Chapter 3
Running a good distance from the barrier Caleb stopped suddenly dropping to his knees as he gathered the powers he and every other Spirit Warrior was born with, quickly spirits of long dead animals appeared around him looking for which would be best Caleb finally settled on a sparrow. Reaching out Caleb connects with the spirit becoming one with it and growing wings of his own, taking to the sky he zoomed over the mansion shooting towards the eastern road in the hopes that he wasn’t too late.
Landing at the edge of the barrier tired from the use of his powers and the long night Caleb loses hope when his friends are no where in sight and ten trolls waiting right outside the boundary line.
Cursing under his breath Caleb walks back towards the mansion. “What now?” He thinks.
Mace and Lydia had been in trouble from the get go both of them had decided they should keep from using their powers until they had the need, using their gifts sent a ripple outward that most super natural’s could feel and since their plan depended on stealth they chose to run instead.
They got about half a mile before the trap was sprung and they were surrounded by at least twenty five trolls. Summoning the spirits to them Mace took on the attributes of a gorilla while Lydia took those of a wolf.
Empowered and pumped with adrenaline the two warriors fought hard holding their own for a short time but suddenly the tide began to turn as more creatures of the night showed up. Another fifteen trolls joined the fray along with seven rouge blood elves who had been turned by dark magic were drawn to the power and sounds of battle they craved the flesh of humans and the power of the spirit warriors.
With their amazing reflexes and mastery of magic, the elves quickly had the advantage lightly wounding Lydia as Mace bravely tried to keep them back.
“Who wishes to die first?” Mace growled waving his sword in a circle to keep them back.
“Get out of here Mace, leave me. I will buy you time to get back to Passion Falls.” She said attempting to stand despite the large gash on her thigh.
“That’s not going to happen.” Mace stated glancing at her.
“We will die together then.” She frowned. “You are a good man Mace and I count myself lucky to have fought by your side.”
“Giving up so soon? I thought you were both taught better than that.” Lucas smiled leaning against a tree and watching the fight.
“What of your promise not to attack?” Mace questioned staring at him as the circle closed around them.
“I have kept it, none of these creatures are from our clan alliance.” He yawned snapping the neck of a elf who was foolish enough to come near him.
“So aid us in this fight.” Lydia demanded.
“Sorry but I don’t see that happening for two reasons, one, I promised we wouldn’t attack not that we’d help and two, I was told only Mace accepted the offer not you dear Lydia by that rational you have chosen to die instead. So I think I’ll just sit back and watch the fun.” He answered lightly with a smile.
“You two faced little…” Mace began creating a bow and arrow out of spirit power and aiming it at Lucas.
“I wouldn’t do that Mace being a naughty boy right now would be extremely bad for your health, if you attack then you prove that you didn’t plan to flee as agreed but instead wished to fight. That would be a mistake.” He said looking around.
Mace followed his gaze and immediately his heart sank when he saw over twenty vampires and ten werewolves surrounding them with burning eye filled with hate.
“Please make the mistake of attacking me.” Lucas pleaded.
“I’ll take you up on that offer.” Caleb yelled dropping from the trees with his sword in hand nearly taking off Lucas’ head in the first stoke as he landed in front of him.
“You’re a fool Caleb!” Shouted Lucas jumping ten feet backwards to safety. “You have just signed your own death warrant!”
“We shall see!” Caleb yelled wildly as he suddenly began growing in height, as he changed he grew plates on his back and he sprouted a spiked tail as well. “Come and get me Lucas!”
“Impossible!” Lucas whispered in amazement. “No Spirit Warrior in the last two hundred years has had the power to call such ancient creatures to them.”
Without answering Caleb attacked knocking over trees and wiping out numbers of the attackers quickly as they swarmed over him in the hopes that their superior numbers would be enough.
The attack was the perfect distraction, Mace didn’t want to leave Caleb but he had to get Lydia back to safety before doing anything else. Besides with the power Caleb had displayed he wasn’t sure that he even needed his help, in all the time he had trained and fought by his side never had Caleb displayed such power. Which begged the question had Caleb never told him or did it not know he could do it until that night.
“If he survives I’ll have to find out.” Caleb thought as he threw Lydia over his shoulder and jumping into the high tree branches ignoring her protests to stay and fight.
“Damn it listen to me Mace and put me down!” She commanded kicking.
“I will, just as soon as we cross the border.” He answered ignoring the pain from her hitting him repeatedly.
“We can’t leave Caleb.”
“He can handle himself and if I remember correctly he said that we all knew the risks being who we are.” He snapped crossing the barrier into their safe zone where they were met by several dwarves.
“What news have you of Caleb?” questioned the head dwarf named Gargin.
“Nice to see you too, Gargin.” Mace frowned gently putting Lydia on the floor. “She needs healing.”
“Then take her to the wood nymphs or someone else who is willing to help the very warriors who were so swift to abandon us.” He retorted.
“We were going for aid.” Mace said lumbering over him.
“And what would have happened when they broke the barrier eventually before you got back?” He said shouting up at Mace’s face. “All tell you what, we would have been slaughtered!”
“I don’t have time for this, I have to get back and check on Caleb.” Mace said pushing him away and turning around just in time to see a cheetah running towards the barrier at full speed with hundreds of creatures in pursuit.
In a final transformation Caleb changed while running from a cheetah to a kangaroo covering the last thirty feet in one hop as he landed inside the boundary.
The legion of creatures didn’t even slow down as they approached the barrier until when they were ten feet away a light bright enough to make the night look like the day flashed in front of the creatures bringing them to a instant halt.
After the light faded a twenty foot tall man stood in front of the group dressed in full battle armor with a spear the size of a tree. “Come no further or face the wrath of the Spirit King!”
Slowly all of the creatures faded back into the darkness leaving only Lucas standing in front of the Spirit King.
Looking around him at Caleb who has returned to his normal look Lucas growls low and deep. “Your luck will eventually run out boy.”
“Until that day enjoy your failure tonight blood sucker.” Caleb smiled nursing his wounded arm and leg.
Hissing one last time Lucas turned running into the forest.
Turning towards them the Spirit eyes them carefully.
“Lord Jaris.” Caleb said bowing down with the others following suit.
“Your numbers in this place dwindle Caleb if even one more of your kind should fall I and the others will not be able to take form here until the Spirit energy of this place is replenished by more warriors of your race.” He answered methodically sounding more like a robot then an all powerful spirit.
“I understand my lord.” Caleb answered without looking up.
“The balance shifts as something comes, I can feel an evil force taking shape that moves against you. For the sake of all that is descent and right find the tunnel of light and release its power.” Jaris warned.
“What is th
e tunnel of light?” Mace questioned daring to look up.
Capturing his eye Jaris answers. “It is that which allows only the chosen to cross over and unlock their full power. It is the tunnel in which you three the last of this house were first born, there is more to you three than you know you are the keys.” He stated beginning to fade away. “Find the tunnel and save yourselves and the good creatures of the Falls.”
After he had gone Caleb stood looking at the others. “Are you alright?”
“Thanks to you.” Mace said helping Lydia to her feet.
“How did they know what our plan was?” She wondered putting most of her weight on Mace.
“I’m not sure they did, I imagine Lucas and whomever he is working for decided to flood the forest with creatures in the hope you would die.” Caleb shrugged.
“Looks like we aren’t going anywhere for now, they will be patrolling the forest non stop now.” Lydia guessed.
“Sorry you have been forced to stay and help us.” Huffed Gargin.
“Listen here you little snot nosed twit, I already told you we were going for help.” Mace shouted drawing his weapon.
“Stop!” Yelled Lydia so loud everyone obeyed. “This doesn’t help, the enemy is out there not in here! Believe what you want Gargin but first tell me how many times have you gone to battle outside of the barrier? How often have our kin sacrificed themselves to save you and everyone else here in the falls while you stayed in the safety on this place?”
Instantly Gargin looked at the ground in shame not saying a word.
“That’s what I thought, before anyone can cast any accusations remember what I said here today!” Lydia yelled to the gathering crowd.
“On that happy note.” Caleb interjected standing in front of Lydia. “One day from now at five in the morning I want a meeting called with every creature in the Falls, spread the word among everyone.” He shouted out and then turned towards his friends. “As for us I say we get back to the mansion and heal up Lydia because we have school tomorrow and just because you nearly died doesn’t get you off the hook.”
Spirit Warriors The Tunnel Of Light Page 3
