Lusam: The Dragon Mage Wars Book Four

by Dean Cadman

  A wave of blue light gently washed over the kneeling paladins, instantly washing away all of their doubts and fears. Their gasps of euphoria echoed in the silence of the moment. Then a bright light suddenly erupted inside the room, causing everyone to turn away or cover their eyes. When they looked back, they saw the most beautiful woman they had ever seen standing before them. Her long silver hair flowed like silk over her shoulders and down her back, seemingly blowing in a wind that didn’t exist. As she passed her gaze over each man and woman in the room, their eyes widened in recognition, and they bowed their heads low before their God. Hershel and Alexia recognised her instantly, and also bowed deeply before her.

  “I can sense the fear and doubt flowing through many of you, my children. Fear at the horrors which you will face from within the Netherworld, and doubt that you will not have the faith to overcome it. But fear not my children, for I will be with you always. You have all chosen to become my soldiers, and for that I will be forever grateful. Your training should have taken years, and yet before me I already see so much potential. I willingly put my faith in you, and only ask that you do the same of me. Trust in me, have faith in me, and your weapons will become mighty allies upon the battlefield. Wear your faith in me, as you would any other piece of armour, and know that when you step foot on the battlefield, it will serve not only to protect your body, but also your soul as well. For if you should fall upon the battlefield, I promise that I shall be there to catch you,” Aysha said, in the most beautiful voice any of them had ever heard. She turned towards Hershel and Alexia, and smiled down on them both divinely.

  “Hershel, Alexia, my faithful paladins. You were right not to lose hope of resealing The Rift, for I am happy to inform you it has not yet been fully opened. The attempts of Aamon’s followers have only been partially successful, but even as we speak my brother works from within the Netherworld to widen the tear still further. He is forcing his vile creatures to emerge during daylight, and is using the power they return to the Netherworld to force open the tear in The Rift. You must arrive there as soon as possible and stem the flow of creatures, or there will be no hope for this world…” Aysha’s words faded out, for all but Hershel and Alexia.

  “I am afraid my brother, Driden, watches my involvement with humanity very closely now, so I am no longer able to intervene directly in your affairs. If I do, I fear that he will join forces with Aamon against me, and humanity will pay a terrible price for it. I must attempt to repair my relationship with Driden, but I fear it may take some time…” Aysha gently faded away before their eyes, leaving everyone in the room staring at the spot where she had just been standing.

  Hope blossomed in Hershel at Aysha’s words. The Rift was not yet fully open. And while that remained the case, they still had a chance of closing it again. He stood up and faced his paladins wearing a confident smile.

  “If there’s anyone in this room who still harbours any doubts about their faith in Aysha, or hers in you, please feel free to leave now,” Hershel said, scanning the faces of everyone in the room. No one moved. The resolute look on each and every face, told him exactly what he needed to know. All their doubts had vanished with Aysha, and now he stood looking at a full complement of true paladins. He offered a prayer of thanks, then addressed his new force.

  “We have a lot to do, and very little time in which to do it. Ollie and Darryl, I want you to go immediately and secure all the available river barges you can find for us. If anyone objects to us using their craft, or taking us across the river on it, you have my permission to commandeer it. Be sure to remind them that if we are forced to commandeer their vessel, it will likely be stuck on the opposite side of the river until we return,” Hershel said grinning. Ollie and Darryl both nodded, then raced out of the hall towards the main entrance to carry out their orders.

  “Does anyone know if the new food shipment has arrived yet?” Hershel asked.

  “Sir, they delivered part of our food order about an hour ago. They told me that it was too short notice for them to deliver it all today, and that they planned to deliver the rest in two days’ time,” one of veteran paladins replied. Hershel cursed under his breath.

  “Very well, take someone with you and bring whatever we have. I want the rest of you to bring any blessed weapons we have left in the armoury, including any shields. We will also need some axes for chopping wood, and a couple of lanterns too. I want everyone in the outside courtyard and ready to leave in ten minutes. Move people!” Hershel commanded, and activity erupted all around him.

  Alexia waited until the room had emptied before speaking. “Do you think Aysha has informed the High Priest about The Rift? If she has, maybe Lusam and the other paladins are already on their way here,” she said quietly.

  Hershel shook his head. “You heard what she said about Driden watching her closely, and not being able to interfere with our affairs. I think even if she has told the High Priest, she would have instructed him not to do anything until after our messengers have arrived. If Lusam and the paladins there were to suddenly start heading our way without apparent cause, it would become obvious who had tipped them off. No, unfortunately I think we’re on our own for a while yet, old girl,” Hershel replied quietly.

  A few minutes later they were all assembled in the courtyard and ready to go. Hershel was impressed by their speed and efficiency, and made a mental note to congratulate Captain Mayson for the fine job he had done with his former soldiers. He then allowed himself a wry smile, as he realised he might never get that chance.

  Ollie and Darryl had managed to requisition three barges to take them across the river, but not without having to threaten seizure of the vessels first. Hershel wasn’t surprised to learn that the owners didn’t want to take their barges anywhere near The Dark Forest, especially with The Sanctum of Light’s bell glowing like it was. No one had ever seen the bell glow before, simply because it had been created after The Great Rift had been sealed. The bell had been blessed by Aysha, and was created to warn the paladins if The Great Rift was ever reopened. Rumours and folklore about the bell had arisen over the many centuries. One popular belief was that it would begin to glow if any Netherworld creatures managed to cross the river, but that simply wasn’t true. Unfortunately those beliefs were still rife amongst the population of Stelgad even today, and were no doubt causing great concern within the city at the moment.

  The Sanctum of Light was the third temple to be built on the same foundations. The first two temples had towers much higher than the current one, and were manned continuously by the first Paladins of Aysha. The towers were used specifically to spot any Netherworld creatures on the opposite bank of the river, at which point the paladins of the day actively hunted them down and destroyed them. Over the centuries the numbers of Netherworld creatures gradually decreased, as did their perceived threat to the temple. After centuries without a single attack, a small town began to spring up in the shadows of the temple, and that town later grew into the city of Stelgad.

  The streets of Stelgad seemed quieter than usual to Hershel as they marched towards the city gates. The few people that were still going about their daily business, all stopped and watched nervously as the small force of paladins marched by them.

  Sergeant Miller and the other guard were still manning the city gates, but now he had an additional three soldiers with him. “No doubt the increased force is a direct result of the glowing bell,” Hershel thought to himself, as he approached the city gate. At Sergeant Miller’s command, the soldiers all stood to attention and saluted Hershel’s party as they marched through the city gate.

  “May Aysha watch over you all,” Sergeant Miller said. Hershel nodded his thanks, and continued marching his paladins towards the waiting barges. Alexia glanced at the Sergeant as she passed, and was surprised to see him smile and nod respectfully at her too. She nodded back at him, and began to wonder if she might have actually misjudged the man for all of those years.

  The paladins were soon aboard
the three barges, but the respective Captains certainly didn’t look happy about it. Hershel instructed one of the Captains to bring a small rowing boat later, and moor it securely on the forest side of the river. Alexia thought the Captain was going to refuse at first, but after hearing what Hershel said he would do to him, if he did leave them stranded on that side of the river, she had little doubt there would be a boat waiting for them later.

  When they reached the opposite bank of the river, they quickly disembarked the barges. Hershel then swiftly began to organise them into groups of four, each group containing a veteran paladin for the reasons he had stated earlier. The three barge Captains wasted no time in retreating away from the riverbank, and were soon well on their way back to Stelgad. Hershel looked up at the sky, and judged it to be about an hour after midday. If they were lucky, they would have about seven or eight hours before the sun began to set.

  Hershel knew exactly how far it was to The Great Rift, and also how long it would likely take them to get there. The pace they would need to set in order to reach their destination by the following night, would be gruelling. And to even stand a chance of succeeding, it would require them to travel through at least part of the coming night. He knew there was nothing they could do about the creatures which would emerge through The Rift during that night, but if they didn’t reach The Rift before sunset the following day, it would likely already be too late to stop them.

  “Stay in your groups of four, and listen carefully to what your group leader tells you. Keep a close eye on the weapon or shield of the person in front of you for any signs of it starting to glow. Don’t assume just because it’s daylight that you’re safe. They may be rare, but there are documented cases of Netherworld creatures that can move around during daylight hours, and with The Rift open again, they are likely to be even stronger now. If you see someone’s weapon or shield start to glow, call out loud and clear. The pace we must set will be harsh. Remember, when you get tired, you’re more likely to make mistakes. If you do, it could cost you your life, or the life of person next you, so stay alert.

  “We must reach The Rift before sunset tomorrow. If we don’t, and we arrive after the Netherworld creatures have already risen, there will probably be far too many for us to deal with. If on the other hand we do get there before sunset, we have a good chance of controlling their numbers. So with that in mind, I intend to keep us moving even after sunset tonight, albeit at a much slower pace. Don’t worry though, that might not be as dangerous as it sounds. If I’m right, the fact that The Rift is open again will attract many of the creatures like a magnet. After all, they’ve been waiting a very long time to get back home again. But as you all heard Aysha say, Aamon is forcing the Netherworld creatures through the tear, so I doubt he’ll be letting many back inside again. With a little luck, that might mean we’ll encounter very few Netherworld creatures tonight, but if we do, listen to your group leader carefully, and focus on the job at hand. If you give in to the fear, it will kill you. Does anyone have any questions?” Hershel asked, but no one replied. “Okay then, let’s go!”

  Hershel took the lead, and starting running towards the nearby treeline. He couldn’t help smiling to himself as he thought of how much more difficult it would have been for him, if he hadn’t spent the several weeks training with the new recruits back in Lamuria.

  By the time the sun was beginning to set, they had covered a good distance into the forest. They had only stopped briefly at two streams to refill their waterskins, and even carried on walking while they ate their rations. It had been a mixture of running and jogging throughout the afternoon, and they had covered a good many miles during that time. Hershel eventually chose to stop in a small clearing, then waited patiently until everyone had caught up and gathered around him.

  “Who has the lanterns in their pack?” Hershel asked, thankful for the short delay so he could catch his breath.

  “I do, sir,” Colby replied, swinging the pack off his back, and removing two lanterns from it. He offered them both to Hershel, but he only took one, and pointed towards Alexia for the second.

  “From this point on we will be walking. Keep your weapons and shields at the ready, and stay close to each other. If we encounter any Netherworld creatures, I want you to form a tight circle with the group leaders on the outside, and everyone else on the inside. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” everyone replied in unison.

  Hershel bent down and used his flint to light the lantern. It was still just about light enough to see where they were walking, but it would soon be dark. He was about to offer Alexia the use of his flint, but she had produced her own, and was already in the process of lighting her lantern with it. Even before they’d left the clearing, the first sounds of distant Netherworld creatures echoed throughout the forest, as they eagerly left behind the confines of their daytime prisons. No doubt they had already sensed the open Rift, and were desperate to get there as soon as possible.

  They had been walking barely an hour before their weapons started to glow an eerie blue. The veteran paladins immediately formed a circle around the others with the fluidity of a well rehearsed dance. They waited silently and watched for any signs of movement in the darkness. The soft blue glow of their swords and shield radiated out from their circle like a giant ethereal lantern, lighting the area around them for a dozen feet in all directions. The feelings of irrational fear grew in intensity, as the hidden Netherworld creature slowly approached their position.

  “Roazhar, over there,” Morgan said, pointing at a shadowy creature moving towards them. Hershel breathed a small sigh of relief. He couldn’t have wished for a better first encounter for his new paladins. The Roazhar were known as the ‘silent killers’. They resembled a large lizard, only they were black in colour, and covered in hundreds of deadly poisonous spines.

  They were known as the silent killers because they didn’t make a sound, and even moved along the ground incredibly stealthily. Many paladins had lost their lives over the centuries to their hunting tactics. One touch from any of its razor-sharp spines guaranteed an excruciating death for its victim. They were easy enough to deal with alone, but it was when a paladin had more than one Netherworld creature nearby that they became much more dangerous. Because they hunted so silently, the paladins could be fooled into thinking they were only dealing with the creatures they could see and hear, but the Roazhar would often creep up on them from behind. One lash of its tail, and it was all over for the unwary paladin.

  Some ancient accounts of the Roazhar even accredited them with a certain amount of intelligence. They had been seen patiently waiting behind trees or rocks for an opportunity to strike at the paladins. They seemed to know that they couldn’t cross Aysha’s light, and waited until the paladin engaged another Netherworld creature before striking. As soon as the paladin’s sword was embedded in another Netherworld creature, or the paladin’s own body created a shadow, the Roazhar would strike from behind.

  “Hold your positions,” Hershel commanded, as the Roazhar came up against Aysha’s light and stopped. It took a step back, then began to move slowly and silently around the perimeter of light, looking for any weaknesses or gaps it could exploit.

  “Earth-bind!” Hershel called out, and as one the veteran paladins raised their swords, and plunged them into the ground directly in front of them. He scanned the new paladins for any overt signs of panic, but they seemed to be holding up well so far.

  “Aysha’s wall! Morgan right, Antonio left,” Hershel called, and the two paladins instantly reacted. Each man strapped his shield to his back, then located a weapons bundle and unwrapped it. They took four swords each from the bundles, then returned to their original positions in the circle. They waited patiently until the Roazhar was between them both, then stepped out from the circle with the four swords. As soon as they reached the edge of the circle’s light, they plunged a sword into the ground, then continued in a large arc until they met up with each other in centre. In less than te
n seconds they had trapped the Roazhar inside a fresh circle of Aysha’s light.

  “Contain!” Hershel called, and as one, both men removed their shields. Their shields glowed with Aysha’s light just as intensely as their swords in the presence of the Netherworld creature. Both men held up their shields, removed one of the swords from the ground and walked forward several paces, then plunged the sword back into the ground again. The area in which the Roazhar could move reduced considerably. They swiftly repeated the process with the remaining weapons, and in only a few short seconds the Roazhar was unable to move, penned in by the impenetrable force of Aysha’s light.

  “Lucian, Darryl, perimeter check,” Hershel called. Both men left their swords in the ground to maintain the unbroken circle of light, then retrieved a spare one from yet another of the weapons’ bundles. Once they had readied their shields, they left the circle and headed for the darkness beyond Aysha’s light. When they were far enough away from the Roazhar, the glow on their shields and swords faded away. Both men walked a large circle just outside the activation range of the Roazhar. If their weapons started to glow, they would know there was a second Netherworld creature nearby, but they remained dormant. When they returned to the others, they rejoined the circle and took their original positions.

  “Clear,” Morgan reported.

  “Well done, gentlemen. Now, I think it might be the perfect time to teach our new members the basics of how to block out the Netherworld creature’s effects on their minds. I want the leaders to reform their groups of four, and extend our circle back away from the Roazhar a little. Start the lessons as far away from the creature as possible, then work your way back towards it again to increase the intensity as they begin to master the skill,” Hershel said. He couldn’t believe what had just happened was simply down to luck. To have only a single Netherworld creature appear, and one that was not capable of alerting any others in the area with sound, went way beyond luck as far as he was concerned. He knelt before his glowing sword, and offered a prayer of thanks to Aysha for providing exactly what they had needed: a chance for his new paladins to feel the effects of the Netherworld creatures on their minds, and time to learn how to overcome it.