by Jamie Davis
“Alright, I'm going to try something. It'll either break us free or set the hut on fire.”
“I hope you're joking, Hal.”
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
Hal called up his fire spray spell and tried directing it into a single jet of flame from his index finger. He simultaneously cast a resist fire spell on himself. Twisting his hands in their bonds, Hal tried to direct the fire from his finger at the ropes securing him. It took a few tries, but eventually, he managed to burn away part of the bonds securing him and free his hands.
Hal rubbed his wrists trying to return circulation to his hands then reached down and untied his feet before freeing Kay.
The drums were still playing their complex rhythm somewhere in the village. Crawling over to the doorway, Hal pulled aside the colorful fabric covering the opening and peered outside.
There was no sign of anyone. The drums were loud enough that they couldn't be that far away but that could be deceiving.
The native leader’s hut sat opposite the one where he and Kay were. Ducking back inside, he turned to Kay.
“There's nobody out there, Kay. All the villagers must be celebrating with those drums nearby. We need to find our weapons and Toby and Theran before we can escape. They must be in one of the other huts nearby.”
“I vote for weapons first,” Kay suggested. “We’re going to need them. These villagers aren't as friendly as we thought.”
“Agreed. I spotted the chief’s hut just across from ours. I'm willing to bet our weapons and gear are in there.”
“It’s as good a place as any to start looking,” Kay agreed.
Hal nodded and turned it back to the entrance. There was still no sign of any of the villagers, so he decided to take a chance. Sweeping the curtain to one side, Hal sprinted for the village chieftain’s hut. Kay followed.
Diving inside the other hut, Hal rolled and came to his feet ready for a fight. There was no one there. This structure was empty, too. Hal's choice to search this place first was rewarded when they recovered their weapons and packs from a pile in the corner.
Hal and Kay returned the entrance and looked around. There was still no sign of anyone.
“The drums sound like they're coming from that direction.” Hal pointed to the right. “Let’s head that direction and search the huts along the way.”
Kay nodded in agreement and the two of them started towards the sound of drums. They passed through the entire village, encountering no one. All the huts were empty and there was no sign of Toby and Theran.
Crouching at the edge of the village, they finally saw the villagers as well as Toby and Theran. Their two companions were tied up on a two-wheeled cart. The islanders started wheeling them up a path toward the volcano with a procession of villagers carrying drums right behind them. The rest of the people marched behind the drummers.
Hal shook his head. “I might be wrong, but I think our friends are about to be sacrificed to the island's volcano god.”
“If that's the case, Hal, we don't have much time to rescue them.”
“None of the villagers appear to be armed,” Hal remarked. “In fact, I haven't seen a single weapon in any of the huts. We can probably break through to our friends if we attack them by surprise.”
“Maybe we can circle around in front of them through the jungle and get ahead of them on the path. They're going pretty slow in that procession and it looks like they're heading to the volcano. All we have to do is get there ahead of them.”
“You take the lead, Kay. I’m right behind you.”
Both of them started into the thick jungle growth. It was slow going at first but eventually they discovered a parallel path and managed to get ahead of the procession of islanders.
“Let's keep going all the way to the volcano,” Hal suggested. “We can set up our ambush there.”
Kay nodded and the two of them, now on the central path, ran ahead of the procession up toward the smoking cone of the volcano ahead. As they got closer, the jungle undergrowth became sparse and the hard rock of recent lava flows started appearing.
The path led to a place where two stone pillars stood on a ledge overlooking an active lava flow. From where they stood, the heat started burning through their armor.
Hal cast resist fire on himself. He told Kay to hold still while he did the same for her. Relief showed in her eyes as soon as the spell took effect.
She pointed to the stone pillars.
“My guess is they tie up their victims here and let them slowly roast to death.”
“Well, we are not going to let that happen.”
Hal pointed to a row of boulders nearby.
“We can hide behind those. We will wait until they tie Toby and Theran to the pillars. When the villagers retreat away from the heat, we can jump out and free them.”
The drums got closer and closer, so they darted behind the boulders and crouched down to wait. Soon the procession from the village appeared on the path.
Hal and Kay watched as four villagers dragged Toby and Theran from the cart and tied to the pillars.
“Kay, you go and cut Toby and Theran down. I'll hold back the villagers with a display of magic. That should scare them off.”
“What are you going to do?”
“This is a tropical island. I'll bet they've never seen ice or snow before. What do you think they'll do when they get stuck in an ice storm?”
“It'll probably freak them out.”
“Agreed. You ready?”
Kay nodded, and Hal ran from behind the boulder while preparing a spell in his mind and channeling it through his staff. He was going to need its help to pull this off.
The village chief shouted and pointed at them as soon Hal and Kay ran into view. A few of the villagers started toward them but stopped as hail and sleet started pelting them from the cloudless sky.
New spell learned: blizzard
There were shrieks of fear from the islanders as the ice fell all about them. Most of them turned and ran down the path back to the village. The chief and a few of the man struggled to find cover from the blizzard as they worked their way toward Hal.
Hal started firing ice darts at the oncoming villagers. The staff magnified his spell power, but he still had limited reserves and he felt his energy waning. He managed to drop four of the oncoming islanders despite the increasing exhaustion.
1000 experience awarded
1000 experience awarded
1000 experience awarded
1000 experience awarded
Only the chief and two others remained on their feet. They skidded to a stop pointing at something behind Hal. All three men screamed in terror, turned and ran back to the village.
“What the hell?” Hal said as he turned around.
Then he saw the fire demon.
The creature stood twenty feet tall and looked like it had been molded from glowing, molten rock. It waded through the lava flow toward the stone pillars and, judging from the bellowing roar, it was angry someone had freed its sacrifices.
Theran extended both hands and launched a fireball directly at the demon’s head. The Spell impacted, and exploded just as expected but when the flames cleared the demon let loose a horrible, guttural laugh.
Hal ran up to his friends. “Fire magic is useless against that thing. We have to try something else.”
“What have you got in mind?” Kay asked.
“I wonder if we can draw the heat away from it. That might deplete its energy. Theran, what do you think?”
Toby's eyes widened. “Duck!” The boy yelled.
Hal and the others dove to the ground just in time to avoid a massive ball of lava thrown by the demon.
The molten rock impacted a pair of trees behind them, setting the palms and surrounding vegetation ablaze.
“We have to act fast. It's getting closer,” Kay noted.
“Maybe I can use the staff,” Hal said. “It's got to be drawing its power from somewhere.”
Theran pointed to the lava flow. “There, that has got to be its source of energy. It connects directly back to the volcano. If we can stop it, we can sap the creature’s strength, maybe enough to allow us to escape.”
Hal shrugged. “It's worth a try.”
Crawling commando style on his belly, Hal made his way toward the edge of the stone ledge looking over the river of lava. Even with his resist fire spell in place, he started to feel the extreme heat coming from the molten stone.
Health damage: Health -16
Ignoring the burning pain, Hal extended his arms with the staff and touched the crystal at the end to the lava flow. Instead of bursting into flames, the scrying stone glowed crimson and pulses of red energy began to flow up the shaft and into Hal's hands.
If he thought the pain from the heat was bad, the agony of the burning pulses of the lava energy nearly drove him mad.
Health damage: Health -28
Struggling to hold on to the staff despite the pain, Hal focused all his remaining magical energy on reinforcing his resist fire spell. It helped some with the pain, but it didn't lesson damage much.
Health damage: Health -20
A glance at his health status told him he couldn’t keep this up for too much longer.
Health: 81/145
“Hal, it's working,” Kay yelled. “The lava flow is slowing down and hardening.”
She was right. The lava at the end of the staff had started to harden and the area of cooling was spreading outward.
The lava demon bellowed in pain as its advance toward the companions slowed even more. Hal realized if he could hold out for only a little bit longer, he would be able to freeze the demon in place.
Health damage: Health -18
Of course, he might not hold out that long. It was all a matter of whether Hal’s health reached zero or the demon lost its source of energy first.
The thought of dying here, like this, enraged him. He was not going to let this stop him from rescuing his wife and daughter.
Summoning up his last reserves of power, Hal channeled a flow of ice magic down the staff and into the hardening lava. Just like the last time he drew upon the last vestiges of his energy, Hal's health rapidly drained.
Health damage: Health -30
Health damage: Health -30
The pulse of blue ice magic spread outward from the end of the staff. The new infusion of magic sped the rate at which the lava hardened into rock. The demon let out a final roar of defiance. It howled and sank back into the cooling lava flow just before it froze over.
8,000 experience awarded.
Level up!
Pulling the staff back, Hal rolled onto his back staring at the blue sky above. Exhaustion washed over him in a wave that went beyond mere health damage. He locked his eyes on the crystal. He had to see if the spell and everything else he’d done had worked.
The darkness threatened to close over him, but he fought it back. The crystal glowed with its typical white light, but now there was a pulsing red core at its center.
Quest completed – energize the crystal and staff in the volcano
10,000 experience awarded.
Hal smiled at the completed mission. Now they could find Tildi and work on the rest of his training. His friends pulled him back from the edge of the rock shelf, calling his name. They seemed so far away even though he knew they were close.
Theran leaned over into view and held something up to his lips. Hal smelled peppermint and he drank the cool liquid from the flask. The potion restored his strength and energy instantly.
Major Health Potion –– 50 health points recovered
Hal sat up. “Wow, that feels a lot better. Thanks.”
The fire mage accepted his thanks with a nod.
“Sorry I couldn't do anything else to help you fight the demon. There wasn't a lot I could do against a fire-based creature like that.”
“Don't sweat it. The staff helped me channel the heat out of the lava flow. You probably could have done the same thing if you had it.”
“Maybe. Seriously, Hal, that was impressive. Seeing you in action gives me a new appreciation for what your capabilities might be. I think you’re ready to learn a few new tricks before you move on to Tildi.”
“I’ll take you up on that, Theran. First, we need to get back to the ship. I hope the Sea Sprite didn't decide to leave without us.”
Kay handed Hal a canteen, which he drained. All that extreme heat had dehydrated him leaving him feeling like a piece of beef jerky.
She hooked a thumb over her shoulder, pointing back to the jungle’s edge.
“I think we should go around the village on our way back to the lagoon. Something tells me they may not be happy that we killed their lava god.”
“Good idea, Kay. You lead the way.”
24
Captain Barnes waited on deck as Hal climbed over the bulkhead.
“I wasn't sure I was ever going to see you all again. When I sent a party of men ashore to fill up our water casks, the islanders chased us off.”
“They definitely weren't as friendly as we thought,” Hal said. “They weren't inviting us to dinner; they were inviting us to become sacrifices to a demon living in their volcano.”
“That sounds like an amazing story. Perhaps you can tell me the details over dinner after we get the ship underway again.”
“I think we would all like to put some miles between us and this island, Captain. Then I'd be happy to tell you the whole sordid tale.”
“We all would,” Kay agreed.
As the crew unfurled the sails, Hal and the others retired to the galley where they continued the process of recovering from their ordeal.
The ship’s cook prepared sandwiches for them with sliced beef and cheese.
As Hal ate and savored the delicious meal, he waited for his magical strength to return so he could heal his burns further. Chewing on his sandwich, the crystal at the end of his staff caught his eye. It was flashing red and white. Wondering what it meant, he reached up and touched the flashing stone with his fingertip.
In an instant, he once again experienced the sensation of falling. Hal closed his eyes and rode with the wave of movement until it stopped. When he opened his eyes, he stood in the chamber at the Imperial Palace again. This was where he had last seen Mona.
Hal was relieved to see her here again. She wore the same type of fashionable silk robes she’d been wearing the last time.
A portly man in purple and gold robes sat across from her at a table set up in the center of the room. Between them was laid out a chess board. The man reached out and moved one of the pieces exchanging it for one of hers.
“Ooo, I didn't see that coming,” Mona chuckled. You know, Kang, when I taught you how to play this game, I didn't expect you to become such an accomplished chess master so quickly.”
“It is not all that surprising, my dear. This game is very similar to a game my tutors taught me as a child. It is all about planning your moves well ahead of your opponent while anticipating what they will do to counter you.”
Mona laughed again as she reached out to move one of her pieces countering the emperor’s advances.
Hal stared at the man with his wife. This was Emperor Kang himself. What was worse to Hal, he was flirting with his wife. The worst part was, she seemed to be enjoying it. While Hal was glad Mona wasn't in some dank dungeon, he didn't expect to see her acting so cordially towards her captor.
He shouted her name until he was hoarse, trying to get her attention. Just as before, though, she could not hear him or see him.
Upset with the futility of standing there watching the scene play out, Hal let go of the crystal in his mind and felt himself falling back once more. He opened his eyes in the galley of the Sea Sprite.
Kay stood beside him where he sat on the bench. She was bent over staring into his face.
“I think he's back again,” she said. “Hal, you blanked out on us again. Were you having another one of yo
ur visions?”
“Yes, I was back at the Emperor’s palace. I saw Mona again. She was sitting at a table with Emperor Kang playing a game of chess. It was odd. She seemed to be enjoying herself, but how could that be? She's his prisoner.”
“Maybe she's making the best of a bad situation. If he's willing to treat her well, why should she misbehave and incur his ire?”
“That makes sense, I suppose. Still, it irks me how easily she seemed to adapt to the situation.”
Kay rested her hand on his shoulder. “Remember, Hal; she's been in captivity for some time, maybe several months. She only knows what the Emperor is telling her. She may not even realize you're looking for her.”
“That is all the more reason why I need to hurry. This is all taking too long, dammit. The longer Mona stays there, the more chance he has of turning her and Cari against me. Maybe I’m already strong enough to face him.”
“Don’t make that mistake, lad,” Theran said. “You have shown remarkable abilities. Certainly, they are far beyond what I expected of you, but you are not ready to confront the Emperor in his stronghold with all its magical defenses, his pet battle mages, and his personal bodyguards.”
“Then when? When will I have enough power at my disposal to do what needs doing? There must be a point when the additional time spent training leads to diminishing returns. At some point, we have to decide it is time to attack.”
“If you’re so set on going on this fool mission now, what’s your plan to keep the Emperor from killing your family outright?” Theran asked. “Ask Kay about how mercurial his temper is. Ask her how he has no compunction against killing women or children.”
“Theran is telling you the truth, Hal.” Kay shook her head. “Now is not the time. It doesn’t feel right to me and I want a shot at killing that monster more than you do. If you search your heart and mind, I think you’ll decide it’s not time, too.”
