*****
The crimson-skinned serpent bursts out of the ocean and flaps the feathery wings around its neck. Superheated water rains down on the champions, who are protected by Sari freezing the droplets into ice. A pirate ship is in the monster’s reptilian mouth, which shakes and turns the vessel in order to dislodge the tasty crew. Unable to get at those inside, the sea serpent swallows the boat enough that it can be seen outlined in its elastic throat. The sound of shattering wood and terrified screams drift from the beast’s open maw. Making a gurgling hiss, the serpent’s neck spasms as it prevents most of the inedible pieces from falling too far into its gullet. With a disgusting hack, it spits up the chunks of pirate ship and sinks low enough to come face to face with the champions. Its six glassy eyes stare at the tiny travelers, but the sea serpent merely extends its forked tongue to investigate the mysterious bridge.
“Is it going to attack?” Sari asks, tensing when the creature shows interest in her. It sniffs at her hair before pulling away and violently sneezing. “I should take offense at that. This better not turn into a fight because I don’t know if I can handle that thing. Too primal for emotion magic and I can sense that it has some control over the water like I do.”
“No need to fight if we don’t have to,” Delvin whispers while waving for the griffin to continue walking. He walks ahead of Timoran and Sari, the three champions keeping their eyes on the sea serpent. “If you can’t take it down easily then we have a problem, so let’s try not to provoke it. Worst case scenario, Luke can take Nyx and Dariana into the air, but that leaves us sinking in the ocean. Best that we move forward and watch what it does. Might be more curious than hungry since it just ate.”
“It is strange that it sees the bridge,” Timoran points out while he watches the used part of their path fade away. There are patches of floating debris in their wake, making him wonder if the creature has destroyed the entire pirate fleet. “All other living things have passed through the bridge or turned away without noticing us. This serpent knows we are here. Perhaps it is a friend sent by Xan or one of the other gods.”
“Fizzle like idea,” the drite announces while walking along the railing. He takes to the air when the sea serpent spits a jet of water in his direction. “Not nice! Big snake mean. Fizzle no like. Big snake go away!”
“Please don’t anger the monster,” Delvin politely requests with a chuckle. Having becoming more comfortable with the creature’s presence, he walks backwards in order to take a better and longer look. “Odd color for an ocean predator since that makes it fairly easy to spot. See a lot of scars on its body, so it’s a fighter. Wonder if there are more of them around like with the Judges down south. Could a swarm of sea serpents be beneath us, but this is the one that we’ve gained the attention of? That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Sari leans over the railing and has a tendril rise from the ocean to coil around her hand. “I can find sea turtles and a crab that is as big as a horse. A few sharks and whales, but not enough to scare away what I believe are long-whiskered seals. Nothing like this guy down there unless they can blend their movements into the currents. This doesn’t mean he . . . I mean she since there’s wriggling in her belly, which means she’s pregnant. Anyway, there could be others around, but they aren’t close enough for me to notice.”
“At least she is friendly,” Timoran says while taking a sip of Ifrit mead. His hand goes for his great axe when the sea serpent shudders and squirms in place. “Something is changing. I sense aggression and anger in her muscles. Did you make her mad by examining her, Sari? Can she understand what we are saying and thinks we are after her babies?”
“All questions that can wait for later!” Delvin shouts while rushing forward. Watching the ocean predator rear up, he smacks the griffin on the rump to get her attention. “Run as fast as you can! We don’t want that monster attacking us on the bridge, which is going to start vanishing pretty quickly. Forget fighting and run!”
The sea serpent roars and slams down on the bridge between Delvin and the griffin. With an echoing crack, the enchanted metal shatters beneath the limbless beast, which receives narrow gashes in its scaly hide. Thrashing in the water, it creates giant waves that threaten to knock the champions into the roiling ocean. Not wanting to endanger the others, the griffin stops and hurries back with the intention of leaping back over the chasm. She is stopped by Delvin whistling and banging his sword on the bridge, which she realizes may disappear once Nyx is over the open ocean. Unable to help the others, Lucy flaps her wings and does her best to catch the submerged monster’s attention. Gazing into the churning water, the griffin barely makes out the coils of its crimson body. She is startled when a wide tail rises on the other side of the bridge and slaps down to send a powerful wave into the distance.
The sea serpent returns to the surface and sprays the area with hot water that the champions have a difficult time avoiding due to their limited space. The creature swings its solid head to slam into the smaller section of the bridge, causing one of the supports to bend and tilt the entire structure. Timoran, Sari, and Delvin slide toward the ocean until the gypsy catches the railing and the others grab her ankles. Climbing up their immovable friend, the warriors get to safety and draw their weapons even though they have no idea how to attack the beast. Neither make a move as they watch the sea serpent leap out of the water and crash back down. The wave washes over the entire bridge, leaving the champions drenched and covered in seaweed.
Feeling the supports buckle against the pounding currents, Delvin leads the way to the edge of the railing. He is about to jump when the bridge shakes from another impact and he falls forward. The warrior is caught by Timoran, who hurls him to where the griffin can catch the champion in her beak. Scrambling to his feet, Delvin takes his shield off his arm and waves for the barbarian’s attention. He throws it to his friend as the smaller section steadily dissolves and sinks, the sea serpent’s latest assault having damaged the magical path. Sari jumps on Timoran’s back and hangs on tight as he jumps into the air with both hands tightly gripping the enchanted shield. Pulled by the return spell, the pair are yanked across the gap and crash into Delvin, whose arm neatly snaps from all of the weight that hits it at once. With a frown, he uses his power to reduce the ugly injury to a small fracture that can be tended to later.
“Let’s try retreating again,” the warrior gasps while he watches the sea serpent. His foot stops in mid-step when he does a headcount and realizes that someone is missing. “Where’s Fizzle? I remember him flying away from an attack, but now I don’t see him anywhere. Do you know where he went, Lucy?”
“Fizzle fix!” the drite declares as he dives out of the clouds. Building up as much speed as he can, the purple-scaled dragon hurtles toward the sea serpent. “Fizzle see problem. Fizzle be right back!”
Adjusting his descent, the drite plunges into the monster’s open mouth before it goes completely underwater. The champions can see the sea serpent thrashing beneath the surface, the movements becoming less erratic after a minute. Shivering and stretching, the tail comes out of the water and remains hanging in the air while the rest of the body goes limp. With a dull smack, the wide body part hits the water and sends a geyser into the air. Its mouth open and releasing rainbow mist, the sea serpent rises to catch the tasty droplets on its tongue. A loud burp sends a plume of Fizzle’s enchanted breath across the bridge, which is creaking from the extensive damage. As the creature sinks until only its head is above the waves, the drite darts out of its nostril and returns to his friends.
“Swallowed pirates stab tummy,” Fizzle explains as he waves to the hissing beast with his tail. Landing on the railing, he talks to the sea serpent in a series of guttural growls and high-pitched chirps. “Big snake sent to eat pirates. Friend of Risar. Guardians say temples safe. Ready to protect homes. All they can do to help. Phelan say hi. Brocken Dragon say Luke need stop crying. More friends go to stop bad people. Path clear to island. Xan is waiting. Good-bye a
nd good luck.”
“Thanks for helping!” Sari shouts at the sea serpent. Blowing the towering creature a kiss, she yelps when it playfully crashes into the water and drenches everyone on the bridge. “That would have been so much better if it wasn’t winter. So, I guess all we have left to worry about is the big fight. Our friends are taking care of the smaller problems. Does anybody else feel a lot more nervous about this than they did a few minutes ago?”
Letting the gypsy’s heavy question hang in the air, the champions go back to following the bridge. Turning back at the sound of a loud roar, they watch the sea serpent head out to attack more ships on the horizon. The creature eventually fades into the distance and even its bellows disappear, the sound replaced by the gentle lapping of waves against the metal, dissolving supports.
7
The grassy island emerges from the shimmering mist to meet the bridge, which vanishes as Nyx and Dariana awaken. Not far away is the Ice Crown, the circular glacier of the northern pole that even the gods cannot enter. The champions are amazed that they came so far, their large journey taking only a day. A sense of being instantaneously teleported for a large part of the path is in the back of their minds, but the feeling disappears as they move further away from the shore. An icy wind whips from the clouds that cover the top of the Ice Crown and rush along the coast, but the island interior is warm and comfortable. Bushes have been shaped to resemble people and animals, their leaves colored to match the subject’s natural pattern. A circle of fruit-bearing trees sits at the end of a dirt road and is home to a large family of raccoons that roam the open areas. Towering over the plants, Xan’s portal sits in silence and resembles nothing more than a cloudy mirror. Whenever a leaf is blown against the smooth surface, the gateway remains closed and lets the debris slide to the ground. Two of the raccoons have climbed to the top of the dormant portal where they snatch butterflies out of the sky. None of the creatures seem worried about getting sent to another location, making the champions wonder if they have been tricked into wasting their time.
A patch of grass on the other side of the island is pushed out of the earth as something underneath burrows through the dirt. The animals stop moving and become silent, their attention on the curious disturbance that is heading for the strangers. Coming around a gnome-shaped bush, the point of a violet crystal can be seen for a brief moment. It sinks back into the soil as it reaches the shore where partially buried rocks and shells are unearthed. The rumbling stops as the crystal rises in front of the champions and settles on a circle of pure gold. A robed figure stands inside the prism, all of his features hidden by the color of his multifaceted prison. With the pedestal leaving a furrow in the ground, Xan leads the champions away from the cold coastline, but stops at the edge of the warmer weather to prevent them from getting too far inland.
“I will give you only one warning,” the Time God says, his voice shaking the crystal. White eyes appear on the robed god’s face, the orbs lazily traveling around his entire body. “Only the citizens of Ambervale are allowed to use my portal. That has been the law since Solar the Father God granted me life and purpose. Know that this is a special gift to all of you and it can only be invoked once. None of you will be allowed to come back through and any who return to this island will never leave. By granting you the quickest path to Shayd, I am breaking the one rule placed upon me. This is my atonement for allowing the defilement of history to continue for so long.”
“It is an honor to meet you. Thank you for your help,” Dariana declares, bowing low to the ground. The sound of a hand banging against the inside of the crystal causes her to jump, but there is no change in the god’s appearance. “We only need a few hours to sleep and recover our energy. There is no telling what awaits us in Shayd, but we need to try and prepare. Otherwise, the corruption of your beloved history will never end. If there is anything we can do as payment, please let us know.”
Xan laughs loud enough to shake the portal, which ripples like a disturbed puddle. “I like how you are pretending to be ignorant, godling. You know there is a price because you already looked inside my head. A quick peek to see if this is a trap or not, especially after you passed through the Still Sea. After all, this is not the island your ill-informed mother showed you. I can assure all of you that there is no need for anyone to worry. While I do require payment, it is not you who needs to speak with me about such things. Your benefactor must pay the price for your passage or risk having his precious prophecy ruined forever.”
A distant neighing causes Xan to laugh at the top of his lungs, the facets of his prison quivering from the noise. Riding over the ocean, Gabriel arrives astride his black unicorn and fluidly dismounts behind the champions. Walking through the mortals, the Destiny God removes his gloves and lets them drift back to Ambervale. His scale armor absorbs the sunlight, but remains dull and looks in need of a good polishing. Not having rested in days, knots are in the deity’s hair and his vibrant eyes are slightly sunken and bloodshot. A wide yawn threatens to suck all of the air off the island, the raccoons scrambling to the top of the portal out of fear of getting swallowed. Taking his sheathed longsword off his belt, Gabriel goes down on one knee and presents the enchanted weapon to the older god.
“You think a mediocre blade will appease me?” Xan asks in shock and amusement. His hand slaps against the crystal, proving that he cannot take the sword. “This is an insult, Fate Maker. Not that I should be surprised by you. We both know that you hate the idea of giving anything up. I watched as you earned every scrap of power that you possess, so I cannot say I blame you for being hesitant. If it helps your ego, I will take the sword and await payment for the other champions. This backscratcher will cover the passage of Delvin Cunningham.”
“Do not be greedy, Xan,” Gabriel snarls as he holds back his temper. Waving for the unicorn to come closer, he rubs the nervous animal’s snout. “These events are more important than either of us. The Baron needs to be stopped. Please be-”
“The black unicorn for Luke Callindor and Nyx will do too,” the Time God interrupts, a grin appearing on every facet of his prison. The silhouette inside turns upside down and folds its legs as if it is floating in water. “You are asking for me to allow mortals through my portal. This is not a simple teleportation since they will travel through time as well as space. Not a second will be lost and they may even gain a few minutes. Do not ask me to use such powerful magic on mortals for the price of trinkets and pets. You know exactly what I want.”
“And you know I cannot do that.”
“I am not supposed to be sealed!”
“Then, why did it happen?”
“I was tricked by that horrible mortal woman, who Inyo the Innocent courted.”
“Either way, it was before my time and it would be bad form to break such a punishment without holding council.”
“In that case, your champions go no further than my shores.”
As the two gods stare at each other, a layer of frost spreads across the island. The animals retreat into their homes and the bush sculptures lose their color, which angers Xan to the point where red veins run through the crystal. Gabriel scoffs at the display and pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket to casually clean his armor. Snow falls as the black unicorn snickers and snorts at the sudden cold while the champions shiver. The temperature plummets further and the trees begin to lose their crop, the fruit falling to the ground and shattering within the circle of intense cold. Neither deity is willing to give ground, one holding out for pride and the other desiring nothing more than freedom.
“I will pay the price,” Timoran announces, drawing his great axe. Stepping around Gabriel, the barbarian places his hand on the warm crystal to get a feel of its weight and density. “It sounds like you have served a sentence handed out over an accident. Your freedom should be restored, especially so you can enjoy the restoration of history. I am certain I can break this with my power. Do you accept my offer?”
“Be careful, wild man, or
you will make an enemy of me,” Gabriel growls while looming over the champion. The god is suddenly shoved away by the unicorn, its horn poking him in the chest and sides. “You have taken a liking to him, old friend? Very well. This will be on the Snow Tiger King’s head. You may deliver one strike. Fail and your precious weapon will be destroyed forever. Let me see if you have surpassed my expectations.”
Timoran grips his great axe and takes a stance that will help him put as much power into his attack as possible. He stares at the mottled stone ring on his finger, the wide band depicting the symbol of every barbarian tribe that ever existed. The familiar orange energy flows from the artifact and coils around his entire body, leaving only the champion’s head exposed. Sensing that it is still not enough, Timoran growls and lets the noise turn into a bellowing roar. His primal rage explodes to the surface of his mind, which focuses on nothing more than destroying the enchanted crystal. Delivering an overhead chop, the tiger-striped axe strikes the prison with a loud clang that brings a proud smile to Gabriel’s face. Breathing heavy and staring at the unbroken gemstone, the barbarian holds up his weapon to find that it is still intact. With a sigh of exasperation, he angrily backhands the crystal and shatters it into dust, which settles to create a circle of violet grass.
“It needed an extra tap,” Timoran says as he shakes his numb arm. Bowing in front of Gabriel, he places his axe at the Destiny God’s feet. “I required two blows to destroy the crystal, which means I have failed. My weapon remains, so I assume you mean to break it. Know that I will continue to fight the Baron even without my axe. My apologies for not being stronger than you expected.”
“It was supposed to shatter against the crystal,” the black-haired immortal mutters in disbelief and wonder. Picking up the weapon, he puts it in the champion’s hands and swings himself onto the black unicorn’s back. “A gentle breeze could have broken the prison after your blow, so you merely proved that you need more faith in yourself. That or patience. You have impressed me, Snow Tiger King, and helped me avoid a mess back home. No one can complain about Xan’s release when it was a stubborn mortal who did it. Treat them well, Primordial, and then we shall welcome you back to Ambervale.”
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 13
