To begin with, they weren't even sure that the Dark Mage had any vulnerabilities to exploit.
Surely, they hoped, he had some kind of weakness—all creatures, no matter their background, were weak to something. This much they agreed on. But in all their battles against Torrent, they had never once gotten a decisive blow in. They'd never even injured him; their every effort against him had amounted to nothing but a series of irritations. How could they hope to defeat someone so powerful? No matter their strategy, Torrent was always one step ahead. They could not out-speed or out-muscle him. What, then, could they do?
Minx and Kaleb sought solitude in the woods. There, they fell into each other's arms and gathered their energy. “What is he?” asked the Fae huntress.
“I'm not sure,” was Kaleb's reply. He held her tightly, thankful for the brief respite after a day filled with chaos. “Whatever he is, I can't even begin to guess at his weaknesses. He's never shown us his belly, so to speak. If not for his proficiency in magic, I'm sure that we'd be able to deal with him. But he's good—far too good to fall to our usual tactics.”
“The spring water didn't work,” added Minx with a dour look. “I thought for sure that it would have an effect—that it would at least weaken him. After what Gloirs said, I was hopeful...”
Kaleb smirked. “It may not have hurt him, but he was pretty mad when I splashed it in his face. That counts for something, doesn't it?”
The Fae had fought too long and come too far to fall to Torrent now. The enemy was right outside the gate, and seemed determined to launch a final, decisive offensive. The occasion required ingenuity—a well-formed and actionable plan to keep him from achieving his terrible ends. But no one seemed to know a thing about this enemy. Torrent was a great unknown. The First, the Fae Elders—none had been able to offer insights into Torrent's background. The only person that had been able to give them intel on the Dark Mage had been Alla.
Minx sat upright. Something had suddenly dawned on her. “Hey, I know this is a long shot, but... Alla is half dragon and half Fae, right? She was drawn to Gloirs Mountain, had a connection to it. What if Torrent is the same? Alla alluded to the fact that his lineage is a mystery, but... isn't it possible that he's a half-dragon, half-Fae hybrid like her? If so, it may explain his particular connection to Heilo Lake.”
“Alla was born from a dragon's egg,” said Kaleb. “She lived among the dragons but was supposedly cast out of our lands because of her mixed lineage.” He gave the matter some thought, his eyes brightening. “You may be onto something. Torrent could be a hybrid, too, but he's different. He isn't like Alla—not exactly.”
“What if, unlike Alla, Torrent was born to the Fae?” asked Minx. “Suppose we're right, but Torrent was born of a Fae mother, rather than a dragon's egg like Alla. It would explain his attachment to the lake, wouldn't it? His skill with magic, too—that's more of a Fae trait than a dragon one.” She nodded firmly.
“Interrupting his connection with the lake seems like the best way to reduce his power,” offered Kaleb. He stretched, still sore for the beating he'd taken. The wound on his head had been cleaned, and Minx had used her healing magic to help it along. “But ever since he tainted it, the lake is dying. I don't know what we can do to clean up the waters. If there were some spell we could use to counter his magic, or else interrupt his influence over the lake long enough for it to heal on its own, then that would be the most straightforward option. You wouldn't happen to know anyone out there who's as good at magic as ol' Torrent is, would you?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I'm afraid not. If the Fae Elders had a way out of this, they would have acted by now. They staked a lot on this barrier—and they put you through a lot in pursuit of it. But unfortunately, it isn't working. It kept them out for a little while, but even as we speak Torrent is probably forcing his way through. The warding spell has been a stalling tactic, more than anything.”
“It's not all bad,” replied Kaleb. “It kept the grunts from storming Pan and Heilo Lake. Don't forget, they were on the verge of completely invading just a short while ago. Except for the Krah, who still find a way through, it's been successful in keeping the dark army at bay. It's just... we never should have relied on it to bar Torrent from entering.”
“We should see how everyone's doing,” said Minx, slowly standing. “Perhaps we've stumbled onto something here. If Torrent is half Fae and half dragon like Alla, then that could be a crucial piece of the puzzle. But we need more. That's not enough to act on. But let's see how the barrier is holding up, and how the defense forces are doing. We don't have a lot of warriors left, but they're doing a great job under the circumstances.”
Kaleb rose, dusting off his armor. “All right, let's make ourselves useful.”
Chapter 18
The attacks to the shield didn't stop.
Unable to defeat Torrent, Kaleb and Minx had had no choice but to cede a portion of the Pandling Grounds Trading Center and to flee for Pan. Now, the Dark Mage had brought the fight further into the lands of the Fae. He was seeking to expand his territorial influence, and was staging a frightful offensive against the wards that still stood beyond his newest acquisitions.
The First, marching about the tree city of Pan and giving orders to the thinning ranks of Fae warriors, conferred with Minx and Kaleb about what they'd seen during their time in the ruins of the Trading Center.
“A number of Wuffs and Plurn were wandering through there,” began Minx. “They were no problem; Kaleb and I managed to scare them away. But then... Torrent arrived.”
The First arched a dark brow. His hand tightened around the hilt of one of the swords he wore on his waist. “The Dark Mage himself? I'm surprised he reared his head. It's a bold move. What was he doing?”
Kaleb shrugged weakly. “It was a chance encounter. We'd spooked his grunts and thought we'd driven them off, but then he walked up to us from the other side of the Trading Center. We both tried to take him on, but...” He offered a sheepish grin. More painful for him than the thrashing he'd received at Torrent's hand was having to admit he'd been bested. “He, uh... he made mincemeat of us, I'm afraid. We had no choice but to retreat.”
“I see...” The First sighed, pacing in the dense shade. “Torrent is currently launching an offensive against the shields. At this rate, we have no idea how long they'll remain intact. You did a great thing for us by participating in the shielding ritual, but we were naive to underestimate the Dark Mage's abilities. The shields only bought us time; they were never a solution to our problems. He and his men have breached the shields around the outer edge of the Trading Center and are now pressing on with an eye toward Pan and Heilo Lake. We can't allow them to succeed, though halting their advance will be easier said than done—especially if our most powerful warriors can't defeat him two-on-one...”
Minx knew precisely how dire the situation was. The Fae forces had been thoroughly depleted, and with Torrent himself fighting on the front lines, they could throw nothing at the enemy that would stick. Any mission to take out Torrent would be a suicide run. So, this is it? There's nothing more that we can do? It wasn't in her nature to surrender—especially when the stakes were this high—but the Fae huntress simply couldn't see a way forward.
“We've been trying to learn more about Torrent,” explained Kaleb. “At this point, we aren't sure what his weaknesses are. We've hit nothing but dead-ends. I don't suppose the Fae Elders have any insights to share on the matter, do they?”
The First spared a glum smile. “They would have told us by now if they did.” He looked to the dimming sky, waving to a number of Fae warriors in the vicinity and ordering them into formation. “Nonetheless, we can't allow Torrent to rage unchecked. We will meet him in battle. A victory would bring this war to a swift conclusion, but even if we should fail and be forced into a retreat, it would still slow him down. He must face resistance at every turn, lest he gain the whole territory in one fell swoop.” He drew one of his longswords from its sca
bbard. “Who will march with me?”
The troops that had been gathered—roughly fifteen warriors—uniformly blanched at the First's suggestion, but to their credit they didn't turn away from him. Though they recognized the danger posed by this mission, they would follow whatever order they were given. Minx and Kaleb, too, were resolved to accompany him into battle. They could hardly refuse to participate and leave the leader of the Fae vulnerable.
“Very good,” continued the First. “We will march to the section of Pandling Grounds currently under attack and drive Torrent from the shields. This mission is not for the faint of heart. I would ask you to take care of yourselves—keep your wits about you. The Dark Mage is a force to be reckoned with. His mastery of the dark arts will undoubtedly be on full display, but do not allow him to intimidate you. We fight for the honor of the Fae—for the defense of these lands our fathers left to us. Little stands in the way of his absolute victory except for the ferocity and pride of the Fae—and these, he will find, are unconquerable!”
The group of warriors, less than twenty in total, fell into formation. Kaleb and Minx walked immediately behind the First, with the Fae warriors bringing up the rear. The soldiers carried an assortment of weapons, mostly swords and lances, though a few archers found their way to the back of the column, ready to lend cover fire.
Minx didn't like their odds. To Torrent, a handful of Fae and a dragon shifter were of no real concern. Nonetheless, she'd been moved by the First's commitment and would do the honorable thing in assisting him. She hoped that they would succeed in driving him off—that their combined efforts would buy them a bit of extra time, at least.
Kaleb, though, was concerning her. He marched steadily, his chest puffed out, and looked more than ready to settle his score with the Dark Mage. Beneath the surface, he seemed barely able to hold it together, though. His complexion wasn't great, and his eyes were filled with weariness. The two of them had found a bit of time to rest since their last run-in with Torrent, but apparently that hadn't been enough to refresh him.
“Are you all right?” she asked him quietly as they marched on.
The answer he gave was anything but convincing. “I'll be fine,” he uttered, taking a long, shaky breath. “I just feel a bit worn out.”
“Do you need more time to rest?” she continued. “After the last fight, I mean?”
He shook his head. “No, it's not that. He gave us a good pummeling, but... I just feel weaker. It's a feeling I've had for awhile now. It just happens to be getting worse all of a sudden.”
Minx wondered after the source of this newfound weakness in him. Was it an emotional phenomenon—a result of discouragement? No, that couldn't be it. Even against the poorest odds, she'd never known Kaleb to sulk. More likely, it had something to do with his new role as the living shield. Since he'd participated in the ritual, he'd been given to odd fluctuations in strength. She recalled the way they'd almost crashed while flying to the Talon Range, and feared a repetition. Maybe it's the tainting of the lake that's having a bad effect on him. Or could it be Winterlimb? She turned to him, asking, “Have you heard from Winterlimb lately? Do you think he might have some advice?”
The dragon shifter smirked. “No, I haven't heard a peep out of him. Convenient, isn't it? I've tried calling out to him a few times since we returned, but he hasn't answered.”
The powers of the Fae were linked to the wellbeing of Heilo Lake, and so were Winterlimb's. Kaleb's lagging strength was almost certainly tied to the lake's poor state as well. Now that he'd been used as a living sacrifice for the shielding spell—had interacted so intimately with the magic of the region—Kaleb's own condition was probably more closely linked to the health of the lake than even Minx's own. Until the waters are purified, this deterioration is going to continue...
The First motioned into the distance with his sword as they neared the sought-after border. “We've nearly arrived. Brace yourselves.”
Outside the shields, a curious storm was raging. Lightning dropped soundlessly from the sky, dancing about the ruins of the Trading Center. The skies roiled, grey clouds turning themselves inside-out as several Krah spell-casters stood near the barrier. Their species was not held back by the warding spell; they could have crossed it had they so wished. Instead, they remained patiently on its other side, lending Torrent their magical talents. The air around them seemed to churn with electricity as they muttered incantations in their harsh, reptilian tongue.
These scaly spell-casters, clad in light armor and unarmed, were particularly vulnerable, and at sight of the First and his cadre of Fae warriors, they immediately ceased their utterings and began to flee. A few Wuffs had been stationed nearby with lances to guard the Krah, but they were quickly thrown into a panic, falling back. The Krah had been carrying out their spell-craft for some time and had met no resistance; the sudden appearance of the Fae warriors proved quite a jolt to the assembled dark warriors.
The First singled them out with the tip of his sword and bellowed an order. “Crush them!”
Kaleb, setting aside his fatigue, rushed forth and started into the small group of scrambling Wuffs before they even had a chance to prepare for him. Meanwhile, Minx and the other archers in the group loaded their bows and prepared to take down any newcomers.
As the dragon shifter picked up a pair of Wuffs by their scruff and threw them over his head, the Krah spell-casters dove out of sight, taking cover lest they fall prey to enemy fire. A lone Plurn armed with a flail came running at the mass of warriors, ready to lash out at the First. Before he could even swing the spiked weapon, the Plurn was filled with arrows, collapsing in the mud with a sharp cry. The First chuckled to himself, sword at the ready. “We've caught them off guard! They expected us to just let them have the territory, eh?” He glared at one of the fleeing Krah, shouting after him, “Go and tell your master that he's made a terrible misstep!”
From behind a mass of fallen bricks, there came a low, chilling reply. “And what misstep might that be?”
The First lowered his sword briefly and the Fae exchanged nervous glances. Even Minx, moments ago feeling cavalier, froze up at the sound of that voice. She recognized it. “Torrent...” she muttered, seeking his cloaked form and preparing yet another fruitless volley for him.
The Krah and Wuffs that had been fleeing only moments ago now solidified behind their leader. They remained to the back of him, awaiting command, and a certain smugness visited their faces where only moments ago they had been visibly stricken with panic. They knew that they could rely on Torrent's power to protect them; when the Dark Mage was in the vicinity, they feared nothing.
Minx wasted no time. Signaling to the other archers, she raised her bow and launched an arrow in concert with the rest. The cannonade sailed across the muddied field, the glistening tips of the arrows headed straight for the cloaked mage. To the horror of the other Fae archers, who'd never dealt directly with Torrent's might, he brushed the arrows away with a wave of his scaly hand. The response to this incredible defense was immediate; one of the archers dropped his bow, almost as if in protest, and another had to lean against his fellows to remain upright for the knocking of his knees.
The First, sufficiently impressed by Torrent's abilities, strode toward the cloaked mage. “Quite the parlor trick, but let's see if he can do that against a sword!”
Minx thought to stop him, to dissuade the First from such a reckless course of action. The leader of the Fae was no amateur in battle, but she rather doubted that he could stand on even footing with Torrent. She didn't get a chance to warn him, however. Before she could open her mouth, a brilliant fireball sailed across the field and erupted, sending sweltering waves of energy across the battlefield.
Kaleb had shifted, and was now in the process of lobbing molten fire-blasts at the mass of enemies. His chief target had been Torrent, but his onslaught had reduced a number of Wuffs and others to cinders. The immense red dragon beat his wings, stirring up winds more violent than those of th
e storm raging overhead. In this way, he whipped the flames of his fire attack into a frenzy and made them spread across the field. When the smoke cleared and the fires had died down a bit, all eyes were on the front lines of the enemy side.
All eyes were searching for Torrent—or whatever remained of him.
It was Minx who caught sight of him first, unshaken by the column of flame. The edges of his black cloak had been singed and the hood had fallen away to reveal the whole of his scale-ridden face, but he appeared otherwise unharmed.
What occurred next, the Fae huntress could never have anticipated.
Torrent bent slightly at the waist, fists balled at his sides, and from his back their came two tremendous wings. They emerged from beneath his cloak, rending the fabric noisily, and spread out to such a span that they rivaled Kaleb's. The dark grey wings, flecked with emerald scales, cast frightening shadows in the raging firelight. “Two can play at that game,” he said, rising several feet into the air with a single flap.
Minx was speechless. He shifted... but only part-way? Why? Is he incapable of shifting completely? She peered at Kaleb, and found the red dragon acting strangely. His yellow eyes had narrowed, communicating a certain incredulity. I get the feeling that he's wondering the same thing. If Kaleb, a dragon shifter, has never seen anything like this, then I have a bad, bad feeling...
The First, stunned, promptly retraced his earlier steps. He stood amongst his men, staring up at the sky-borne Torrent. The hilt of the sword in his hand rattled as he struggled to stifle his shuddering. “W-What is this? How is it possible?”
The surviving dark warriors beyond the wall of flame were no less shocked by this turn of events than Minx and her comrades, and she even watched as one of the Wuffs broke away from his remaining allies, sprinting off in terror. With Torrent now airborne, there was little that Minx and the others could hope to do to him. He was beyond the range of swords and arrows and would be able to cast spells high above them without interruption. Only Kaleb could hope to do battle with him under the circumstances—and at first sight, Minx didn't like his odds. Compared to the huge dragon, Torrent's winged form appeared much more agile.
How to Bond a Mage (Heir of Dragons Book 3) Page 9
