Battle Mage: The Lost King (Tales of Alus)

by Wigboldy, Donald

  Pushing its smaller pack members aside, the king of the monsters struck Collin’s golem with a pair of overhand fists. Both arms of stone shattered trying to defend against the attack and the golem stumbled. A second and third attack left it a pile of rubble.

  The earth wizard groaned like he had been hit himself, but he responded quickly, “Earth spike!” From the rubble of his golem, spikes of stone lashed out striking the monster’s legs.

  Even the giant could be hurt and the spikes caused it pain. Stepping back to recover, Sebastian grew emboldened. “Reflex, stone skin,” he chained the two spells together. The mage knew that he couldn’t hope to take a full hit from the beast, but prayed that if he was hit that his spell would save him.

  Rushing forward, the mage darted between golems and reptiles alike charging the largest beast. The monster spied him and moved to greet him with an open maw and swiping claws.

  “Darkness,” he ordered a variation of the night shield. A cloud of black encircled the monster’s face and more importantly eyes. The spell caught the creature off guard as he had hoped. Reaching its legs, the mage used the hand holds of the armor plating to quickly leap up its legs. While the monster could feel his weight at least slightly, the loss of vision kept its hands from catching him with its claws.

  The mage used the thigh to grab hold of a large plate guarding the base of its ribs and swung around reaching the monster’s back in a swift maneuver. Spying his goal, Sebastian pulled his body up the back as quickly as he could while the monster shook and reached for the annoying gnat on its back. He grasped the hilt of a weapon, but it wasn’t a sword. A long handle of metal led his eye to a double bladed axe head. Legend had it that the Grimnal’s weapon of choice was an axe much like this.

  Pulling hard, the weapon refused to budge. There was pitting from years of being attached to the monster. As he tugged again and again, the realization that this beast must be ancient came to him. An axe used by a man lost for a century and a half meant this monster had lived through a fight with the legend shortly after the Cataclysm.

  His presence on their leader was bringing attention to the mage now. Holding onto the axe, the mage called on another spell, “Dance.” Lightning lanced from each finger dancing across the face of the nearest monster that reached out for him. Rearing back in pain, he could see smoke from the contact and could hear its anger as it growled and roared in vain.

  Crying out in anger as well, the battle mage grasped the axe with both hands setting his feet against the armor of the beast beneath him. He knew if it gave, the effort would drive him away from its back, but his time was up. More of the beasts were closing and, if he were to have any chance of getting the artifact, it was going to take all his strength and some luck to survive the attempt.

  Heaving on the handle, Sebastian put his all into pulling the weapon from the monster’s back. Its body had formed a bond with flesh hardened as a shield from the foreign metal, but when the blade shifted in the sheathe it was a quick release.

  Sebastian had the axe, but for a moment made longer by the power of his reflex magic he flew feeling nothing beneath his feet. His own instincts took over to try and protect the man caught out of his element. To fly on the winds with his mind was one thing, but with his entire body was defying the rule of gravity beyond even a battle mage’s magical ability.

  Twisting in the air, Sebastian managed to spy the ground and using that contorted into a roll that put his feet between the man and ground. As he hit the ground, the mage let his legs absorb the blow enough to let him slow into a roll without killing himself. The axe handle pulled across his stomach became a center to curve around as he tumbled end over end twice.

  He leaped up to his feet feeling pain. Both hurt from the fall, but his right ankle felt like he had sprained it as well. Half limping, the mage did his best to sprint between the reaching claws of the monsters surrounding him. Bolting through legs, Sebastian made it back through to the forest side looking for his team.

  They had been driven back under the green canopy as the last of the golems had fallen. Magic still lashed out trying to keep the beasts back and the man followed the noise towards the others. As he ran, he noticed another set of noise greater than the sounds of exploding fireballs and air spears.

  Calls, hoots and even roars seemed to echo throughout the forest. It wasn’t just from where the battle raged. When he closed on the woods just ahead of the reptilian monsters chasing him now, new dark forms came surging from the forest pursuing two of the gray armored giants. Some larger than men, some on all fours looking almost like scruffy, large wolves, a new army came charging towards the mage.

  “Sebastian, no!” Yara cried out as she watched the mage run into the thick of the fight with the largest monster.

  A hand pulled her back towards the forest and she heard Collin’s voice, “We need to get back, Yara! Sebastian can take care of himself. I can’t believe he did that, but I know he can.”

  Letting her friend pull her back regretfully, the healer looked to the wizard’s face and found that he looked tired. Starting a chant even as they moved, she took hold of his near arm and sent a charge of her own magic into the wizard. His power was quite low and the infusion of Yara’s magic was like adding energy to his whole constitution.

  “Thanks,” the wizard said looking ready for more.

  They slowed as Collin pulled Nara with them at a slower pace. The nature wizard let out a cry moments later as her golem was destroyed by the beasts. Vewen was moving back escorted by the battle mages and Serrena as they lay down cover fire to distract the monsters before the final golem fell.

  “I can make one more,” Vewen declared though he looked very tired to the healer.

  “Not yet,” Collin warned him. “Save those spells for inside the forest if they chase us.”

  “What about the mage?” the other man asked glancing back in the direction Sebastian had charged.

  “We have to hope that Sebastian knows what he is doing,” Yara echoed the earth wizard’s earlier sentiment. “Let’s get back to the others and ready for a final stand. Maybe the forest will deter them.”

  As they entered the forest, they found that the monsters didn’t find the trees anymore of a deterrent than they had the golems or humans that they chased. Running through the undergrowth as quickly as they could, they watched as the much larger creatures had to either duck branches or take a moment to tear their way through the protective trees delaying them slightly at least. With having to deal with the trees, the humans pulled slightly ahead until they heard someone shouting for them to move towards their left.

  Meeting up with Maura and the others, the research wizard asked Nara as they entered the shelter of bushes, “Can you mask our presence from them? Alter our scent to match the forest.”

  With a quick nod, the nature wizard went straight into summoning the magic requested without any argument. She could tell that the woman had a plan. Yara’s nose detected a change in the smell in the air and the feel of magic embraced them with the warmth of nature.

  Signing for everyone to get down and stay quiet, Maura waited with Idenlare and Liam for the timing to be right. Yara didn’t know what they had planned, but she hoped that whatever it was would work or they might all wind up dead.

  A crash from the way they had come let those hiding know that the monsters were almost upon them. Maura nodded to the other wizards and Yara could feel a release of magic in the direction of the beasts. Traps released. Formed of magic a pit appeared beneath one creature dumping it quickly out of sight. Yara wondered just how deep they had made the pitfall, though she could see a new hole almost fifteen feet across instantly appear. A clawed hand caught one edge as the monster reached for the far side of the hole, but its weight was too great and the earth cracked in its hand before disappearing again.

  Another monster was ensnared by the hugs of two trees and as many branches as could reach. Even the beast’s great strength was stilled by the strength and ma
ss of two full size trees. It was a trap executed by Maura surprising Yara and Nara as well. She hadn’t known the researcher knew strong nature spells, though all research wizards had once studied most types of magic. Even they had magic that came to them easier than others.

  A last trap revealed as Liam used his magic to trigger a bog beneath a third monster’s feet. Like quicksand, the bog trapped more than half of the creature’s lower body in a quick splash before continuing to try and drag the rest of it beneath the muck.

  Yara wanted to complement them when a cacophony started all around them. Roars, cries almost human in nature, growls and more joined the air as the beasts of the forest reacted to the intruders. Two of the monsters witnessing their fellows trapped followed by the cries of the forest’s protectors, turned tail and ran back towards the sunlight in their field. They were powerful, but whatever made the noise must be capable of putting fear even into them, Yara thought.

  Overhead large hairy beasts swung or jumped from branch to branch hooting and roaring as they gave chase. Wolf or bear like beasts ran past on all fours warning the monsters that both land and air were coming to chase them down. A few of the forest beasts crashed through their hideaway, but barely gave the humans a look as they chased their enemy from their territory.

  “Stealth,” Sebastian called out as he ducked towards the ground letting the tall grass hide his body naturally as well as using his magic to become invisible. After letting the spell take place, the mage leaped up and ran forward blind but for the senses gained from the magic spell. His eyes couldn’t see any anything as he refracted all light around his body. Something beyond the shield that covered his form couldn’t see him easily, but at the same time his eyes were unable to see out either.

  The spell acted as protection and radar to the mage who moved forward as quickly as possible. He wanted the monsters to think that he still lay where he had ducked down. Were they to check the spot where he lay, even a light shield wouldn’t protect a man from the crushing weight of these beasts.

  He felt the smaller creatures from the forest running towards the monsters driving the two that had gone into their territory away. An army of monsters formed up against about a score of armored reptiles. He didn’t know if their numbers cowed the larger armored foes or if the forest denizens had powerful abilities of their own, but whatever the case Sebastian felt as the armored reptiles formed up with their leader at the fore ready for war.

  When he reached the edge of the forest, Sebastian released his spell and looked on the sight with his eyes. The giant lizards were anywhere from twice the height of a man to about three times. The largest of the beasts seemed to be formed perhaps from trolls or kiriaks or perhaps both in some wild merging of the two. A few of the largest forest trolls were close to the size of the smaller reptiles, but lacked the armor plating of the field beasts. They carried clubs and he thought perhaps there was even a rusted sword in a few hands.

  Twisted wolf like creatures proved even the werewolves had found themselves twisted by some unknown creator. Who could have done such things and why were the least of his concerns, however. Letting the island’s inhabitants settle their differences, Bas moved into the forest replacing his stealth spell.

  Following the trail of destruction caused by their pursuers, the mage moved deeper until he found three magically trapped reptiles. A small smile touched his lips seeing what his team had come up with on the fly. Even these monsters would have to respect the power of Southwall wizards and mages.

  Some crushed bushes let him spy the others still hiding nearby. He let his spell go seeing nothing more dangerous than the trapped monsters.

  “Bas!” Nara was the first to notice him while using one of her nature spells to watch for the monsters and those of the forest as well.

  The rest of the group all jumped up in surprise. Yara’s eyes started to tear up as she caught sight of him. Not worrying over anyone’s thoughts, the healer came over and hugged him wrapping her arms around his neck nearly choking him to death in the process. The girl wasn’t the only one as most of his friends joined in a group hug around them.

  It was Collin who voiced what Yara and many of the others were thinking. “Do you have to do things like that? You must have a death wish, my friend.”

  Shrugging slightly, the mage informed them, “When was I going to get a chance to get what we came for, if not during the distraction your golems made?”

  Tossing the heavy double bladed war axe on the ground between the feet of those gathered around, Sebastian took out the device to confirm his suspicions. Sure enough, only the bright red dot to the east and the darker orange believed to be Trillian remained to be seen.

  “You got it?” Idenlare questioned forgetting his often stoic silence. The three sent to watch over Sebastian and his team often seemed to talk only amongst one another staying away from his people as often as possible. To break that silence proved the man was impressed. Even Maura’s eyes widened slightly as she tried to mask her emotions.

  “It looks like it,” Sebastian nodded as he noted a second faint orange dot on the screen. It was far to the south apparently and was likely the true path of the Grimnal that might even have gone beyond the North Sea. “Now we can concentrate on the castle unless a third point appears on the island.”

  The sounds of creatures fighting made Nara ask what many were wondering, “What about them?”

  Sebastian leaned over to regain the battle axe. As he stood once more, he shrugged. “I get the idea that this isn’t the first time they’ve squabbled. The best thing we can do is get back to the beach and away from both sides. Let them work it out.”

  For a nature wizard who had interfered with the course of nature by her very presence, Nara could be seen to be conflicted with the idea. She wanted to smooth out the things upset by her traipsing through a creature’s territory, but the woman knew that he was right. The sooner that they were out of this area, the more likely that the territories would reset and life would return to normal on the island.

  Chapter 21- Seaside Castle

  Back on the beach the team settled down to rest and eat lunch from their packs. Yara forced Sebastian to sit and let her examine him after noticing his limp getting progressively worse as they traveled through the forest.

  “I can’t believe you were still walking on this,” the girl complained after finding he had managed a severe sprain.

  Sweat had begun to drench the man’s forehead and shirt with the pain. While he had tried to hide how much he had been hurt during the quick exit from the danger of the forest, Sebastian knew that he was close to doing even more damage if he didn’t let the healer mend him now. No one wanted to waste time in case the forest army decided to come after them next, but he would slow them down without treatment. Any enemy, that could cow the mighty giants that had nearly been the end of them, was certainly nothing to mess with especially worn down as they were.

  “How about the others?” the mage asked as he bit into a thick sandwich made from half a loaf of bread and the cheese brought in the pack. A pouch of dried meat waited for him to finish with the sandwich. Yara held his hand letting her magic work his ankle. One of the benefits of healer magic meant you could touch the patient anywhere and be able to work anywhere within the body.

  “They’re tired, but the food and rest will help. They all managed to stay out of harm’s way, unlike you. Owl indeed. Where was your common sense when you thought to tackle the largest monster in that field?”

  Chuckling at the girl’s choice of words, Sebastian replied, “I never claimed to be wise as an owl. That was a name put on me by the others, you know. As to common sense, I think mine went out a window long ago.”

  Giving a little growl of annoyance, Yara demanded, “You need to stop taking such ridiculous risks. Having to heal you every time you go on a mission is getting to be a bad habit that I would like to break.”

  “Well, in my defense I did have a plan when I went after the axe,” he rep
lied. “I could tell that, once I made it onto his back, it wouldn’t be able to reach for me. Their arms are set too far forward for good maneuverability. Apparently their bodies are more easily able to use all fours than stand like a human and their shoulders were formed to help set that weight. Once I was there I was perfectly safe from him.”

  “Until its friends came after you and, of course, there was the whole danger of getting onto its back in the first place,” the pretty blond frowned as she refuted his attempt at logic.

  Yara was so cute in her annoyance that the mage nearly forgot himself and almost leaned in for a kiss. The movement started involuntarily, but Sebastian managed to stop before letting Maura or her wizards see. While they technically were old enough to do what they wanted and of a sufficient rank requiring less rules as to their personal lives, they also knew that a relationship like theirs would be highly scrutinized by someone like Maura.

  “True I hadn’t taken into account how quickly its pack mates would come to his rescue, but I was pretty certain that my speed was enough to avoid the beast once the darkness spell blinded him,” he admitted. His ankle was feeling better and Yara released her magic. Offering the girl a bite of his sandwich, the healer took it and broke off part instead of eating from the main piece.

  Sharing was even something that might draw attention. Either that or she had suddenly decided to avoid sharing germs. Since they had kissed too often to believe that, the mage assumed Yara was thinking of Maura instead.

  Seeing that Yara was finished, much of his team moved closer to check on the status of their mission. Collin asked, “Do we still want to try to get to the castle before night fall?”

  Liam nodded and looked at the sun nearing its summit in the sky. “It took all morning to get to here. If we run into more trouble, we might be fighting more monsters in the dark.”