Kicking the sides of his horse, he quickly gets it back to a gallop. Half a minute later, the remaining crystal shatters. With that, the drain on his own reserves is too great and he’s forced to let the spell go. When the barrier disappears the creature again roars to life, the sound similar to that of a forest fire and the chase is on.
Jiron and Jared had come to a halt while he was facing off with the creature. But when they see he lost the battle and was in flight, they again bolt down the road.
As James races down the road, he removes the remaining crystals from his sack one at a time. These crystals contain spells he so painstakingly worked to get just right. With a thought he removes the embedded spells and quickly uses them to power barriers to slow the creature. Each one only gives him a minute or two to get further down the road before they fail. This creature is powerful!
Behind them in the road, a wake of burning wagons which caught fire either by the fiery bolts or by just being in close proximity with the creature, sends a billowing cloud of black smoke into the air.
Soon, the walls of the city appear before them. What safety they may afford them is questionable, but it has to be better than out here in the open.
People are fleeing in through the gates to escape the inferno roaring down the road toward them. The gates begin to swing shut before Jiron and Jared even come close. By this time, James has managed to put a hundred yards between the creature and himself. His store of powered crystals is all but exhausted, only three remain.
He comes abreast of Jiron and Jared where they have stopped near the gates. Jared is pleading with the guards on the walls to open the gate but his pleas have no effect. They are not about to take the chance of the creature entering their city.
James glances behind and finds the creature has escaped the latest barrier and is on its way. “Get back!” he yells. Removing one of the three crystals, he tosses it down to the base of the gate before moving back down the road.
Crumph!
The crystal explodes and the gate is knocked from the wall. With a groan, it tips and falls inside the walls. “Move!” he yells. A quick glance behind shows the creature gaining fast.
Racing for the gate, they bowl over several guards as they pass through. Inside the gates is mass confusion as the citizens stand in awe struck wonder at the gate now lying in the road. When James and the others race through there is little reaction other than pointing and getting out of the way. But when the fiery creature roars through the open space where the gate had stood, pandemonium erupts. People scream and flee in all directions.
They are forced to slow even though they are knocking people down left and right. Fortunately the panic is behind them, most of those ahead are as yet unaware of what’s about to make an appearance.
“James!” yells Jiron. “Where should we go?”
“I don’t know!” he cries out.
“There!” yells Jared, pointing down the road. Ahead is a rather large and sturdy looking building made of stone. Easily four stories in height with windows only along the upper floor, the place looks like a fortress. A single wooden door stands closed with two guards standing watch.
“That will have to do,” he replies.
Without hesitation Jiron bolts forward, his horse knocking down another pedestrian. Before he reaches the guards, the fiery creature enters the street behind them. The guards pay Jiron no attention as they see the figure of flame coming toward them.
Jiron rides into one as he leaps from his horse at the other. Knife flashing as he sails into the man, he quickly takes him out. Turning quickly to face the other, he finds Jared pulling his sword out of the man’s chest. Replacing his knife, he makes for the door. Finding it locked, he turns to James just as James comes forward and places his hand on the door. Releasing the magic, the door explodes inward and Jiron is the first one through. Another guard is positioned just within and two quick passes with his knives leaves the man dead on the floor.
Jared slams the door shut after James enters but it’s skewed off its hinges and won’t close all the way.
“This way!” Jiron yells as he runs down the hallway leading from the door.
James races behind him with Jared following close. Securing the pouch with the last two powered crystals to his belt, he tries to figure out the next course of action. A well dressed man enters the hallway in front of Jiron who knocks him aside.
The man starts yelling as they race past. Then the door they entered the building through slams open. Framed in the doorway is the fiery creature, heat radiates from its body down the corridor. The stone walls on either side of the creature begin to turn black as it makes its way into the building.
A crackle announces another of the fiery bolts coming toward them. James instantly erects a barrier behind them in the hallway and the bolt rebounds off it back to the creature. When the bolt strikes the creature it gets reabsorbed and doesn’t even slow it down.
The heat in the hallway is tremendous and the temperature continues to rise.
More people enter the hallway to see what the commotion is and promptly turn around to flee when they see fire racing toward them.
Jiron comes to a very sturdy wooden door. Smashing into it with his shoulder all he manages to do is bruise his shoulder. “Damn that’s a sturdy door,” he says to himself. Then as he places the point of a knife in the lock he yells to James, “Can you hold it off a moment?”
“I’ll try,” he says. Stopping in the corridor, he says to Jared, “Go help Jiron.” He then turns to face the creature and lashes out with magic. The force of the blow slows the creature only slightly but doesn’t stop it. Next he encloses it in a barrier which manages to halt it but at a staggering cost of magic. His reserves are being depleted at an alarming rate.
“I can’t hold it much longer,” he shouts back to Jiron. Sweat running down his face, he holds the barrier despite the dots dancing in front of his eyes.
“Got it!” Jiron yells as the door swings open.
“Come on!” hollers Jared as he and Jiron race into the room.
Backing up quickly, James makes it to the open doorway. Just as he begins to pass through, a man from further down the hall yells, “Not in there!” Ignoring the man, he releases the creature and then bolts inside.
Jiron slams the door shut and throws the bar across the door to hold it secure. They are plunged into complete darkness when the door shuts. Suddenly, James’ orb springs to life revealing a room containing dozens of barrels stacked across the floor and against the walls. Along every wall are shelves lines with neat stacks of tubes.
“What is this?” asks Jared. “A storeroom?”
“But why would they need such a secure storeroom?” comments Jiron. “This place looks like it’s more suited for a treasure room than somewhere you store your goods.”
Then suddenly there’s pounding on the door as the creature tries to gain entry. “That’s not going to last very long,” James tells the others.
“So what are we going to do?” Jiron asks. Aside from the door through which they entered, there’s no other way out.
James thinks hard to come up with a solution. Then his gaze settles on the tubes. Roughly four inches in diameter and anywhere from a foot to three feet long, they look oddly familiar. Then a memory comes to him.
“Jiron,” he says, a slightly nervous edge to his voice. “Do you remember that time back in Trendle when Miko thought that woman and her guards were assassins?”
“Yeah,” he says. “We still kid him about…” He comes to a stop when he realizes what James is talking about. Those tubes on the shelves look an awful lot like the ones the woman had carried with her. “Do you mean…?”
“Yes I do,” he replies. He suddenly feels like Yosemite Sam in an old Buggs Bunny cartoon when he tunnels into a dark room full of dynamite and lights a match to see by. Pointing to one of the barrels, he says to Jiron, “Smash that open.”
Taking out his knife, he smashes into the lid with th
e pommel. Breaking open the top, he knocks it to the ground and black powder spills out.
“Oh my god,” breathes James as he looks around at the kegs and kegs of black powder surrounding them. Then the door begins to smolder and smoke as the heat from the creature begins to set the wood of the door on fire.
“Quick!” yells James. “Jared!” he then points to the corner of the room furthest from the door. “Move those barrels out and clear us a space.”
“Right,” he says and hurries to carryout the order.
“Jiron!” he yells getting his attention. “Start smashing open containers, as many as you can.” With that James begins lifting the smaller kegs and smashing them on the ground.
Keg after keg they smash on the ground until a dozen keg’s worth of black powder is scattered across the floor. Smoke is beginning to fill the room from the door as the smoldering increases.
“That’s enough!” he yells to Jiron. “Now, everyone in the corner.” As he races to the corner, James removes one of the two remaining crystals and holds it in his hand. When all three are in position, he has them sit on the floor. He uses the power of the crystal to create a shield around them. Stronger than any shield he’s ever used before, he’s not really sure if it will be enough.
“Close your eyes,” he says with a final glance toward the door. No sooner than he shut his eyes than the door flies open and the creature enters the room.
Ka-Boom!!!
Blinding white light sears through their closed eyelids as the fire from the creature ignites the black powder. The ground beneath them rocks violently from the explosion and even within the barrier they are tossed around.
James channels more power to the shield as the force of the blast almost rips it to shreds. He has a fleeting thought, ‘Captain, the shields aren’t going to hold much longer’ then the concussion wave rolls past and the ground calms down.
“Dear lord,” Jared breaths in awe when he finally opens his eyes. The ceiling as well as the upper three stories of the building is gone. Massive sections of stone can still be seen in the air as they fall back to the ground. A gaping hole now lies where the floor of the room had been. Even the floor upon which they sat within the barrier is now two feet lower than it had been. The shield had protected them but still the force of the blow had ripped away two feet of ground below them.
Jiron comes to his feet and turns to James. “You okay?” he asks as he offers a hand to help him up.
Taking the hand, James replies, “Sort of.” Getting to his feet, he hears Jared groan as he makes it up as well.
“We need to get out of here,” Jiron says.
Nodding, James indicates for him to lead the way. The only problem with climbing out of the hole is the fact that the ground is still rather hot from the explosion. Thinking of the heat, he quickly glances around for the fiery creature that had been pursuing them. “Do you see it?” he asks.
The others look around as well and Jared says, “There it is!” Pointing off through the broken remains of the bottom floor, he directs their attention to a flaming, man-shaped form lying still amidst the rubble.
Taking out his remaining crystal, James begins to head toward it.
“Let’s get out of here,” suggests Jared.
“I need to finish this,” James tells him. “Keep an eye out.”
Even as he makes his way toward the creature, he sees how flames from burning pieces of wood seem to leap toward the creature and be absorbed by it. It’s regenerating! Knowing this may be his only chance, he uses the magic of his sole remaining crystal to encase the creature in a barrier of ice before it has a chance to regain its strength.
As soon as the barrier forms, the creature responds. Fighting against the cold searing it, it lashes out with power of its own. To his surprise, James is able to hold the barrier. Augmenting the barrier with his own power, he begins to shrink it in upon the creature.
Weakened by the blast, the creature’s efforts are not nearly as effective as they were before. Though it struggles, it is unable to prevent the barrier from imploding. Inch by inch, the diameter slowly grows smaller.
Pouring more and more power into the barrier as it shrinks, James can feel the opposition within the barrier diminishing. Finally, the barrier completely implodes and the creature is no more.
Sagging with exhaustion, Jared catches him before he hits the ground and puts an arm under his for support.
Jiron glances back at them and Jared gives him a nod. Beginning to make their way out of the wreckage that once had been the Illuminator’s Guild, Jiron comes to a stop. Citizens surround them as well as several of the town’s guards.
None look particularly threatening and he draws his knife. “Get out of our way,” he says, the threat of imminent violence in his voice.
Either due to the fact they are stunned by the destruction of the building, or having watched James destroy the creature, whatever the reason they back away and clear an avenue out.
Jiron nods with his head indicating for Jared to follow. As they walk from the rubble, the people stand in silence and watch them go. They walk steadily and surely through the ring of people and down the street. He glances back once he’s past the onlookers and sees they are still watching him, some have begun to poke around the rubble.
The city itself has caught fire in several districts from the flaming debris that fell back to earth after the explosion. As they make their way further from the site of the explosion, the town becomes much more of a flurry of activity as people rush to put out the fires that threaten to consume their town.
Walking with a purpose, they arrive at an inn where Jiron leads them to the stables. He and Jared saddle three horses while James sits on a barrel and rests. “You okay?” Jiron asks while cinching on one of the saddles.
“Just tired,” he replies. “I’m out of crystals.”
“That’s not good,” comments Jiron. “Still going to hit that other place before we go?”
James sits there and thinks a moment before replying. “It’s on the way out of the Empire,” he tells him. “Let’s see how I feel when we get there. If I’m up to it we’ll take it out.”
“Fair enough,” he says. It takes but another minute to saddle the remaining horse then he comes to help James into the saddle. He finds a stash of water bottles which he fills and attaches to their saddles. Then once they are mounted, they leave the stables.
Smoke rises in the air from the fires. Riding quickly through the streets, they make it to the western gate and with luck find it open with no guards. They are all busy fighting the fires.
Once through the gates, Jiron takes them off the road and cuts across the desert.
Chapter Twenty One
“Milord!” Aezyl cries as he throws open the door to his chambers and rushes in.
Snapping awake, Kerith-Ayxt’s anger flares at the gross breach of decorum, not to mention the fact that he’s completely exhausted from the ordeal of summoning Aekion. With a harsh reprimand on his lips he turns eyes red and full of anger on his aide.
Before he has a chance to speak, Aezyl suddenly realizes what he just did and comes to a stop. “Forgive me my lord,” he cries as he drops to his knees. “But the mage has been found!”
“What?” exclaims the High Lord Magus as he sits upright in bed. “Where?”
“Just to the southeast of us milord,” replies Aezyl. “In the city of Taerin-Alith.”
“Taerin-Alith?” he asks.
“Yes, milord,” his aide replies. “And he has vanquished Aekion!”
“Impossible!” he cries out. “You must be mistaken.”
“No, milord,” he insists. “Inyi had the duty to search for the mage and all of a sudden the mage’s protection was gone.”
Getting out of bed, all thoughts of reprimanding his aide gone, he says “Tell me everything.”
Aezyl then proceeds to tell him of discovering the mage in a destroyed building, the subsequent destruction of Aekion, and how the citiz
ens of Taerin-Alith seemed to simply let him go. “Of course the city was awash in flame, most likely due to the battle between the mage and Aekion,” he suggests for the reason they let him go.
“Where is he now?” the High Lord Magus asks.
“In the desert,” he replies. “I think he may be coming this way.”
“Here?” he asks.
“Maybe not here,” his aide replies. “But the direction he’s going will definitely have him pass nearby.”
Pacing and thinking furiously, Kerith-Ayxt begins to formulate a plan. Turning to his aide he says, “He can’t have much left in him after overcoming Aekion. Which of our masters has recovered most from the summoning?”
“Inyi has milord,” he replies. “He has since been keeping an eye on the rogue mage,” he replies.
“Have him take a score of the more powerful from the lower Circles and destroy the mage,” he explains. “Tell him the mage is weakened and to move fast before he can recover.”
“Yes, milord,” says Aezyl as he comes to his feet. Giving his lord a bow, he quickly leaves to carry out his lord’s command.
Defeated Aekion! Unbelievable! Kerith-Ayxt paces his chambers as he tries to come to grips with the impossible.
Shortly after leaving the town behind, James realizes his protection against magical detection is no longer in operation. Bracing for opposition, he reinstates his protective shield and waits while they ride. Immediately, he feels them try to break through but the attempt is half-hearted at best, not nearly what he experienced the time before. When it finally stops, he wonders why they didn’t try more. Whatever the reason he’s happy about it, confused, but happy.
Riding through the desert under the hot sun, they stay just out of visual range of the road to the south. He knows the magical school isn’t more than a day down the road. It’s entirely likely that they will send someone to investigate what happened back at the town.
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