by James Wymore
Prince Richard turned and closed his eyes, facing full toward the sun, so the light penetrated his eyelids and filled his vision with red. He drew on the sun's power. He wished now he had taken the school-master more seriously at the Selest Seminary. However, he didn't dwell on it. He just let all his heart and soul connect by magic to the sun and draw it like lightning to a tall tree. Just as it had before, the temperature rose and the snow began dripping in small, unseen streamlets below the mantel.
Suddenly, the heat rose again. Richard felt his heart burning inside his chest. His blood pressure pounded in his head. Through his closed eyelids, the light grew to a hot orange.
Richard knew he wasn't more powerful with magic. Rather, he was channeling more magic, which wasn't his own. He felt words form in his mind, Keep going. It was Jewel. She was lending him her magic, along with so many people from Winigh.
Richard suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline, as only royalty can when a flood of power goes through them. He recognized in this moment so much more than the mere need to melt the snow. He knew the people of Winigh were making him into a human conduit for more power than any Selest wizard. He even felt magic from the children seeping into his heart. It was all he could do to concentrate on the heat and not be distracted by the sheer energy he now wielded.
One by one, they lent him more and more magic. Richard redirected it to the sun. He knew he wasn't increasing the sun, of course. Such an act would be impossible. Rather, he gathered the rays of the sun to him, letting them fall all over the land.
With his eyes closed he still saw full yellow sunlight. Tempted to cover his eyes, he held his control, blasting the intensified rays all over the pass before him. His eyes began to hurt. His forehead began to sweat. His coat was unbearable. Yet he held on as more and more magic rushed in, circled through his soul, and then flew up to the great fiery orb in the sky.
All sounds drowned in the collective trickle of running water which joined to roar like a great river falling off a tall cliff. The snow by Richard melted, soaking his pants and boots.
Feeling the magic gnawing at his insides, pain seeped in, as if small ants were biting his guts. His brain throbbed and threatened to explode. His heart raced as his mouth went dry and his lips cracked. The skin on his face burned until it peeled on his nose and cheeks. Yet Richard refused to flinch or break the flow.
In the end, the people behind him ran dry. The magic staunched at the source, Richard collapsed to the dry, rocky earth beneath his feet.
"Wake up," Jewel said softly as she patted his cheeks.
Richard opened his eyes. They hurt, but he happily endured the pain to see the beautiful woman before him.
"You did it!" she said.
"Not without you."
She kissed his face. Again, the pain was worth it. "Water," she called to the people nearby. They were already rushing across the high pass to the next peak. Somebody stopped to offer an animal skin of grape juice. She patiently poured it in his mouth. The drops which hit his lips stung as the sweet nectar cooled his throat.
Suddenly, the throng of people by them stopped, gasping. Several people even began to step back. They were all staring over the side of the mountain.
Unable to resist, Richard sat up and looked in that direction. Huge gray claws reached up over the edge of the cliff. Looking almost as if they had been hewn from the rock itself, the giant webbed claws broke boulders free with a rumble as it scrambled for purchase and sent slick shards of rock flying in every direction. Finally, wrapping one hand around a tree trunk and wedging the other in a wide crack, the titan pulled itself up over the edge.
The massive monster's belly crunched onto the sloped rock. It had great yellow eyes, positioned like a Hyzoi, but smaller compared to the massive square face. The jaw stuck out with a wicked under bite to reveal huge, cracked teeth. Instead of sandy plates of armor like the reptilian humanoids it must have been distantly related to, this behemoth had large pillars of rock sticking up from its arms and back. The rock spines were cracked and broken at the end, in terrible testament to their impenetrability.
Jets of water sprayed up from below, where Hyzoi supported the turtlelike demon. Laying the great tonnage of its body, the gargantuan scratched with webbed feet to try and gain purchase on the cliff. As it pedaled, sword length claws ripped huge boulders loose from the side of the rock wall, showering them down on the unprepared Hyzoi and extinguishing a few of the water jets.
Richard couldn't believe the sun-spotted view his eyes were giving. "Do you see that?" he asked Jewel.
"Yes."
He wagged his head and tried to sit up. Now he knew what the big black blob had been among the tiny ones he had seen over the side of the cliff. Worse, he knew that if the snow was still here, this unimaginable monster would not be attacking them now.
"What should we do?" Vince asked, backing up to Richard. Like all the people of Winigh, he could not take his eyes off what seemed to be a cross between a Hyzoi and a mountain.
Richard did not answer. He looked at the long path before them. The horror moved forward slowly, but it would be able to intercept them before they reached the next peak. In his memory, now restored, the Prince had never faced anything like it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
"Boulders," Richard said. Then he yelled, "Boulders!" He pressed his hands up against a large rock, which sat along the path and above the rocky slope, where a tall snow cap gave way to the space where the avalanche had clear stripped the ground. Two others joined him and together they broke it loose.
The rock bounced twice before it cracked in two. The smaller piece slide until it fell in a large crack. The larger piece bounced again and then slid down the steep slope. As it neared the great creature, the rock seemed to diminish to a pebble, showing exactly how big their new foe really was. The rock smacked into the creature's chin and bounced off harmlessly, coming to a stop.
"Everybody up the path," Richard yelled. "Run!" It was at least half an hour's hike across the ridge road. He knew they could not make it. But he didn't know what else to say and he hoped at least some of the group could get through before the monster caught up to them.
"Drake!" Richard cupped his hands to yell again, but stopped when he saw Jewel. He turned to her and said, "Run for all you are worth."
"I don't want to leave you."
"I'll be right behind," he said. He kissed her cheek and turned away. "Drake!"
Down the path a small figure stepped away from the wall and waved back. "Retreat! Up the hill!"
Drake hollered new orders and the group broke, running to join the rest of the town up the path. Richard searched the group for Bowen, not seeing the unique purple hat. When he looked back, he saw Jewel rushing forward with the rest. Even cleared of snow, the wet ground was rough and treacherous.
"What are we going to do?" Vince asked.
"We try to outrun it," Richard said. "When that fails, we fight. The webbed hands and feet are not rock. And I'm hoping the eyes…"
"We have to wait for that thing to jump at us before we shoot?" Vince wondered.
"I don't know," Richard said. "I've never seen one before. But when this is over, I want to make a footstool out of one of those teeth."
Vince actually cracked a smile. "Think how easy it would be to build a house with one of those working for you."
Richard scanned the slope again. "There." He pointed to the low point on the path about halfway between the peaks. "That's where it will reach the path. We have to fight it there."
Vince nodded. "No problem." His voice didn't hold the bravado of his words.
"I would hate to have to try and feed one of those," Richard said, patting Vince on the back.
"A whole mountain of grapes and vines couldn't keep it fed," Vince said as he nodded.
"Come on," Richard said as the rear guard reached them. Hyzoi, breaking past the wagon were not far behind. The group began to run, turning back often to check on their pursuers. Soon the Hyzoi s
topped to rest. Many of them pointed at the monster and cheered with a rhythmic bellow.
As the rear guard caught up with the slower kids and older women, the huge monster managed to wiggle up onto the rock shelf and began stomping up the slope. It clearly preferred to walk erect. However, the wet rocks frequently slipped or broke beneath the great weight and eventually it lowered to all fours, deliberately dragging its hulking mass toward the human targets.
The line continued at a maddeningly slow pace. People constantly stumbled on the rocks as fear and icy wind sapped their strength. Richard glanced back at the last twenty strong fighters they had. They had maybe fifty arrows left between them. All that kraken had to do was literally just fall on them, and what remained of their warriors would be snuffed out.
"Spread out!" he commanded. "Move up the line." He rushed forward himself, moving past several of the hikers toward the middle of the line. "I don't want any two fighters within ten feet of each other. We have to make it to the saddle before that devil!"
He watched the steady progress of the doom boss approaching them. It clearly couldn't sprint like the Hyzoi. The beast slipped and fell to its chest. Instead of lifting and continuing the inexorable climb, it stopped. At least it had the three chambered heart. It had to rest.
"Run for your lives!" the Prince screamed up the line. "We can beat it if you fly!"
Prince Richard had to spend all his adrenaline on patience as the group wound slowly toward the critical point in the path. The soldiers were taking the west side of the road, with everybody else moving one or two abreast on the east. The great monster was up and climbing again, sending rocks skittering down the slope with every thrust of a claw.
The Hyzoi behind them had started the chase again. On flat ground, the people would be already overrun, but the great mass of their pursuers' sea going bodies made climbing hard. Still, they closed the gap.
Richard felt exhaustion take the last energy from his core. He didn't know how his feet kept moving as he slipped past the slower people on the path and pressed toward the critical point. His heart was beating in his ears and his head hurt. Dry mouthed, he coughed cold air as he made the lowest point on the road.
"Spread out," he said with a cracked voice to the fighters gathered there. "Ten feet apart."
"How do we kill that?" Drake asked when he joined them.
"Eyes, hands, feet, and anywhere you can fit a sword between the rocky spines," Richard said. He watched half a dozen townsfolk move past behind him.
The spiny giant reached the top of the slope, where the arc leveled out, and stood back up. Richard searched the jagged belly for any sign of weakness. Unlike a turtle, the hard surface seemed to cover everywhere.
Richard stood still, waiting as long as he could for the people of Winigh to move beyond and ascend the path to the north. Near the peak, snow remained. He wished they had nothing more than snow to impede them now.
The monster's steps each rumbled through the ground as it began advancing to the now bare rock, recently blanketed by snow. Richard checked back at the Hyzoi, quickly gaining on the Winigh stragglers.
He thought of home, of the castle he grew up in. He remembered all the politics and intrigue. He'd come to battle partly to escape the claustrophobic atmosphere. Every word, every gesture was analyzed a dozen ways. It had been stifling. Even now, as he stood between an approaching hoard of Hyzoi warriors and their hell-spawned rock-dragon, he felt less constricted than at the castle. He vowed in his heart that things would be different now. If he made it back, he would not let the squabbles of pseudo-nobles divert him again. He was married now. The future heir was on the way. All that remained was to get them to safety. Even if he died, his ring and the testimony of so many witnesses to their marriage would assure Jewel and his son a place of honor and security in the castle.
Richard nodded, and took a deep breath of cold air. As long as they were safe, he will have spent his life well.
"Elwood," Jewel called. She was coming back to him? No!
"What are you doing?" he snapped. "I asked you to get up the path."
"We can help you," Jewel said. "We can lend you our magic."
"I need you safe," he said. "I needed you to be…" Words failed him. In that moment it had all come undone. The ground rumbled again as the beast crushed rocks beneath thousands of tons of body mass.
"You won't fail," Jewel said.
Two more steps and he knew it would be time to charge.
"Please move up the path and help me from there," he said. "Promise me!"
Jewel nodded. She joined the others climbing up, turning often to check on him.
The ground rumbled again and Richard called, "It will fall!" He rushed forward with his sword and knife high.
The rest of the fighters left the rock lined road and ran out onto the shallow slope of the mountain crest. They began to yell, taking courage from screaming into the face of certain death.
The creature, amused by the approach of very tiny foes, roared a sound so low it only registered as a rhythm of reverberating bass. The giant foot landed again, cracking the shale into a spider-web and sending up dust. Richard reached it first, leaping onto one ridged toe and cutting on both sides with sword and knife.
Sensing pain, the monster twisted to lift the foot and fell to its side, crushing five soldiers as the great spines shattered against the hard top. They thrust with swords at the right moment, but failed to do any perceptible damage.
A dozen soldiers leapt on flailing webbed appendages, slicing between giant digits. Vince and Drake raced for the monster's head. Vince's sword thrust at one barrel sized eye, only to glance off the hard membrane covering it. When the creature twisted to snap its house-sized jaw around Vince, Drake thrust at the other eye. A deluge of aqueous humor flooded from the eye, unprotected in the lunge, and soaked Drake and the ground.
The monster roared, releasing Vince's body. Nevertheless, the damage was done. The loyal man fell into the mess.
Wailing in patterned roars, the monster rolled back and forth, hoping to crush any harrying its limbs. By the time it flipped back onto the rocky belly, Richard and five archers had arrived near the head. Richard feinted with a superficial slash to the monster's neck, leaping back and rolling away before the lightning fast jaw snapped him in two.
As he'd hoped, the monster was all instinct, feeding wherever unfortunate creatures touched the rocky camouflage. As the face turned, five arrows sailed true and popped the last eye in the moment when it was unprotected.
The beast leaped to its feet, crushing another man of Winigh. Blind, it began stomping randomly to crush all around it. Huge pieces of rock flew in every direction, hitting one woman in the head and knocking down a few others.
"Back to the Hyzoi!" Richard called. "Everybody back to the south end of the group!"
The others tore themselves away from staring at the blind behemoth. With the spell broken, they regrouped and rushed back toward the path.
The Hyzoi had caught the end of the line, killing several people before the last few defenders intercepted them. As they ran, Richard continued to yell orders. "Don't stop! Keep it up! We don't have to kill them! Just buy enough time for the town to escape!"
He knew the soldiers needed no pep talk. He just hoped his voice was loud enough to draw the attention of the shambling giant.
First to arrive, Drake bodily kicked into the lead Hyzoi, knocking it sideways onto its companion.
Ignoring the rocks delineating the path, the Hyzoi began to spread out once they reached the flat of the saddle. As they did, Winigh's final defense met them, holding the line for what could only be precious few seconds before a hundred foes overwhelmed and surrounded them.
Chapter Thirty-Five
"Now!" Richard screamed. "Break now!"
Watching the wave of reptilian monsters rush on them with an insatiable blood-lust, the soldiers of Winigh needed no more direction than that. They turned and ran, knowing the faster Hyzoi would tear t
hem down in seconds. Yet they trusted their leader so completely, they didn't question the order.
As the last dozen fighters turned and sprinted up the hill, the rock-titan dove toward the only thing it could still sense—the sound of battle. A thunderous quake rocked the world as the turtle-dragon belly flopped onto a mob of shocked Hyzoi.
The frenzied Hyzoi, blocked in their path of sure victory, began hacking at the greater monster. It responded by flailing and crushing all it could reach.
"Rally!" Richard called. The soldiers about faced, falling on the handful of enemies who escaped the crushing fall and dispatched them.
"Now run for your lives!" Richard didn't count them. He didn't check the fallen Hyzoi. He didn't wait to guard their retreat. He sprinted in front of them, drawing on energy he didn't possess and gulping deep breaths of frozen wind.
By the time the survivors waded into the snow near the far peak, the Hyzoi managed to clear the monster, and began hiking up behind them. The enemy had fallen a quarter mile behind the people of Winigh now. At full march, Richard thought it would be at least an hour before the Hyzoi caught them. He started the townsfolk walking as soon as the reorganized enemies began trudging across the now dry expanse. However, before they made it halfway up the next length of the path, they stopped and started heading back the other way.
"Why do they turn back?" Drake asked. He was the only one of Richard's leaders to make it.
"No water," Richard said. Sweeter words had never gone out of his mouth. "They can't go on without water."
Tears fell and then froze as all who remained of the people of Winigh sighed.
Richard found Jewel, and they held each other. Jewel cried, sometimes remembering Macey, other times for relief to finally be beyond the reach of the Hyzoi. A few scouts went ahead to check the path, while the rest of town bandaged as many of the wounds as they had cloth for and ate. They moved across the next ridge, where trees broke the chill wind. Huddled together, they took some small warmth from the bodies of their surviving friends and family.
