by D. W.
Avalanche was running around the room tackling and quickly killing any Vathari unlucky enough to get in her way. Many of the warriors moved to intercept her but she easily dodged them as if it were a great game to her. Thad could see another robed figure trying to stop the devastating animal but was having little success.
The robed figure looked different than the two he had face. And the spells it was using looked different to Thad. They still had the same characteristics of the darkness element but they had a different feel. Thad couldn’t see that the robed warrior was drawing any magic from its surrounds either. The only idea that came to mind is that it must be one of the priests Sae-Thae had told him about. For a moment he thought about taking out the robed figure but decided to allow Avalanche her play.
Thad found a mass of bodies strewn about where Crusher was at. It looked as if he had taken out half the army on his own. At the moment he only fought one lone warrior. The Vathari warrior was much larger than any of the others he had seen. Even with the size advantage Thad expected Crusher to make short work of the other warrior but the longer he watched the clearer it became that the dwarf was barely holding his own.
Thad watched as Crusher swung his axe trying to cut the Vathari warrior’s knees out from under him but was thwarted as the warrior easily parried the blow following up with a backhand strike from its free hand that connected on the dwarf’s jaw lifting him into the air and tossing him hard into the wall behind him.
When his friend didn’t rise Thad feared the worst. But then he saw slight movement from Crusher and he heaved a sigh of relief, until he noticed that it was impossible for the dwarf to get back his bearings before the Vathari warrior would be on top of him.
Thinking fast Thad placed a shield around the dwarf. They were a good distance apart so there was considerable strain each second Thad had to hold it. Not knowing what else to do Thad calmly moved toward where the dwarf lay. The Vathari warrior brought down a quick overhead strike aimed at Crusher’s neck but inches above the dwarf the sword stopped short. The warrior tried again but his attack stopped in the same place as before.
The large warrior stopped his useless assault on the dwarf and looked around the room until his eyes fell on Thad. The look on the warriors face clearly showed that he cared little for Thad’s interference in his battle. In all honestly he wasn’t sure how his friend would take his interference either. He still had trouble separating what was real and what was made up when it came to the dwarves. If the stories were true then the dwarf would be upset that he had been robbed of a glorious death in battle.
The colossal Vathari moved toward him with a measured stride as if he was simply taking an evening stroll. A part of Thad wanted to test his metal against the warrior but he didn’t know if his sword would hold up against a blow from the warrior’s massive two-handed sword. Looking around Thad saw his other sword laying a little over a hundred feet away and wished he had retrieved it earlier. Positioning himself between the sword and the warrior Thad began backing toward where the sword lay.
It was obvious that the Vathari would reach him long before he could get to the sword, so he did the only thing left to him. The battle was with the two mages had only worn at him a little but Thad still didn’t want to overuse his magic in the event it was needed later. Looking at the hulking monstrosity of a warrior, it didn’t look like he was being left much of a choice in the matter.
Leveling his staff at the Vathari Thad let loose a stream of magical bolts much like was used against him. Thad was sure they would strike and was more than a little surprised when they simply seemed to pass through the warrior as if he were made of smoke. The second the magical bolts passed through the warrior Thad feel into his magical sight but the warrior didn’t seem to be different than any of the other Vathari he had faced.
His confidence slightly shaken, Thad increased his backwards walk toward his sword. The Vathari warrior didn’t seem to care much that he was getting closer to his sword. In fact it looked as if he was deliberately allowing Thad to reach it.
When the heel of his foot finally struck against the hilt of his sword Thad let out a sigh of relief. Watching the warrior intently Thad sheathed the sword in his hand. Not wanting to bend down to pick it up Thad slid the toe of his boot under the blade at the hilt then kicked up throwing the sword into the air. Taking a step forward Thad caught the hilt of the sword deftly and readied himself for the large warrior.
He didn’t have to wait long almost the second the sword was in his hand the warrior began his assault. Despite his large body the Vathari warrior’s attacks were fast and expertly made. It was all Thad could do to move his own sword in place parry the blows. After a few moments Thad started to get the rhythm of the warrior’s movements making it easier to keep up. He noticed a few small openings but let them pass waiting for one large enough to cause a large amount of damage.
His patience paid off when the Vathari put too much strength into his blow causing a slight delay in his recovery. Thad didn’t wait jumping right in with a strike aimed at the exposed ribs of the warrior. As the blade reached the warrior’s skin Thad saw the tip begin to pierce then there was nothing. The warrior had vanished into the surrounding darkness.
Thad looked around slightly frantic and found the warrior standing behind him his massive sword coming down straight for his head. Thad was motionless like a statue as the blade rushed toward him, he was shaken out of his comatose state when the sword was pushed back by his shield though a large amount of the force still passed into him making his stomach flip.
Thad recovered fast from his shock and was able to get his sword in pace to block the warriors second strike. While his shield had blocked the attack, the sheer force of the attack had work greatly on the enchantments stores of magical energy. He wasn’t sure how much of a beating the shield could take but he doubt it could take many of the Vathari full force blows before it weakened to the point it wouldn’t be of use.
The Vathari warrior continued to attack vigorously. Thad met each blow but his hand was quickly beginning to numb from the sheer force of the blows, and his wounded left shoulder was screaming in pain from the jarring attacks. Cutting his eyes over to where Crusher had laid he found the dwarf being protected by Avalanche who attacked any Vathari who came near. Thad could tell that Crusher was trying to regain his senses but for the time being it looked like Thad was alone in his fight against the behemoth.
When the Vathari made another overhead strike Thad ignored the attack and instead struck out it his own sword at the soldier’s midsection. Thad was watching closely as the warrior disappeared in front of his eyes. Thad knew what was coming and dived to the ground.
Thad didn’t know what to do. The second before his sword pierced the warrior there was a massive surge of magical energy then the Vathari simply vanished. He had no clue how it worked and he doubted his other sword would do much good as it wasn’t a direct effect spell not to mention that the spell activated before his sword actually landed a blow. The only thing he noticed that he noticed was that the light above them slightly dimmed the second before the warrior disappeared.
Thad jumped back and brought him some time by distancing himself from his enemy. As soon as he was sure that he was far enough away Thad reached into his pack and brought out three different metal orbs and tossed them around them. As soon as the orbs hit the ground a bright light radiated from them lighting the cavern as if the sun itself had been raised within it. He didn’t know if it would work but looking more closely the warrior had an aura of darkness surrounding him and when he reappeared it was in the darkness behind him.
The warrior stopped his advancement as the room was bathed in light. Taking a deep breath Thad rushed toward the Vathari warrior hoping his slight hesitation was a good sign. Thad went straight for the Vathari putting his full strength into each blow. The warrior blocked his attacks and returned them with even more strength.
Thad was tiring fast but he kept up hope when one
of his strikes finally made it through his enemies defense drawing a thin line of blood. For the first time in the battle the tables were turning and the warrior didn’t seem to enjoy it. He came at Thad with renewed vigor and strength forcing Thad back with every blow. Then a slash aimed at his chest slipped past his guard and hit his shield. For a brief second his shield held then collapsed letting the sword through.
Thad looked down to see blood spraying from his chest. The wound wasn’t very deep but it was wide and if the blood wasn’t stopped soon he would bleed out. Thad legs gave out from underneath him and he fell to his knees in front of the massive warrior. He could see the blow coming and feebly raised his sword to fend off the blow. When the blow landed it threw his sword from his hand and knocked down on his side.
Thad didn’t cry out, he only watched in horror as the warrior raised his sword again. He had nothing left to give. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open. Everything moved in slow motion as the sword reached its peak and began its decent. Thad did the only left to him he pushed with his right hand and rolled away. The blade struck the ground hitting mere inches away from where his head had just been. It was a futile attempt as now Thad found himself laying face up looking at the warrior with nothing left to do but watch his own doom.
Thad closed his eyes and waited for the end. In the darkness of his own mind he began to think about everything that had happened in his life. The people he had known and the ones he had come to love. He hoped they were all safe if not he hoped he would see them again in the afterlife.
Something hot and wet splashed across Thad’s face. For a brief moment he was sure it was his own blood but for some reason he could still feel and think. Then something tugged at his arm pulling him across the cold ground.
Thad opened his eyes to see Crusher lifting him up and carrying him toward the nearest tunnel. His eyes wouldn’t focus well so he couldn’t see the rest of the cavern but he could hear as the other Vathari warrior approached them. He was sure they would soon be overcome but from behind he hear the distinct noise of Avalanche jumping around and the screams of dying men as they met with her deadly maw.
As soon as they were in the tunnel Crusher threw something behind him and continued on. Every now and then his friend would stop for a few seconds but Thad couldn’t tell what he was doing in the darkness. The light from his bracelet was soon gone and Thad felt as his staff fell from his hands. He had forgotten he even still held it in his hands. He wanted to ask for Crusher to gather it up for him but no sound came out. His mouth was parched and gritty as if he had tried to drink a glass of sand. It wasn’t like he really needed it anyway maybe Sae-Thae would end up with it. He liked that idea, the Vathari mage had mentioned more than once that he would like to own something of its strength, and as the only other mage he really knew it made sense for him to possess it.
Thad forced himself to stay awake as his friend carried him through the darkness. A rainbow of colors began to flash in his one good eye and he began to shiver as the heat left his body. It was a losing battle but he tried his best to keep up hope that he would live past the hour.
He tried to laugh as he felt Crusher let him slide gently to the floor. Had the enemy caught up to them, or had his friend realized that he was soon to be dead and decided to take his chances on his own rather than carrying a corpse around with him. He felt as the dwarf pressed hard against his chest. He wanted to tell his friend that it was hopeless and to leave him as the darkness encroached on him. Then everything ended, he didn’t feel cold, pain, nothing it was all gone. “So this is death.” Thad said laughing within the recesses of his own mind.
CHAPTER XXII
Thad found himself floating within the darkness. The pain was back but not as pronounced as before. He wasn’t sure if he was dead or simply sleeping. He knew he had lost a fatal amount of blood, but as far as he could tell he was simply in his dream state. Waving his hand the darkness receded, replaced by the queen’s palace.
It was night and Thad found himself on the balcony overlooking the queen’s garden. The moon lilies shined brightly illuminating the ground below. The princess sat beside him on a pillow made of a dark dyed red silk.
“Am I dead?” Thad asked looking into her deep green eyes.
Maria held her hand over her moth giggling slightly. “How am I supposed to know? Though if I was forced to answer I would have to say no, but I could be wrong.”
“You know I have missed you a great deal?” Thad said leaning back on his hands looking up at the moon.
Thad felt her warm hand as it covered his own. “I’m glad to hear that. You have been gone for such a long time I was afraid that you had forgotten about me. It’s good to know that I was wrong.” She said her voice slightly melancholy.
Looking closer at her he noticed that she had changed slightly. She looked taller and she had obviously blossomed more into her womanhood than when he had last seen her. She also looked as if she had seen some hard times. It wasn’t anything profound but her eyes had lost the youthful innocence they had once held. She also wore a plain dress under a standard fighters’ battle harness. He would have laughed if it hadn’t been his own mind that had created the image. Was this how he truly pictured the princess?
“I have never forgotten about you. I think about you and the others daily. I believe it is all that has kept me going at times. It hasn’t been easy but I hope one day soon I can once again stand with you and watch the night sky again.” Thad said giving the princess a rueful smile.
Maria returned his smile than stood up and went to the rail looking longingly at the gardens below. “I don’t know if now would be the best time for you to return. Things have become a bit complicated, but I promise I will have it fixed soon. So please don’t give up and find your way back home to us.”
Thad found it a little odd Maria seemed worried about something. Shouldn’t she be happy and playful the way she had been when he had last seen her. Was his own mind trying to tell him something the way it had when he was forming the magic in the wrong way. If it was he was sure he would have the same dream again so he let it pass, and let himself simply enjoy the company.
“I’ll try my best to work on that.” Thad said giving her a reassuring smile.
The two sat in silence for a long time staring into the night sky. There was plenty Thad wanted to say but he wanted to say it to the real Princess. Not simply a figment of his own imagination even if it was a very pretty figment. In a way it looked as if it was a mix of the soft princess and the fiery Eloen both women he found himself attached to.
He had to admit that he found the princess much more attractive in fighters garb and shorter hair. It was hard to admit but she had always seemed aloof and out of reach when he was in the palace. She took the time to talk to him and showed genuine concern but she still had the air about her that she was above his station. Now that was gone, she felt like someone he could relate to, someone within his grasp.
Shrugging his shoulders, why shouldn’t he enjoy his own dreams? Leaning down Thad kissed Maria softly on the lips. They were soft and up close she smelled nice almost like a field of wild flowers. When he pulled back Maria was blushing furiously. She never said anything but a large grin stayed sprawled across her face.
Thad woke with every inch of his body in pain. Wherever he was it was pitch dark. Thad switched his magical eye to nightsight but all he could see was the ceiling above him. He tried to sit up but the second the muscles in his stomach contracted a wave of pain rolled threw him so fierce he nearly vomited.
Shortly after his eyes opened Crusher was at his side pouring some foul tasting concoction down his throat. He tried to swallow but all he accomplished was sending him into a coughing fit. Off to the side he could hear Avalanche whining. He had the urge to comfort the creature but any movement he made only made his pain worse.
Crusher continued to pour the liquid down his throat until he was satisfied that Thad had ingested enough of it to drown a small villa
ge. The good side was after their first few drinks the taste didn’t get any worse, the bad side was once it was down his throat the taste didn’t go away. The longer he lay awake, the more he began to understand something was wrong. He felt hot, even though as far as he could tell he was wearing nothing but a grimace. He could feel the sweat beading up and he felt as if he was lying next to a furnace. He knew what that meant his wound was infected, and from what he had learned that meant he was in for a long and painful time and most likely death.
Thad drifted in and out of consciousness. The first few times he found himself lying on the ground staring at nothing but the darkness. When he awoke to and found himself being carried on Crusher’s back. Every step the dwarf made was measured and careful and Thad only felt the smallest of pain from the slight jarring.
The amount of time he was able to stay awake seemed to shorten each time he woke. At first it was a few hours but lately it seemed as if his had barely opened before he was back into the dream world. The clarity at which he could think was also drastically falling. While he was awake it was as if someone had muddled everything in his mind. The worst thing for him was that he couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Had he slept for a few seconds or had it been days.
Thad had grown quite fond of being asleep. For one thing there was less pain and he didn’t feel as if he was being boiled alive. He also had time to think and enjoy the fresh air. He was sure he was dead his body just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
Thad hadn’t seen anyone else in his dream world since Maria had graced it. He had tried to make other people appear but when he did they didn’t move or act. He wasn’t sure how he had accomplished it the first time but wished he could recreate it again. Being alone was starting to get slightly distressing.
He had taken to spending his sleeping time back on Joan’s farm. It was the most peaceful time of his life. There had been no expectations from anyone including himself. No danger, no fear of being exposed, and no fear of losing those dear to him. A part of him wished he could go back in time and take Joan and her families’ offer for him to stay, but he knew in his heart that he would have regretted it if he had.
