The Summoning

by Dale Britton

  One more search. You can do that.

  He could. He would rest for a few more minutes, build up enough strength for one more run. He had searched miles and miles of corridors without success, but the treasure had to be here. The map had sent them here for a reason.

  Ollie leaned back against the barrier, forcing himself to relax. Thanks to his work with magic, he could actually feel his energy slowly rebuilding. Just a little longer.

  He was interrupted when a small group of black creatures suddenly burst onto the balcony. A high-pitched squeal filled the air when they saw him there, a sound that was instantly repeated nearby, spreading until it surrounded Ollie and filled the whole valley. It was just what he had feared. The alarm had gone up. Already more of the creatures were beginning to appear behind the ones who had found him.

  The creatures bared their needle fangs and stared at Ollie with their black, soulless eyes. They made no sound and gave no discernible signal, yet when they came at him, they all started at the exact same moment. They moved by gliding rather than walking, like an army of black ghosts.

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Ollie very nearly lost his mind. The sight of the balcony filling with the black monsters, their teeth flashing, their empty eyes staring–it sent him into an uncontrolled panic. It was like the giant spider again, only this time there wasn't anyone else here to save him. A small part of his mind wondered if the creatures were able to sense his fear. If so, they were probably laughing with glee. You have to get out of here.

  For a split second, he actually considered going over the edge of the balcony. The Flash was able to use his speed to run on the side of buildings. Maybe he could too.

  Do you really want to bet your life on comic book physics?

  No. No, he didn't. He could easily picture himself plummeting to the ground and landing in a broken heap.

  But that meant that he had to fight. All by himself, against a thousand monsters who could regenerate even when their heads were cut off. There was no way. Jumping off the balcony might be preferable.

  You don't have to fight them all. You just have to get away.

  The monsters were now only a few feet away. Ollie was out of both time and options. There was only one thing he could do. He frantically pushed away his panic and called for fire. For a moment it sputtered, and Ollie was certain he was about to die, but then it came. It was weak at first, but he was able to focus on the flame and strengthen it before sending it at the mob of monsters. It connected almost immediately, and when the nearest monsters began to burn the heat of the fire was almost unbearable. The stench was even worse.

  Ollie hoped to clear a large enough hole with his fire to run through, but he had forgotten to take into account how long it took the things to burn. He would have to run through the flames and trust that his speed would be enough to get him through without getting burned. He called up another fireball and aimed it at the head of the stairs.

  But then... Pain! Ollie screamed as his fireball died in midair. A horrible freezing jolt of pain ran up his right leg. If not for the barrier at the edge of the balcony to grab hold of, he would have collapsed to the ground. He looked down and saw that one of the creatures had gotten past his first attack. The thing's mouth with its impossibly large maw had clamped completely around his thigh. It might have been his imagination, but it looked like the teeth had penetrated completely through his leg and were poking out of the opposite sides. Blood was dripping to the floor, and a numbness was beginning to replace the horrible pain. Ollie screamed in revulsion. He clawed at the creature, but it would not let go, and now others were moving in as well. He felt a blackness creeping over him. It was over. He would never see his friends again. Never see Sarah again.

  No! It can't end like this! Ollie struggled to push the pain away. If he could just cast his spell. Just one more time. He realized suddenly that the pain was less. Something about the creature's bite was numbing his leg, like an anesthetic. He didn't like where that might lead, but at this moment it helped him. It allowed Ollie to concentrate, and he managed to bring forth the fire again.

  He directed the blast at the creature on his leg, and it burst into flame. Much too close for comfort. Ollie could feel the fire burning his own skin as the creature melted away. Next, he shot the flame in front of him, clearing away the closest creatures.

  Then, Ollie ran. He'd been afraid he wouldn't be able to. He knew his leg had to be damaged really badly. But whatever the creature had done to numb him was now working in his favor. He hardly felt the pain at all. He was aware that he was moving awkwardly and limping badly, but he was doing it incredibly fast.

  He also noticed that the creatures were avoiding their companions who were on fire, so Ollie ran directly through the flames. At his advanced speed, not even the fire could touch him. Neither could the monsters, although they were packed so densely it was hard to find a path through them. It was worse when he got through the doorway. The narrow hallways were crowded with the things, all of them moving toward him.

  Ollie didn't think. He just ran as fast as he could. He went past hundreds of the monsters, sometimes running right over them to get by. Every time he brushed against one, he felt a horrible sense of revulsion. At one point he was forced to barrel through a group of the black creatures who huddled in a doorway, and for a moment thought that he would have to stop moving and throw up. Fortunately, the feeling passed and he was able to go on.

  After his long day of exploring, Ollie was pretty familiar with the area surrounding his hiding place. He knew he wouldn't be able to move at this speed for long, but fortunately, he didn't have to go very far. He quickly found the staircase he was looking for, darted past a pair of creatures who didn't even notice his passing, and then threw himself through a hole in the wall at ground level.

  He was outside. He had made it.

  But he had failed.

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Ollie managed to run another five hundred yards or so before he was forced to stop. The numbness was wearing off and his leg was on fire. The pain was worse than anything he had ever felt before. So much for the protection of the charm. It was hard to think. He took a second to look back at the creatures' city. He didn't see any of the monsters, but he knew if he stayed here in the open, he'd be spotted. In fact, he probably had already been seen. There were so many of the things. Surely one of them was watching the valley.

  Sure enough, as Ollie sat helpless on the ground, a mass of black shapes began to pour out of the building and spill into the open space. They were coming for him. He wondered if Sarah and George were watching. If they were, Ollie hoped they didn't try to come help him. There was no way they'd survive. There's no way I'll survive.

  Ollie tried to force himself to stand, but his leg wouldn't support him. When he fell back to the ground, he landed awkwardly on his pouch, sending a fresh jolt of pain up his leg. He almost screamed from the pain, but then he suddenly remembered. His pouch. He had a healing potion in his pouch. How could he have forgotten that?

  Ollie ripped the bag open and dug out the bottle. The creatures were closing on him, but he still had a little time. He ripped off the cork, and instead of drinking the liquid, he poured it carefully on his wounded leg. Instantly the pain subsided. The holes in his skin closed. He could tell the potion wasn't enough to repair all of the damage, but it would be enough to get him back on his feet.

  As he raced away from the structure, maybe slightly slower than when he had arrived, he was overcome with a feeling of despair. There was no way he could go back there. Not now that the creatures knew about him. They would be watching constantly. There would be no way to hide inside like he had done today.

  They had lost.

  Ollie was starting to tire already, and his leg still hurt like crazy. He had barely made it past the small grove of trees and already felt the need to stop and rest again so he didn't collapse. He wondered idly why the monsters had left those trees standing when they had so obvi
ously cut down all of the others in the area. It seemed kind of strange.

  On a whim, Ollie altered his path and veered toward the small grove. If nothing else, the monsters might not realize he was hiding there for a little while and he would have a chance to rest for a minute. In only seconds he reached the cover of the trees.

  The instant he entered the grove Ollie felt it, and his eyes widened in surprise. The sense of magic here was incredible, and he looked around to find the source. He had expected to find some of the creatures here, but the grove appeared to be deserted. What he did find, right in the center of the trees, was a small rough stone altar. It was pitch black as if made of obsidian and was surrounded in a tight circle by five standing stones, each about six feet tall. When Ollie approached the altar, the sense of magic increased. Careful. You don't know what this is.

  But he did know. He had known the moment he had stepped into the grove. And now, looking down at the top of the altar, his knowledge was confirmed. A large red gem about the size of a golf ball was embedded in the stone. All the time he had spent searching the creature's buildings, and it turned out that what he was looking for was right here, completely out in the open. Ollie was filled with a rush of triumph that overpowered his pain and exhaustion. They could do this! They could still beat the demon! All he had to do was take the gem and get back to Sarah and George.

  This turned out not to be as simple as it sounded. Ollie found that he could touch the gem without any trouble, but it was firmly entrenched in the rock. He dug at it and pulled as hard as he could, but it would not come out. He knew he was running out of time. Very soon the monsters would find him here, and he would be forced to run or die.

  "Come on," he muttered, "We need you."

  Ollie remembered belatedly he was still carrying his dagger, and he pulled it out to try to pry the gem from the stone. He was able to get the dagger into a crack between the gem and the stone, but even when he pried with all of his strength the gem refused to come out. Maybe my heart isn't pure enough.

  Ollie suddenly heard a shout from behind him. It sounded like Johnny's voice. "Ollie! Watch out!"

  Ollie turned around quickly and had just enough time to notice three things. He saw that two of the standing stones had disappeared and that there were now two six-foot-tall troll-like monsters standing directly behind him. He also saw the huge spiked club that the closest monster was swinging directly at his head.

  There was no time to duck, or even to scream. Ollie closed his eyes.

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  It was warmer on the island, and birds chirped happily as the small party embarked on the golden road. Ian could almost imagine that they were on a pleasant hike in a nature preserve somewhere. Almost, but not quite. Not after everything they had been through since coming to this stupid place. He tried to put on a brave face with his friends, but the truth was that he was terrified. It was a miracle they had survived this long, and he knew it was only a matter of time before their luck ran out. Eventually, every party out a battle.

  Lylor had placed Ian at the back of the party as a rear guard. What a joke. Sure, he'd done alright so far. He had even killed a few monsters. That didn't change the fact that every time a monster showed up, his first instinct was to run away. If it weren't for the others, he would be as far from this demon lord as humanly possible.

  How did this happen? And why now, just when he had decided to stop playing the game altogether? This was supposed to be his last campaign, and then he wouldn't have to answer questions about what he was doing spending so much time with nerds. He could just hang out with his friends on the tennis team. He could actually go on dates on Friday nights instead of spending all his time in the basement.

  But he didn't have to worry about all of that now, of course, because he was going to die.

  Lost in his dark thoughts, Ian had fallen a little behind the others. Now he noticed his friends were disappearing around a bend in the path several yards ahead. Ian picked up his pace to catch up. He reached the turning just moments after Jordan had passed out of sight. Fighting against an irrational fear, he practically ran around the bend.

  His friends were gone.

  "Johnny!" No answer. "Jordan? Lylor?" Nothing. Suddenly the woods were much darker and more sinister. The path led straight ahead for a long distance. The others could not have gone far enough to be out of sight. They had just disappeared into thin air, and Ian was completely alone.

  If Ian had been afraid before, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. The birdsong mocked him as he continued down the path, calling his friends' names. He held his sword out, expecting an attack at any moment. He came to another curve in the path, and with only a moment's hesitation charged around the corner, yelling and swinging the sword wildly.

  He almost fell headfirst into the pool.

  It was small, and the water was a deep and sparkling blue. Ian did not doubt for a second that this was what they were looking for. He had lost his friends, but he had found the magic pool. It will show you what you most need to see. Ian didn't want to look. He was afraid of what this thing might show him. But he couldn't help it. The pool pulled his eyes like a magnet. He leaned forward and stared into the blue depths, and it was like he was leaving his body and floating into the water. His fear floated away as well, and a sense of serenity filled his mind. The world around him disappeared.

  Ian walked along a trail. It was a sunny and warm day–the perfect day for a picnic. Johnny walked beside him on his left side, and he could see his other friends ahead. George was talking to Ollie about a new idea he had for the game, and Jordan was as quiet as always. Ian recognized the place. They were in Hosgrove's park, a county recreational area only a few miles out of town. Ian couldn't remember ever coming to the park with his friends before, but right now it seemed natural that they should be here, just enjoying the beautiful day together.

  They were approaching the picnic area when Johnny turned to him. "Do you have your sword?"

  Ian looked down at his waist and saw that he did indeed have his sword. Why would he have it here? This wasn't Valoria. Then he noticed Johnny had his bow as well, and the others also carried weapons. Jordan was idly playing with her mace, passing it back and forth between her hands.

  "What's going on, Johnny? What are we doing here?"

  Johnny just gave him a strange look and said nothing.

  As they passed the picnic tables and moved deeper into the park, Ian began to feel more nervous. The sky, which had been clear, began to fill with clouds. The day became darker, and a light rain began to fall. Thunder rolled in the distance.

  "We should leave," Ian said. "Let's get out of here."

  Ollie turned back and gave him a disapproving look. "You know we can't do that, Ian."

  Why couldn't they? And why did Ian have the feeling that they were marching to their deaths?

  The trees grew closer together, and the group was forced to walk single file, with Ian in the rear. The sky grew even darker and the rain picked up. It was now falling steadily, and Ian was soaking wet, but still his friends kept on. Ian followed in spite of the sense of dread that pulled him back.

  After a few minutes, the trees opened up and the group found themselves in a small clearing.

  "Here we are," Ollie said. "Is everyone ready?"

  "Ready for what?'" Ian asked, but the others ignored him. Ian looked around, trying to make some sense out of what was happening. He noticed that in the center of the clearing there was a ring of stones. In the center of the ring, there was only blackness.

  "All right," Johnny said. "I'll go first." And before Ian could say anything, his brother walked up to the stones and jumped over the edge. He disappeared over the side as if falling into a well.

  "Johnny!" Ian shouted, but he got no response.

  One by one, his other friends followed. Jordan jumped in, then George, then Ollie climbed onto the rocks. He turned to look at Ian.

  "Remember. We need you. We can't d
o it without you." Then he disappeared over the side.

  Ian walked over and stared at the black pit. He could see nothing in the depths. He was supposed to jump in there? How could they expect him to do that? There could be anything in there.

  Ian started to hear noises from the blackness. First, shouting. It started slowly, then got louder. Soon, he could hear screaming, as if someone was being tortured. Then, he heard Johnny's voice.

  "Ian! Where are you? We need you!"

  But Ian could not bring himself to jump in the hole. The screams grew louder and louder, and he couldn't take it. He turned, ran out of the clearing, and kept running. He needed to escape the sounds of his friends screaming, but no matter how far he ran, the sounds followed him. He could not leave them behind. In his panic, he tripped and fell sprawling to the ground, and everything went black.

  When Ian opened his eyes, he was sitting on the golden path.

  "I take from your somber demeanor that you have seen the pool as well," Lylor said. He sat next to Ian, leaning against a tree. There was no sign of the others.

  "Where are Johnny and Jordan?" Ian could still hear his friends screaming faintly in his head.

  "I believe that they will join us shortly. They must have their turn as well."

  Ian thought back to his experience with the pool and shivered. Why had he been shown such a horrible thing? What did it mean? He turned to Lylor and suddenly noticed his friend's dark expression. The elf almost looked like he had been crying.

  "Lylor? Are you alright?"

  "No." Lylor's expression darkened even further. "The demons have taken my daughter. They have Yrabelle."