to operate. Lots of it. And we're so deep below the surface that there just isn't enough. Magic comes from life, and there's not as much of that down here."
"So that means..." Sarah said.
There was a flickering from the ward, and suddenly it was gone. The demons began to grin, their red eyes burning through the darkness.
Ollie felt like screaming, but he somehow kept his voice steady. "It means we're finished."
Chapter Eighty-Four
In the seconds before the demons renewed their attack, Ollie took stock of their situation. Yrabelle was unconscious. Sarah was completely spent. She couldn't use the ring again. George was hurt pretty badly, but he could probably still fight. And then there was Ollie. He didn't have time to weave a shield spell, and wouldn't be able to hold one for long even if he did. He would have to use fire, and he found himself strangely looking forward to using it against these monsters. They were going to die here, but at least they would go out in a blaze of glory.
I should probably be more scared.
The moment ended and the demons charged, snarling and howling and generally being as terrifying as possible.
Ollie cast the fire spell, sending fireballs spinning out around the group in a tight circle, and causing the rushing monsters to recoil temporarily from the flames. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sarah drawing her dagger.
"Sarah," he said, inspiration striking, "give the ring to George."
Sarah nodded, understanding in her eyes. How much damage would George be able to do moving at those incredible speeds? Or course, the real question was how long would he be able to keep going?
George accepted the ring from Sarah and slipped it on his finger.
George gave Yrabelle one last hug, then lowered her carefully to the ground. She made a quiet moaning sound as he let her go. "Watch her," George said to Sarah, and Ollie felt a shiver when he looked into his friend's eyes. He had never seen George so furious before. He hadn't known his friend was capable of this much anger, but the look that George gave the demons was terrifying. If the bullies back home could see George right now, they would run away screaming and have nightmares for years.
"Let's do this," George said.
The demons looked for an opening past Ollie's fireballs. He was having a hard time maintaining them, and he knew why. It was the same problem as the wards. There just wasn't enough ambient magic to draw from down here, and so most of the power had to come from himself. That meant that he had a very limited supply.
"Go get 'em, George." Ollie sent his fireballs rushing into the demons. The nearest of the creatures burst into flame, screaming in pain. Ollie sent another volley immediately after the first, and then a third. The light of burning demons filled the chamber. But already Ollie was tiring. He wouldn't be able to do this for long.
Meanwhile, George had become a living buzz saw. His motion a blur, he moved from demon to demon leaving their dismembered bodies in his wake. The combination of the ring's speed and his great strength was unbelievable. None of the monsters could stand against him. Several of the smaller creatures were retreating, deciding they would rather face the wrath of their lord than certain death in this room. For a moment, Ollie began to believe they might actually survive this battle.
But the time came too soon when he no longer had the strength to cast his fire spell. Dozens of demons had been destroyed, but no matter how many they killed, others rose to take their place. How could there be so many of the creatures? And if there were this many now, what would it be like when Alakabal opened the portal to the underworld?
George suddenly appeared at Ollie's side. "I'm sorry. I..." And he collapsed to the ground.
It was over. They had nothing left. Ollie was glad they at least were able to take so many of the creatures with them. He drew his dagger to face the final charge. Sarah moved to his side, her dagger drawn as well.
"You sure know how to show a girl a good time, Ollie." She still sounded exhausted.
Ollie laughed. He couldn't help it. Then he did the craziest thing he had ever done in his life. He leaned down and kissed Sarah. He was pretty sure he was doing it wrong, but it felt really good.
"What was that for?" Sarah asked when he broke away. She didn't sound upset.
"If I'm going to die, I don't want it to happen without ever having kissed a girl."
Their conversation was cut off as the remaining demons screamed and rushed forward. Ollie had to force himself to stand steady as they ran toward him. His instincts were screaming at him to run and hide. So, this is how the game ends.
A nearly spherical demon rolled toward Ollie. When it reached him, it opened up like Pacman to display huge spike-like teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, Ollie could see other black shapes moving toward him and his friends. They were completely surrounded. He lunged desperately at his attacker, but it easily rolled to the side to avoid the thrust of his dagger. He tried to call more fire, but it wouldn't come. From somewhere nearby, Sarah screamed.
Before Ollie could turn to see what had happened to her, he heard another sound. There was a sudden loud hissing and yowling from the back of the demons' ranks. At first, he thought the demons were making the noise, but he saw that the black creatures were equally confused. The spherical demon hesitated for just a moment, but then rushed toward Ollie again. Ollie scrambled backward, but there was nowhere to go. The demon's mouth gaped open, its teeth glistening inches from Ollie's face.
A spear suddenly appeared in the creature's side, pinning it to the ground. Black ichor poured out of the demon, pooling onto the floor. Ollie stared dumbly at the demon, seeing the spear in its side, but unable to understand what he was seeing. He couldn't look away. It was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen.
"Ollie!" Sarah's shout pulled him back to reality. He turned around and saw that she was pinned up against the empty chest by a huge boar-headed demon. She had lost her dagger and was squirming around frantically trying to get away from the monster.
Ollie saw red. A fireball appeared in his hand without him even having to call for it. Apparently, with the right motivation, he had a little magic left after all. He focused on the fireball, willing it to grow hotter until it glowed like a miniature sun. At his command the fireball flew at the demon, engulfing the black creature's head in flame. The monster's body tottered for a second, then collapsed to the ground. Sarah ran around the smoking corpse and moved to Ollie's side, panting for breath.
"Thanks," she said shakily. Ollie held her tightly to keep her from falling.
Sounds of screaming and fighting filled every corner of the room, but here in the center, it was momentarily calm. The light of Ollie's fire was fading, making it nearly impossible to see their surroundings.
"What's happening?" Ollie said. "Are the demons fighting each other?"
"I don't think so."
A small two-headed demon suddenly appeared in front of them in the darkness and reached out with sharp curved claws, but it was immediately cut down by another dark shape before it could reach the startled teens. The new creature stared at them with shining yellow eyes, then disappeared back into the darkness. Ollie and Sarah stared at the spot where the creature had stood.
"It's the cat people," Ollie s
aid, his voice filled with wonder. "They're fighting the demons."
Chapter Eighty-Five
The sounds of fighting came from every direction. Shouts of anger and cries of pain were everywhere. The room had become almost completely dark now and Ollie couldn't see what was happening. Unlike the demons and the cat people, his eyes were unable to penetrate the darkness. Sarah grabbed hold of his hand, startling him.
"Where are George and Yrabelle?" Sarah asked in a whisper. Ollie realized with a deep feeling of shame that in the heat of the battle he had completely forgotten about their friends, both of whom had been lying defenseless on the ground for the past several minutes. Now he prayed the demons had left them alone during the recent fight, hopefully believing they were dead.
"I don't know, but they have to be nearby. Let's find them. But stay together and be quiet."
Ollie tried to remember where he had been standing when George had come back, but in the darkness and after the confusion of the fighting it was impossible. Yrabelle had been lying next to the chest, but he couldn't even see where that was now. Their friends could be anywhere. He tried to cast his fire spell to give them some light, but it was hopeless. His last spell had left him completely drained. They were forced to wander blindly while trying to avoid anything that moved nearby.
The sounds of fighting began to quiet as they searched. Ollie and Sarah walked in a slow spiral, hoping to run into one of their friends and avoid being killed by a monster. It felt like walking a tightrope in the dark–one wrong step could be their last. Things moved in the darkness. They heard weapons clashing, shouts, and screams. They encountered many dark shapes lying on the ground, but none of them were their friends. After several minutes of this, they finally got lucky. Sarah almost tripped over a motionless form on the ground. There was a grunt, then a moan.
