by Clayton Wood
“Come on then,” he declared. “Time to paint!”
Chapter 19
Piper stood just beyond the closed portcullis outside of the entrance to Devil’s Pass, picking at his fingernails as he gazed down the narrow path that snaked down the mountain ahead. A treacherous route called Harm’s Way, an apt name as any. For on either side of the narrow path was a sheer drop over a hundred feet to the rocky terrain below…and any anyone attempting to fly to save themselves from a fall would incite the wrath of the Overseer.
He watched as a vast army of silver-armored soldiers made their way slowly up Harm’s Way, heading right toward him. The army was still miles away, but the writing was most certainly on the wall.
“I still think you should run,” he insisted, turning to Kendra. She stood beside him, arms crossed over her chest.
“Not yet,” she countered. “I have a job to do, remember?”
“Is this really necessary?” Piper pressed. “I mean, we’re giving up Blackthorne anyway. Why not just leave with me and let the Pentad take it? Why put yourself in harm’s way?”
Kendra gave him a look.
“You just can’t help yourself with those terrible puns, can you?” she replied.
“All I’m saying is…”
“The Collector asked me to do this,” Kendra interjected. “So I’m doing it.”
“You do everything he says,” he grumbled.
“He’s my boss.”
“So was the Pentad,” he retorted. She ignored the comment, gazing off at the approaching army. Piper grit his teeth, suddenly annoyed at her. He hated when she ignored him…something she’d been doing more and more frequently. Things had gotten…tense between them. It hadn’t always been this way.
He sighed, kicking a pebble across the rocky ground.
“Now now baby,” Kendra soothed. “Have a little faith.”
“The only person I have faith in is you, love,” Piper retorted. “Everyone else just wants to use me.”
Kendra arched an eyebrow.
“Who says I don’t want to use you?” she shot back, giving him a little smile. He smiled back.
“That’s different,” he replied. “And is that a promise?”
“Mmm…maybe.”
“You are vicious,” he quipped. But as soon as he said it, the mood shattered. She had become vicious, more and more every year. He’d watched as she – and Stanwitz, and most of the others – had transformed over the last fifteen years, becoming colder. More violent. Marching in step to the Collector’s every command.
Piper lowered his gaze, staring at the wedding band on his left ring finger. Remembering when Kendra had been softer. Kinder.
Warmer.
She still was warm to him, at least most of the time. But in the times she wasn’t, he barely recognized her. Theirs was a love story gone wrong…and he had no idea how to fix it.
“Stanwitz woulda shot that girl if I hadn’t stopped him,” Piper told her.
“And then we’d have brought her body to the Collector,” Kendra pointed out. “He said he preferred she be alive, but it wasn’t necessary.”
Piper shot her a glare.
“Really?”
“What?” she asked. He shook his head, turning away from her. “Tell me baby,” she pleaded. “Please.”
“It’s just…” He turned to face her. “Sometimes I worry about you.”
“You always worry about me.”
“Yeah, well I remember a time when you would’ve felt differently about shooting a little girl in the head,” Piper muttered.
Kendra put a hand on his cheek, leaning in to kiss him. But he turned his head away, and she sighed.
“Honey, I was kidding,” she insisted.
“Were you?”
“I was,” she insisted. “I promise.”
“Right.”
“Honey…” she began, but he cut her off.
“I’m telling you, the Collector is changing us,” he told her.
“Us?”
“You,” he corrected.
“Come on baby, don’t be like that,” she insisted, turning to face him. She leaned in, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him gently on the lips. He found himself embracing her back, losing himself in her kiss. It felt the same as it had the first time they’d kissed; her love was still as magical as she was.
She pulled back then, giving him a little smile, then ruffling his hair.
“You’re so cute,” she teased. “Never stop being you, Piper.”
“You first.”
“Mmm hmm. I know you’ll always be there if I stray too far,” she replied, caressing his cheek. “You’re my heart, baby.”
“Damn right,” he agreed. “You remember my vow at our wedding, right?”
“Of course,” she answered. “But say it again…I like it when you say it.”
He grinned.
“Where you go, I go,” he declared.
She gave him another kiss, then turned to face the approaching army. She reached into her Painter’s uniform, pulling out a spyglass and peering through it.
“This is a fool’s errand,” Piper muttered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. But he stayed where he was, watching the Pentad’s army as it slowly ascended Harm’s Way. They were only two miles away or so now, and approaching quickly. The Collector’s army, in contrast, had disbanded, their virtual city of tents taken down. Kendra lifted her spyglass, peering through it. A lone man led the charge, followed by cavalry and foot soldiers in silver armor polished to a mirror shine.
Kendra lowered her spyglass.
“Ah, they’re serious now,” she mused. “They brought Craven.”
“Craven?” Piper blurted out in alarm. A chill went through him. The legendary Craven approached. Piper had never seen him in battle, but he’d heard the stories. Everyone had.
He had every right to be afraid.
“And Yero,” she noted, peering through the spyglass again.
“We need to leave,” Piper stated tersely. “Now.”
“You first,” Kendra countered. “Your job is to run away, dear,” she added with a vicious little smile, putting a hand on his cheek. “And you’re so good at that.”
“Ha ha,” he grumbled. “I’m not worried about me.”
“Aww baby,” she murmured, stepping closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in and kissing her. She resisted, but only for a moment. Then she pushed him back a little. “You really do care, don’t you?”
“You know I do,” he replied.
“Scurry along to the Underground with the rest of them, love,” Kendra prompted. “I’ll join you soon.”
“That a promise?”
“Of course baby,” she murmured, leaning in for another kiss. He kissed her back, then pulled away.
“So we just leave the Glargs to die?”
“That’s the plan,” she confirmed.
“And we call them monsters.”
“The Collector is wise,” she replied. “Besides, they’re just Glargs.”
“Oh yeah?” he shot back. “So what if the Collector’s ‘wisdom’ tells him we’re next on the chopping block?”
“Then my brave, dashing husband will save me,” Kendra answered with a little smile, her eyes twinkling. Piper couldn’t help but smile back.
“Damn right I will,” he agreed. “Where you go, I go…even if it kills me.”
* * *
Kendra leaned in to kiss Piper one last time, then pushed him away toward the portcullis. He was roguishly handsome, with short black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. Clad in a silky golden shirt and pants, he was a far cry from that dull character ‘Reynolds’ he’d played when he’d been hunting down Thaddeus. Piper was utterly charming when he wanted to be. In fact, as one of the better Actors of his generation, he was anything he wanted to be. A fact that had certainly kept their relationship from getting stale.
“See you soon, my love,” she said. “Now go c
ower away in a deep, dark tunnel while the woman gets things done.”
Piper stood up straight, saluting sharply…and promptly morphed. His face broadened, his jawline becoming square, his eyes turning slate gray. His eyebrows thickened, his hair shortening until it was less than an inch long. His arms and legs became remarkably muscular, veins bulging out of his skin. And he grew at least a few inches taller, looming over her now.
“As you wish,” he stated, his voice deep and gravely.
“Oh, and fetch me General Mattox on the way,” she added, admiring his new body. She ran her fingers over one huge bicep. “And save this character for later.”
“Yes ma’am.”
He turned then, stepping through the open portcullis. It closed behind him, leaving her alone outside of Devil’s Pass.
Moments later, the portcullis opened again, and General Mattox stepped through. He was tall and well-built, with short, graying hair…and the leader of what remained of the army protecting Blackthorne. With Thaddeus dead and Gideon on the run, there was little point in wasting resources protecting the college. After all, the most valuable books and paintings had already been taken to Mount Inversus.
“You sent for me, Painter?” Mattox inquired.
“It’s time,” she announced. “Send the Glargs, I’ll deal with the Pentad’s army.”
“Yes Painter,” the general replied crisply.
“When they breach the wall, keep the Glargs focused on their Painter,” she instructed. “I need him distracted.”
“Yes Painter.”
“Retreat to the Underground before the Pentad reaches Blackthorne. Make sure no one sees you escaping. That is all.”
The general bowed, then left through the portcullis, closing it behind him.
Kendra sighed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in to clear her head. Then she opened them, focusing on the army, now not even a mile from where she stood. She fingered the rolled-up paintings in the thigh-holsters of her Painter’s uniform, considering her options. She could use wind to knock the soldiers off the sides of the path; if they flew to save themselves, it would trigger the Overseer. Or she could set the path on fire, or create a blockade.
But there was Yero to contend with.
She smiled, remembering when they’d worked together, Yero and her. Bounty hunters for the Pentad, along with Gideon and Piper.
How times change, she mused.
After years of working together, Kendra knew most of Yero’s tricks…but he also knew most of hers. Which would make this a most interesting confrontation. Still, she only had to slow him, not stop him.
The Pentad’s soldiers were only a half-mile away now.
Wind it is, she decided.
She withdrew a painting from her thigh-holster, opening it. It was a painting of a falcon with sky-blue feathers; she drew it out, and it held on to her forearm, cocking its head at her. She whispered a command, and it leapt from her arm, flying upward and to the left. Higher and farther it went, until it was flanking the oncoming army. Then it dove toward the frontmost line of soldiers, spreading its wings wide, then bringing them forward in front of it in one powerful movement.
A gust of wind slammed into the army, tearing at the soldiers. There was shouting, and archers shot their arrows at the falcon. But the arrows flew backward harmlessly in the wind.
A beam of blood-red light shot down from the heavens suddenly, missing the falcon by a mere yard. Kendra looked up, spotting one of the Overseer’s eyes tracking the bird.
Come on Temper, she thought.
Almost as if on cue, a black sword shot upward, flying toward the falcon, the wind not so much as slowing it. Kendra smiled.
So predictable, she mused.
Kendra’s falcon darted away from Yero’s magical sword, flying back toward her. Temper flew right after it, the two magical creatures zooming toward her, dodging two more of the Overseer’s deadly attacks. She waited, watching as they drew ever closer. One hundred feet away now.
Fifty.
Her falcon reached her, Temper right behind it…and Kendra lifted her painting, facing it outward at them. The falcon went right into the painting…but Temper veered away at the last second, zooming past her.
Kendra spun around, watching as Temper reversed direction, boomeranging right back at her. She reached into her painting again, unleashing a flock of crows within. They burst from the canvas, flying toward the Pentad’s army.
Temper changed course, flying past her to chase the flock of crows. But the birds flew high into the air, spreading outward from each other as they made their way toward the approaching army. Dozens of the Overseer’s eyes locked on them, beams of light shooting down from the heavens, scorching the earth below. A few struck true, killing the crows instantly…and triggering their hidden power.
They exploded.
Fire rained down from their corpses, falling on the soldiers and sticking to their armor. The surviving crows dive-bombed the army, triggering the Overseer to shoot beam after beam at them. Some struck, making the crows explode…and sending nearby soldiers flying off Harm’s Way. Others missed, the beams striking the soldiers below.
And a few birds exploded near Temper, sending the magical blade hurtling madly away.
The line of soldiers stopped, raising their shields above their heads. Shields polished to a mirror shine. More beams of light shot down from the Overseer, but the shields reflected them.
Clever, Kendra thought.
The crows that remained continued to dive-bomb the soldiers, smashing into them or into the ground nearby. They exploded on impact, sending more soldiers careening off the path. Some flew back onto the path, clad in magic boots that gave them the power of flight. But this triggered the Overseer.
Dozens of huge eyeballs detached from the flying monster, descending rapidly toward the approaching army.
“Archers!” she heard one of the soldiers cry. They were not even a quarter mile away now, rushing up Harm’s Way toward her. And behind them, she spotted General Craven. Far taller than a normal man, dressed in his legendary gold and red armor, wielding a huge golden shield. It was Aganon, a shield as old as Craven, and immensely powerful.
It was enough to give her goosebumps.
Kendra reached into her chest-painting, then flung her hand outward. A black sphere shot forward and upward into the air over the soldiers, exploding in a flash of purple light. A hole opened up in the heavens above the Pentad’s army, and dozens of flaming meteors shot downward from it, smashing into the men and exploding on impact.
Craven lifted Aganon above his head.
A massive shield of pure golden light extended from Aganon, in the same shape as the actual shield, covering the entire front line of the army. The meteors collided with it in explosion after fiery explosion, but the energy shield protected the soldiers beneath it, rendering Kendra’s meteor strike harmless. She smiled, shaking her head.
Marvelous.
The meteors triggered more of the Overseer’s eyeballs to descend, their beams of red light smashing into Craven’s energy shield. They too were no match for the power of Aganon. In fact, the attacks seemed to increase the energy shield’s power, making it glow brighter with every strike.
Craven marched calmly forward, holding his shield over his head, his eyes locked on Kendra’s.
Damn that’s sexy, she mused.
She heard the sound of footsteps behind her, and then a stream of Glargs rushed through the portcullis, charging at the approaching soldiers.
Who promptly retreated, leaving Craven at the front of the line.
The first of the Glargs reached the general, ramming their shoulder into the man…and promptly ricocheted off, falling off the edge of Harm’s Way.
Another Glarg attacked, swinging their huge axe at Craven, who blocked the edge of the blade with his forearm. The axe bounced off, and Craven slammed his fist on top of the Glarg’s head.
Its skull crumpled.
Craven tilted Agan
on downward a little, the energy shield extending from it resting on the ground ahead. Then he broke out into a run, the edge of the energy shield smashing into the oncoming Glargs like a massive plow. They careened off the edge of Harm’s Way, screaming as they all fell to their deaths.
And leaving Kendra alone by the front gate of Devil’s Pass.
Kendra reached into her chest-painting, drawing out the golden cube that served as the six-sided portal for Nightmare, her Familiar…and her most formidable weapon. Black tentacles sprung out from each of the cube’s facets, and it stood upon four of them.
Bring me to safety, Kendra thought.
One of Nightmare’s tentacles wrapped around her thighs and waist, lifting her off the ground. The creature climbed up over the tall wall guarding Devil’s Pass then, going right over it. Nightmare broke out into a run, its long legs moving far faster than any horse could, carrying her quickly through the city. Devil’s Pass was deserted, its inhabitants having already escaped through the Underground.
Only the booby-traps remained, created and placed by Kendra herself.
Nightmare stepped over these expertly, knowing their location despite never having seen them before. The creature was connected to Kendra, able to share her thoughts…and vice-versa. It knew what she knew. Every elite Painter had a Familiar, a powerful creature bonded to their mind and soul.
And Nightmare was powerful indeed.
It took her to the edge of the cliffside, where elevators served to bring people down to the lower half of Devil’s Pass. Nightmare leapt right off, plummeting to the ground far below. Its legs struck the cobblestone street, bending to absorb the impact. Then it continued down the street, past the buildings on either side, toward the wall bordering the opposite side of the city.
Nightmare climbed right over the wall, charging toward the swirling ocean of mist that filled the huge crater that was home to the Misty Marsh.
Then it leapt into the mist, carrying Kendra through the choking fog, toward the Underground…and the love of her life.
Chapter 20
