by James Wisher
Kat shrugged again. “Don’t know. Like I said, I’ve never felt anything like those things.”
Dorius held his head in his hands and rocked back and forth. “I was so sure. I’ll have to rewrite my paper from scratch,” he muttered.
“Professor!”
Jen’s shout shook him out of whatever funk he’d fallen into. “I’m sorry, my dear. Learning years of work has just fallen to pieces overwhelmed me for a moment. I’m fine now.”
“Good, because we’ve got a dozen nasties out there and you’re the only one that has any experience with them or familiarity with the area,” Jen said. “We’ll be relying heavily on you to get us out of this alive.”
He puffed himself up. “Of course. You ladies may depend on me.”
Amanda groaned. “We’re doomed.”
Kat swatted her shoulder. “Quiet.”
“Are there any other exits?” Jen asked.
“I haven’t found any.” Professor Dorius’s forehead crinkled as he thought. “But I’ve only been here five days, so who can say for sure?”
“Why don’t we just fly out of here?” Kat said. “Those things didn’t have wings.”
“I thought about that,” Jen said. “But if we leave them alive and there’s another exit, even if we seal the one we found, those things might still escape. I know we’re a long way from civilization, but eventually they’ll find a village or caravan and when they do a lot of people will die. We either need to seal every exit or figure out how to kill them all.”
“Let’s blast them from the air.” Amanda bounced to her feet. “It’ll be good target practice.”
“How much did you hold back when you hit that one earlier?” Jen asked.
Amanda frowned. “I don’t know. I used the same amount of power I generally do. I try not to use too much soul force in any one blast as it will drain my core too quickly. Why?”
“Your regular blast didn’t do much more than annoy the one you hit,” Kat said. “If we try to blast them from above we’ll have to use way stronger attacks than normal.”
“So?”
“So they’re fast enough to dodge my attacks at warlord speed,” Jen said. “I doubt you could hit one of them from any sort of long range. We either need a trap or to kill them up close.”
“A trap you say.” Dorius chewed his lip. “I came across a pit a couple days ago, maybe twenty feet deep. Would that suffice?”
“It might.” Jen was cut off by a screech followed by enraged screams.
Three goblins raced across the path and began scratching at the barrier. Their claws slowly cut through the soul force wall.
Everyone leapt to their feet. It wouldn’t take a minute for them to open it up enough to get through.
Jen thrust her sword through one of the gaps they’d cut in the barrier. She nicked one of the monsters, but it avoided a lethal blow.
“Should I reinforce it?” Kat asked.
“For a second anyway.” Jen turned to Dorius. “Where’s this pit?”
“About half a mile back toward the entrance. I can guide you.”
“Good. Can you two scoop the goblins up and carry them that far?” Jen had to raise her voice to be heard over the goblins’ screams and the scrambling of their claws.
“I think so,” Kat said. “What do you have in mind?”
“You dump them in the pit and I’ll cut them down as they try to climb out. If they’re smart enough to not try and climb out we drop boulders on them until they’re nothing but bloody smears.”
Amanda grinned. “I like this plan.”
Kat nodded. “I’ll handle the primary containment, you plug any holes they make. Okay?”
“Got it. But how will we convince the rest of them to show themselves?”
“I’ll draw them out,” Jen said. “Be ready to act as soon as they all show themselves.”
“We will,” Kat said.
“Open a gap on my mark.” Jen drew deep from her core and sent soul force through her body. “Now!”
The instant an opening appeared in the golden barrier she shot out at lightning speed, screeching goblins on her heels. Jen slowed to warlord speed and set to work playing with her opponents.
She ducked and dodged, avoiding openings that would leave her exposed to an attack from one of the other goblins. With her accelerated senses she had no trouble telling when the other goblins joined the fun.
Soon she was dancing around eleven of the ugly brutes. Where was the leader? As she spun and ducked her gaze darted all around the area. There was no sign of him. She couldn’t keep this up much longer.
Damn it! They’d just have to hunt the leader down after they handled the others. “Now!”
Golden bubbles appeared around each goblin and dragged them together into a single large container. Immediately the captive goblins scratched and tore holes in the field. Amanda reinforced the gaps, but at this rate they didn’t have much time.
“Dorius! Let’s go,” Jen said.
“Right.” The old man emerged from the shelter and set off at a brisk walk back the way they’d come.
Jen ground her teeth. They’d never make it at this pace.
Amanda must have realized it as well. A disk appeared at her feet. “Everybody on.”
She guided the construct through the ruins as the professor indicated. Both sorcerers were sweating like they were running a marathon.
Come on, come on.
If they didn’t hurry the sorcerers would pass out before they reached the pit.
“There it is.” Dorius pointed.
Jen spotted the deep hole he’d mentioned. It was about ten feet across with vertical sides. Perfect.
The sorcerers guided the writhing, goblin-filled sphere over the pit and let it vanish. Wailing monsters rained down into the hole.
Jen leapt off the transport and took up position at the edge of the pit. If these ones climbed anything like the big one she was going to be busy. Behind her the sorcerers slumped to the ground. Transporting the goblins must have completely exhausted them.
Movement caught her eye. The goblin leader stepped out of the shadows of a tumbled-down structure. It focused shining yellow eyes on her.
Uh-oh.
How was she going to deal with the trapped goblins and the leader at the same time?
Jen glanced back. Both sorcerers had their heads between their knees sucking air. No help to be found from that quarter.
She was on her own.
Chapter 12
Commander Kendy looked over her assembled troops. One hundred and twenty paladins and seventy initiates in perfect, gleaming mail. Their weapons were honed to a razor edge and polished to mirror shines. White tabards with the stylized fortress centered on their chests fluttered in the faint breeze. The sight filled her with pride.
The excitement of a new crusade was palpable. With such great motivation her troops had prepared for battle in record time. Just under a day had passed since she gave the order.
They had gathered just inside the final gate leading to the haunted lands. The sixty-foot-tall outer wall loomed over them, casting a shadow over the gathering. Kendy refused to take it as an ill omen. These noble warriors would set out with her at their head and smite the evil growing like a tumor on the world. With such a fine and noble purpose how could they fail?
Some of the younger members fidgeted, eager to get underway, but the veterans stood stock still, like statues. These men and women had hard eyes and the scars of past battles. They knew some wouldn’t be returning covered in glory, but on shields carried by their comrades. That was an unfortunate truth in any war.
Kendy drew her sword and thrust it into the air. The blade burned with white fire. The assembled paladins raised a cheer.
“Friends and comrades,” she said. “We prepare to march for a glorious cause. Not for pleasure or gain, but to secure the safety of the kingdom and the innocents under threat. It is our sacred duty and we will not shirk it.”
Ano
ther cheer went up. Whatever she might say they all understood that success would bring great honor and fame to everyone involved. Perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for holy warriors to think of such mundane concerns, but they were still human and the quest for acknowledgment existed in everyone.
When they quieted Kendy continued. “This will not be an easy fight, but I trust everyone here to do their best. And if you do that we can’t fail.”
Another cheer.
Kendy conjured a white horse and swung up on its back. They’d fly most of the way before landing and approaching the enemy on foot. The energy required to maintain a mount might be the power you needed to survive the battle. The initiates climbed up behind the strongest paladins who would both carry them to the battlefield and protect them from the negative effects of the haunted lands.
She’d considered leaving those who hadn’t been chosen behind, but in the end decided to take them. The battle would be good experience for the young warriors. Hopefully when they returned a holy one would consider them worthy and a new generation of paladins would rise from the glory of this crusade. That was Kendy’s most devout hope as she flew over the wall at the head of her troops.
Kendy gasped as the evil of the haunted lands washed over her. It had been six years since she last entered the wastes. That time was to wipe out a band of ghouls that wandered too close to the fortress. She hadn’t been deep into the lifeless emptiness in thirty years and that scouting mission had resulted in five slain demons to only one fallen brother. A good day’s work by any measure.
She felt the new evil pulsing to the north like a rotten tooth. They would yank that tooth out before it poisoned the body. She smiled like an initiate even though she knew the darkness they faced. This was what it meant to be a paladin. To fly out and destroy evil wherever it hid. Perhaps that was why she so disliked Marie-Bell: the girl had the courage to go out in the world while Kendy dared only to do her duty and protect the fortress.
The commander gritted her teeth. No, if everyone did whatever they wanted no one would protect the pass and demons and undead could enter the kingdom at will. The loss of one paladin was a nuisance, but if others followed her example it would be a disaster. When news of Kendy’s victory spread they’d have more initiates than they knew what to do with. The Order’s future would be secure.
“Commander.” Zane drew her out of her musing. “Look.”
He pointed ahead of them. Demons had risen from the ground and were flying to meet the paladins. Kendy counted twenty. She couldn’t determine just how strong they were from this distance, but the paladins had the advantage of numbers. Pity they couldn’t fight on the ground like she originally wanted to.
“Have everyone carrying an initiate land and advance on foot. The rest of us will deal with the flying demons. Zane, you’re in command of the ground force.”
“Understood.” Though he didn’t sound thrilled, Zane began barking orders and directing his forces to land.
Kendy drew her sword and leveled it at the approaching demons. “Charge!”
Fifty of her strongest paladins rushed towards the enemy at her heels. Time to slaughter some demons.
Chapter 13
Jen eyed the oversized goblin across the pit. It stared back, making no move to attack. She tightened her grip on her sword. For once she didn’t mind waiting. The longer it took the more chance her allies would have to recover and lend a hand.
A goblin head appeared over the lip of the pit. Jen rushed forward and swung. The creature fell back before her sword could connect.
She looked up and found the leader ten feet away and closing fast. She rushed to meet it.
Sword met claw and despite her enhanced strength Jen couldn’t force it back. Though she wanted to conserve energy for the long fight, she couldn’t win like this.
When a clawed hand appeared on the lip of the pit Jen abandoned all caution and tapped her full power. The goblin leader went flying one way and Jen ran the other, severing the claw and sending the goblin tumbling back down.
She spun back in time to see the leader back on its feet. Jen raced toward it at lightning speed.
Even at her maximum speed it managed to leap clear of her slash. It clung to the side of a half-ruined tower.
Jen leapt after it. Her sword cut a gash in the stone, missing the leader by inches.
The goblin fell back to the ground.
Jen followed, always seeming half a step behind no matter how fast she moved. She had to accelerate beyond lightning speed. Surpass her father.
She shifted power from her iron skin to her legs. The world blurred even further as she raced toward her opponent.
It raised a scaled arm.
Her sword struck. Somehow it stopped the blow without losing its arm.
In the instant she was stopped it countered, cutting four shallow groves in her abdomen. Jen winced and wrenched her sword free of its scales.
She’d made a crease, but it didn’t look serious. Blood soaked her shirt, but she didn’t dare use a drop of power on healing. She was barely holding her own as it was.
Movement caught her eye. Jen darted over and beheaded a goblin that had almost cleared the rim of the pit.
The leader screamed. Did it actually care about its minions? That would certainly be unusual.
It charged her again. Jen raced to meet it. In a blinding exchange sword and claw came together. She dodged and slashed, it blocked with armored forearms, clawed and kicked at her.
Neither could land a decisive blow. Jen’s soul force was getting dangerously low and her opponent showed no sign of slowing.
A shimmer in the darkness caught her eye as a lid formed on the pit. Jen risked a glance back. Kat and Amanda were sitting up. Amanda gave her a thumbs up.
Jen grinned. Now that she didn’t have to divide her focus she’d see just how good the monster was.
They came together. Openings appeared before Jen’s eyes that she hadn’t noticed before. She nicked its cheek, sliced off an ear, and gashed its inner thigh where the scales stopped.
It leapt away. Jen thought she saw fear in it for the first time.
She gave it no chance to recover. The tip of her sword darted in and out like a mongoose. Blood appeared everywhere there wasn’t scales.
Narrow yellow eyes now stared at her wide and scared.
That’s right, you son of a bitch, you’d better be scared.
Jen thrust at its throat. It dodged, but she adjusted the tip of her sword at the last second. Her sword went into its eye and burst out the back of its head.
She hurled the corpse aside and fell to her knees, totally drained.
“Are you okay, young lady?” Professor Dorius helped her wobble to her feet.
“Fine. Just need to catch my breath.”
He nodded, clearly not believing a word she said. He was wise not to. Her legs barely held her up and her sword felt like it weighed twenty pounds. Perhaps this was why her father never went beyond lightning speed. The aftereffects were brutal.
The professor guided her to a flat rock where she sat, grateful to be off her feet. Kat came over and healed the wounds on her stomach.
“That was foolish, taking power from your defense,” Kat said.
“Yeah, but it worked. I doubt I’d have beaten that thing otherwise.”
“Master?” Amanda’s voice held a note of concern.
Behind Kat, Jen spotted a goblin trying to force its way through the lid. “I’ll be okay. Deal with those goblins before they escape.”
Dealing with them was a simple if brutal process. While Amanda maintained the barrier around the lip of the pit, Kat used a six-foot chunk of fallen stalactite like a battering ram. The pointed end went up and down over and over. Jen stopped counting after twenty impacts.
When nothing remained moving in the pit the four of them hastened away. No one wanted to remain near the bloody opening.
Chapter 14
Professor Dorius led them through the maze-like
ruin to an intact stone shed where he’d set up his basecamp. It was a simple, square building, the roof long gone. Dorius had tied a tarp over the opening, leaving a gap for smoke to escape. There was no wood underground so they had to cook over a special oil lantern designed to heat a single cooking vessel.
It was a snug fit for four of them, but Jen didn’t care. All that mattered to her was she had a soft place to sit, a pot of food was on the fire, and nothing wanted to kill them at the moment. For those small mercies she would have traded all the coin she’d saved since graduation.
While Kat tended the stew, Amanda leaned against the shed wall, half asleep. Dorius held his hands out to the lantern then rubbed them together. He sighed. “Nothing like a nice fire after a bit of excitement. Sorry I don’t have any wood for a real campfire.”
Jen shook her head at his good cheer. Either he didn’t understand how close they’d been to dying or he was choosing to ignore it.
“So what exactly brought you ladies down here to find me? Something about a consultation?”
Jen couldn’t help but marvel as the old man cleaned his glasses and spoke like they were sitting in his office back at King’s College rather than huddling in a stone shed in the middle of an underground ruin. “Eccentric” seemed a more than fair description of him.
“That’s right,” Jen said. “Mariela told us you could help figure out more of the Cult of the Horned One’s intentions. We discovered information discussing an event called The Harvest and that it somehow relates to the haunted lands. Anything you can add would be a great help.”
“The Harvest certainly relates to the haunted lands. In fact it created them. The mad king sacrificed all life on the eastern side of the continent, harvesting it for the Horned One. That is the single largest mass sacrifice ever recorded. Our best estimate indicates twenty million people lost their lives in five minutes.”
“Heaven’s mercy,” Kat muttered. “How could anyone do something so horrible?”
