“That is mine.”
The Meraphor roars and charges Luke, its bladed arms stretching longer than its patchwork body. A few nimble jumps and flips is all the half-elf can do before he is struck by a wave of primal fear. His frustration is etched on his pale face as he backs away and forces himself to block the jerky attacks of the creature. The burning across his chest returns whenever the Meraphor’s slashing limbs come within an inch of his body. Gasping for air, Luke focuses on his sabers and the pink energy crackles back to life. He severs one of his enemy’s arms, which disintegrates before it hits the floor, but he is unable to avoid a punch to the shoulder. A surge of intense pain sends him crashing to the ground while the Meraphor collapses in agony.
Both combatants writhe on the floor and fight to be the first one to recover. Luke is barely aware of a high-pitched voice calling his name and the sensation of curse-infused blood seeping from his shoulder wound. His eyes are locked on the Meraphor, which is already on its knees and growing spikes from its body. The half-elf crawls to the dais and manages to stand on shaky legs, Dark Wind and blood dripping from his mouth.
Unleashing a room-shaking roar, the Meraphor leaps at the weakened forest tracker. Luke braces himself against the marble steps and holds out his sabers, his ring’s aura coiling around the weapons. With a tight spin, he ducks under the lashing arm and uses his blades to flip the Meraphor over his head. The creature hits the mirror and remains hanging upside down before Luke lunges forward to slam his sabers into its chest. With a gentle hiss, the maelstrom body of the monster turns into Dark Wind and sinks into the glass where the writhing curse settles on the floor of the eerie dungeon.
“Luke okay?” Fizzle asks as he comes through a window and lands on his friend’s shoulder. “Fizzle track Luke aura. Fizzle push to limits and tired. Luke? Luke?”
Walking to the bottom of the marble dais, the warrior silently stares at the mirror. His eyes are vacant and cycle from their bright green to a chocolate brown to a deep black. His arms dangling at his sides, Luke slips into a thoughtless trance and obediently waits for whatever is going to come next.
*****
Fire-wrapped lightning blasts a hole in the floor, sending several monsters crashing into the caverns below the castle. Nyx hurls spell after spell at the surrounding horde in the hopes of forging a path that they can escape through. At her back, Delvin parries and slashes at anything that comes within reach of his blade. He fights through the pain of a broken collarbone, the thought of Nyx being overrun giving him the strength to continue fighting. Whenever she shifts to attack another part of the mob, he fluidly steps with her to protect her rear. The monsters are startled when a sucking sound erupts from their right, but the adventurers ignore the noise. They know it only means that a creature fell into the entrance tunnel and has been sent to the maelstrom room. It is only a matter of time before the clumsy monster is back within the ranks of the savage mob.
The variety of monsters keeps the pair on edge as they have no idea what to expect from the crowd. Pulsing orbs float through the air and split into two independent creatures when slashed by Delvin or deflate if struck by Nyx’s spells. Rapidly spinning creatures deflect her fireballs while the warrior skillfully hacks off their solitary foot at the rotating ankle. Gigantic hulks with wart-covered skin smash through their own forces to attack with poison-barbed fists, only to be incinerated or decapitated by one of the determined adventurers. The sky above the roofless courtyard is filled with winged beasts that screech and dive while avoiding the hurtling spells of Nyx.
“We’re going to be overrun,” Delvin whispers, slicing a wooden creature in half and stomping on the head of an approaching serpent. He grinds his boot against the cobblestones and blocks a spear-like tongue that erupts from the mob. “Can you cast anything stronger?”
“I’m throwing all that I can without hurting you or destroying the entire building,” Nyx replies as she sends a wave of phantasmal blades into the crowd. She sprints forward to claim some ground, but only gets as far as the first line of bodies before the path is blocked. “They swarm into the gaps too quickly for us to advance. I hope the others didn’t get dropped into a horde like we did. Luke would be dead in an instant.”
“Don’t think that way,” the warrior warns while he backs against her and spins when she turns around. His longsword beheads a pouncing beast and he kicks the six-limbed body back into the mob. “The others will be fine and so will we. All we need is a place to take cover and come up with a plan. Can you protect us with a shield spell?”
“I wouldn’t be able to hold it for very long here. The monsters would put too much pressure on the spell and the aura of this place is making me feel sick,” she answers, giving up on using a variety of attacks. She sends fireball after fireball into the crowd, occasionally clenching her fist to make one of her spells explode into a spray of acidic flames. “If we had a structure to get inside then I could use it as a basis. It would be more of an enhancement than a shield, which puts the strain more on the building than my body.”
“I see a shed or something to your left. Though it might be an outhouse,” Delvin mentions as he parries and disembowels one of the larger monsters. “Guess we shouldn’t be picky and I doubt an outhouse has been used in centuries in this place. Care to lead the way?”
“Stay behind me, but not too close.”
Once she feels Delvin step away, Nyx bursts into flames that crackling with lightning and spray acid around her. With her best attempt at an intimidating scream, the half-elf charges and crashes into the mob. Screeches and roars echo throughout the garden as the slower creatures die before her destructive cocoon. Nyx increases her strength to help knock away the larger beasts that can resist her spells, using their bodies to injure the smaller enemies. The sound of Delvin breathing heavy and slashing away at monsters helps put her at ease as she breaks through the far side of the mob. Making a mad sprint for the flat-topped shed, she nearly hits the warrior when he runs ahead to open the door. Spinning around, Nyx sends her coating of churning magic into the horde and dives into the building as the spells explode.
“Hold it shut!” she yells as Delvin comes in and slams the door. She focuses and presses her palms against the wooden floor, covering the structure in defensive magic. “The weak point is beneath our feet and I think I scared them with that last attack, so we have some time. Looks like this is a gardening shed, but there’s no food or water. I’d say we can last a day or two before we’re too weak to fight.”
“You think the situation is that bad?” her companion asks, sheathing his sword. He struggles to get his chainmail off and winces at the pain in his empty shield arm. “I need to rest and think of a way to tend to this injury. Maybe you can channel a way out of this when we’re ready.”
The caster helps him with his armor, her fingers grazing his bruised flesh. “I don’t think it works that way. Give me some time to think of a way to help you. If it was a cut then I could use fire to cauterize, but a broken bone is too delicate for me.”
“I have a patch to help. Always keep a few for emergencies.”
Delvin pulls a square of yellow, gauze-like material out of a belt pouch. Carefully feeling around his injured shoulder, he searches for where it hurts the most. He takes in a sharp breath and sits on the floor when a shock of pain races up his neck and down his side. Pressing the gauze to the spot, he hisses the activation word and the material melts into his skin. He grits his teeth while the patch wraps around the damaged bone and sets it with an audible snap.
“I’d make a sling, but I don’t know if we’ll need to move quickly. I find it better to have a limp arm than a restrained one,” Delvin says as he stands and leans against a rack of clay planters. He watches Nyx peek out the window at the crowd of monsters, her anxiety revealed by the tight grip she has on her necklace. “So what do you think about being a channeler? Also, I’m sorry about trying to protect you before. What’s gotten into you lately? You know, I think Sari i
s getting suspicious of your feelings for Luke.”
The half-elf turns around with her mouth opening and closing in confusion. “None of that has anything to do with each other. How am I supposed to talk to you about this when I don’t even know where to start? Besides, we have more important things.”
“We’re trapped and have to wait for the others to fix the temple. All we can do is talk until we’re rescued or figure out a way to battle through our new friends. Maybe our incessant talking will bore the monsters and they’ll go away.”
“Fine, but we talk about getting out of here in ten minutes or when I get annoyed,” Nyx explains, moving to stand next to the warrior. She crosses her arms and thinks about his questions, deciding to handle the easy ones first. “Apology accepted and I’m sorry too. I’m having trouble accepting that I can’t save Luke like before. It’s maddening and I feel like I’m failing him because I can’t cure him with a wave of my hand. Trust me when I say that someone is going to have to hold me back the next time we see Stephen. I want to feed him his own tongue and set his lungs on fire as well as a few . . . evil things. I guess that’s why Sari is having issues with me. She knows Luke and I are close like siblings, but she’s never seen our bond pushed to this extent. With her admitting that she wants Luke for herself, Sari doesn’t want to have to compete with both me and Kira. I’ll talk to her when we’re done here and smooth everything over.”
The shed rattles when two of the larger monsters ram into the prismatic barrier. Roars of pain erupt from outside as the beasts burst into flames and charge through the crowd. Nyx covers her mouth to stifle her laughter and hide her impish grin, proud of the reactive spells she wove into the shield. Delvin looks out a narrow window to watch the chaos, disappointed that the mob remains thick even with the threat of getting set on fire.
“I guess we can stay in here until they kill themselves. A silver lining is that I think we have all of the monsters here, so our friends will have an easier time moving around,” he says with a warm smile. He nudges Nyx’s shoulder with his fist, which she catches and holds. “Is everything okay?”
“Your other question . . . I don’t have an answer,” the caster admits in a low voice. She lets go of his arm and wiggles her fingers to create colorful lights in the air. “You see this? I’ve always been able to do things like this. Casting magic is second nature to me, which means I shouldn’t be surprised about what I really am. I can’t say I’m unfamiliar with channelers since they’re a big part of magical history. The only reason I never thought of asking if I was one was because I figured I would be told. It had to have crossed someone’s mind. Being a channeler isn’t the problem. It’s nobody knowing about it that troubles me.”
“It sounds like Isaiah knew.”
Nyx rubs her eyes and stares at the ceiling planks as the shed shakes again. “According to Stephen and I can’t take his word on that. I can believe him about me being a channeler because the evidence is clear, but he has no proof that Isaiah knows. After all, that old lizard had no idea Luke was a champion for eighteen years. Maybe he can’t know about our abilities until we discover them on our own. I’ll get angry if I confront him and find out Stephen is telling the truth.”
“Well, I’ll be here for you if Isaiah knew.”
The warrior winces as he flexes his arm and picks up his chainmail, feeling the stiffness in his shoulder as he puts the armor back on. He draws his sword and examines the edge, frowning at the damage. Sitting on the floor, Delvin pulls out a whetstone to sharpen his blade and tries to ignore the roars from outside.
“Do you think it’s ridiculous that I’ll battle a horde of monsters without a second thought, but you make me a nervous idiot?” Nyx suddenly asks. She smirks when her friend drops the whetstone and mumbles incoherently. “Not much fun being blindsided by a question, is it? I should do this more often. I have some good ones to stun you with.”
“I don’t think you’re ridiculous at all. In fact, it’s rather cute,” he replies with a laugh. He leans to the side and avoids the gentle bolt of force that sputters against the wall. “When you react like that, I feel like I’m seeing a rare side of you. I know the tough and brave Nyx is the real you that the world sees, but there’s definitely a softness beneath your surface. It’s very endearing and I’m sorry if you think I’m teasing you. I’ll stop and find other ways to get those reactions without upsetting you.”
“I’m not upset, but I feel awkward because . . .” she says, letting her voice trail off. The caster stomps her foot and turns away, trying to find the least embarrassing way to explain herself. “I’ve never dated or even kissed anyone. Well, I kissed Luke to save his life and Sari kisses me all the time, but those don’t count. I’m talking seriously kissed someone in the way that Luke kisses Sari or Kira. Whatever we have here is foreign to me and I wish I could explain this without saying kiss so much.”
Delvin sheathes his weapon and gets to his feet, a small smile on his face. “We have something?”
“I will admit that there is . . . an interest, but I don’t know anything more than that,” she answers as she climbs onto a stool to look out a high window. She touches the wall and recharges the barrier when she sees a horned behemoth pawing at the ground. “I considered calling you a brother or sister like the others, but it doesn’t feel right. Not sure if that means you’re going in the right or wrong direction with me.”
The shed shakes and a deafening explosion rocks the entire castle as the warrior approaches his giggling companion. “How can you not understand your own emotions?”
“As if you have a solid handle on this.”
“Of course I do.”
“Not likely.”
“I know I love you, Nyx.”
The caster blushes and grips the window frame, which causes the barrier to unleash a massive wave of force. Monsters are hurled around the roofless garden with some of them sent screaming over the wall. With a nervous clearing of her throat, the caster calms down and hops off the stool to face her friend.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say the same without feeling some doubt,” Nyx whispers with her hands behind her back. “You want too much from me. With me not knowing if either of us will survive the final battle or even make it that far, I can’t bring myself to go to that level of attachment. I’m too scared that we’d get close only to be crushed.”
“I understand,” Delvin says, putting his hands on her shoulders. He frowns at the sound of the monsters returning to surround them. “That means I have to wait until all of this is over and then we’ll go on a date. All I have to do is kill Stephen, defeat the Baron, and make sure all of us are still alive at the end. Want to add beating Ram in an arm-wrestling competition to make it a real challenge?”
“You’re such an idiot,” Nyx mutters in exasperation, slipping out of his hands and leaning against the wall. “I think your ten minutes are up, Mr. Cunningham. I don’t like waiting to be rescued when we’re fully capable of fighting. If I could find a source of aura to connect to, I might be able to put an end to the horde out there.”
“What about the energy in the temple?”
The half-elf shakes her head and taps her foot on the floor, the barrier thrumming with every beat. “The living curse is embedded in the magic, so I could infect myself or worse. At best, I’d probably waste half of my aura purifying the energy. If I was more experienced with channeling then I’d have a better shot. I did it once with a demon summoning circle, but that was instinct and desperation. I need pure aura to do it consciously.”
“Use mine,” Delvin blurts out, putting his arm out for her to grab. “You said it before that it was potent and I’m not really using it.”
“I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t, Nyx. I trust you.”
Unable to think of another plan, she cautiously reaches out to hold her friend’s arm and focuses on his energy. The caster can sense it burning within him and a wave of giddin
ess washes over her from the intoxicating scent. Reaching out to touch his aura, Nyx realizes that she cannot grab it with her own magic. The two energies mix and blend where the pair physically touch, but the bonding spells that she tries to create are swiftly devoured by the churning magic within her companion.
“I’m sorry, Delvin,” she whispers, letting go of his arm.
The warrior is about to insist that she try again when Nyx grabs him by the face. Standing on her toes and pulling him down by the cheeks, the half-elf kisses him hard. Delvin’s lips heat up as their auras collide and pour into the barrier around the shed. Enjoying the kiss, he barely notices the sound of shrieking monsters and explosions from outside.
*****
“About time you woke up,” Sari says when she sees Timoran’s eyes open. She slumps against a crystal turret and groans as her muscles ache. “Ignore the gypsy-shaped dent that’s become a puddle beneath your massive backside. I tried to cushion your fall, but you’re too big and your head hit the ground.”
“Where are we and what happened?” the barbarian asks, staring at the cloudy sky. He hears the sound of distant explosions and screeching beasts, but his vision swims whenever he tries to sit up.
Sari crawls to Timoran and places his head in her lap, placing her soothing hands on his forehead. “The wind tunnels are a form of transportation around the castle and we were sent to a crystal tower. The force was enough to launch us, so I had to use my boots and create an ice shield to cushion the impact. It was still a rough landing, which bruised me up pretty badly. From the brief look I had while falling, we’re in the center tower of the castle. I saw something happening in the gardens below and there’s a place behind us with a lot of windows. It looks like the castle is a square with four elevated pathways that go over the inner courtyard and connect to this middle tower. The only other thing I noticed was a lot of movement on the ground, but that’s all I could see before crashing.”
“Thank you,” Timoran whispers, wincing as he gets to his feet. He takes a deep breath and grabs the edge of an ironwood pedestal. “I wonder what is important about this tower since it has a direct tunnel. The corner spires end in points, which means one cannot stand on their tops. Perhaps they are designed to send energy to this tower like those we saw on the Island of Pallice.”
Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) Page 32
