Princess of Lanfor (Heroes of Ravenford Book 4)

by F. P. Spirit

  Yet Lloyd didn’t stand alone for long. Cyclone, Alana, and Donnie swept past Glo and the others, weapons also ringing as they took up positions at Lloyd’s side.

  Martan and Kalyn were also on the move. The twin archers spread out wide to either side, bows already drawn and arrows nocked. Eight black figures had lined up against the companions, one of them easily as large as Lloyd.

  “Get them!” the big guard cried.

  As one, the guards launched themselves forward. Three dropped almost immediately, with arrows protruding from vital spots. The rest continued their angry dash forward, the sound of steel on steel ringing throughout the square as the battle was joined in earnest.

  Any trepidation Glo had felt suddenly melted away as the sound of peaceful music pervaded the battlefield. Elladan’s fingers glided gracefully across the neck of his lute, the music taking the form of a lullaby.

  Almost as one, the cultist guards disengaged from the fight, with drooping eyes and wide yawns. In mere moments, all had succumbed to the bard’s charms, slumping to the ground fast asleep.

  Glo glanced at Elladan, the bard responding with a nod and a grin.

  The sound of clapping abruptly echoed across the square, a strange voice accompanying it. “Nicely done.”

  A black-robed figure pushed its way through the unusually quiet throng. It was followed by another group of guards. Glo counted twelve altogether.

  The robed figure threw back its hood, revealing a dark-bearded man with weathered features. When he spoke, his tone was rather lofty. “We were wondering when you were going to show up. Let me introduce myself. My name is Paine.”

  Elladan cast a quick glance at Aksel, then spoke for the group. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Paine.”

  Paine turned his gaze upon Elladan. “Hmm. You must be the elven bard. That was a nice little lullaby you played my men. You needn’t bother trying that on us, though. We are immune to such enchantments.”

  Elladan pursed his lips and gave the mage a slight nod. “Duly noted—and you should know that we knew you were expecting us. We ran into your ‘friend,’ Skuld, along the way. She made it quite clear we were tonight’s ‘guests of honor.’”

  “Yeah, and then we sent her packing,” Donnie added glibly.

  A smug smirk spread across Paine’s face. His gaze swept between Elladan and Donnie. “Ah yes, dear Skuld. She was the weakest link of the Council of Six. Getting rid of her is no great loss.”

  Glo exchanged glances with Aksel. Council of Six?

  Aksel responded with a slight shake of his head. Glo peered back at Paine with a perplexed expression. “What is this Council of Six?”

  Paine shifted his eyes to Glo, recognition dawning on his face. “Ah, the elven wizard—the one who likes to light things on fire.”

  Seth, a few feet from Glo, snorted. “Told you you have a reputation.”

  “Not now, Seth,” Aksel whispered through gritted teeth.

  Meanwhile, Paine went on with his explanation. “The Council of Six are the right hand of the goddess, Salisma, and I have the privilege of being one of them.”

  “Wouldn’t that make him a finger?” Donnie quipped in a soft voice.

  “Bet I know which finger he is,” Elladan murmured under his breath.

  The side of Seth’s mouth twisted upward. “What kind of freak has six fingers?”

  Glo coughed violently into his fist, all the while trying to keep a straight face. “Wasn’t… Voltark… one of your number?”

  Paine’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. “Ah, yes. I am quite aware that you did away with him.”

  He held his stare for a few moments, then waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just as well. Voltark was always too full of himself, vying with the rest of us for Salisma’s favor. It appears his ego finally caught up with him.”

  “That and Lloyd’s sword,” Donnie quipped under his breath.

  “Well at least they’re back down to five fingers now,” Seth added softly.

  Poor Kalyn turned red in the face, trying hard not to react to the comments. If Paine heard them at all, he chose to ignore them.

  This time Elladan queried the mage. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are the other three?”

  Paine nonchalantly shifted his gaze to the elven bard. “The other three wait at the old temple just north of here, but you will meet them soon enough.”

  With that, Paine motioned his men forward. “Anyway, that’s enough talk. Take them.”

  This new batch of guards launched themselves across the intervening space between them and the companions. Paine faded behind his men, cutting off any clear shot at the mage.

  Once again, Kalyn and Martan immediately took out two of their opponents, but these men were more seasoned than the rest. The rest of them dodged the archers’ arrows and rushed into close combat.

  The sound of steel on steel rang throughout the square once more. Lively music struck up to accompany it. Elladan played with keen dexterity, his fingers flying over the strings of his lute almost faster than the eye could follow.

  Lloyd and the others pushed back on their opponents with renewed vigor, but they were greatly outnumbered. Kalyn and Martan spread out to either side, the dour archer searching for an opportunity to take down any opponent.

  Kalyn, on the other hand, seemed bent on getting a shot at Paine. She wound her way around the expanding fray until she found an opening. The young archer then let loose one, two, three arrows in rapid succession at the dark mage. Yet all three just bounced off an invisible barrier about a foot away from the mage’s head.

  Paine let out a wicked laugh. “Ha, ha, ha. You’ll have to do better than that, little sniper.”

  Kalyn snarled at the mage. “Casters. I hate casters!” She glanced over her shoulder at the elven wizard. “No offense, Glo.”

  “None taken!” Glo yelled back, yet her attack had given him an idea. The elven wizard called out to both archers as he lifted a hand and pointed at the mage. “Kalyn! Martan! Keep shooting at him!”

  Kalyn knit her brow and narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t argue the point. Martan, on the other hand, questioned his proposal. “You sure?”

  “Just do it! Don’t let up!” Glo cried. With that, he let loose a most basic spell. “Nullam Telum.”

  Four projectiles of arcane energy immediately leapt from his fingertips, spiraling out across the distance. The purple missiles unerringly wove their way through the ongoing battle and struck their target square in the chest.

  A moment later, Paine was pelted with arrows from both sides. Yet the mage remained completely untouched. Paine laughed again, shouting at Glo over the battlefield. “Ha-ha-ha. Did you really think that was going to work?”

  “Not really,” Glo murmured under his breath.

  “Once more!” he shouted to the two archers.

  The three of them hit Paine with another salvo, leaving the mage once again unscratched. This time, Paine’s brow creased. “You know, this is getting quite tedious…”

  “And again!” Glo cried, releasing a third salvo.

  The mage was pelted once more with missiles and arrows. Again he was left without a mark, but his expression had grown angry.

  “I said enough!” he cried over the sounds of battle. “Perhaps you’d like a taste of your own medicine!”

  Paine lifted a finger and swept it across the square, finally coming to rest on Kalyn. “Sorry sweetie, but you lose!”

  The dark mage chanted a spell, a red-hot ray springing from his fingertips.

  “Kalyn!” Martan screamed.

  “Duck!” Glo cried at the same moment.

  The beam arced across the square with the speed of lightning, yet something had gone wrong with the mage’s aim. As the ray left Paine’s hand, his mout
h suddenly dropped open and his eyes went glassy.

  The red-hot beam went awry, glancing across Kalyn’s arm as she flung herself out of the way. The young archer hit the dirt, rolling in it to put out the flames that had sprung up on her tunic.

  Meanwhile, Paine was in trouble. His head tilted back, a strangled cry leaving his lips. A moment later, his knees gave out, his entire body collapsing to the dirt below.

  Behind the fallen mage stood a small black-robed figure, a gleaming dagger in its hand.

  Glo let out a deep breath, the corners of his mouth upturning slightly. He had noticed Seth disappear a while ago. Knowing the halfling as well as he did, he was sure Seth had set his sights on Paine.

  Mage killer. His halfling friend had certainly earned that title today, yet Glo would have to tease him about it later.

  Kalyn had put out the fire on her arm, but she held the limb limply by her side. Meanwhile, Lloyd and the others were still engaged in battle. The tall warrior had a few gashes in his armor. Cyclone and Donnie sported visible wounds as well. Only Alana appeared unscratched. Guess it pays to carry a shield and wear full armor.

  Still, it appeared they were gaining the upper hand. They had felled most of their opponents, each combatant now facing a single remaining guard.

  Martan had rushed to Kalyn’s side and tried to help her as Aksel tended to her wound. The young woman seemed grateful at first, but then pushed the grim young man away. “Quit your fussin’. I ain’t no damsel in distress. Go find someone else to paw.”

  Martan sighed and slowly turned away from the young woman. A moment later he cried out, his voice filled with clear panic. “Um, guys, I don’t think we’re out the woods just yet!”

  The archer pointed across the square.

  Glo followed his gaze and saw more black figures pouring out of the temple. There were dozens of them this time, more than they could handle. Glo’s heart leapt into his throat. There’s no way we can stop that many… unless…

  An idea suddenly dawned on him. Glo quickly pulled out a pinch of glowing dust from his belt and weaved his arms in a well-practiced pattern. “Oh well, if they wanted a night of blood and fire, they’ve got it.”

  A moment later, he finished his incantation. “Murum Ignis.”

  Glo lifted his arms, palms out, in the direction of the temple. At the base of the steps, a curtain of shimmering scarlet fire suddenly sprang into existence. It swiftly rose up into the air, reaching nearly twenty feet in height. The mass of black-clad figures came to an abrupt halt, the lot of them backing away from the flames.

  Yet Glo didn’t stop there. The young wizard knit his brow, beads of sweat forming on it as he concentrated. Over by the temple steps, the wall of fire began to move. It climbed the stairs one by one, driving the black-clad figures back inside the stone structure. The flaming curtain finally stopped moving, trapping the cultists inside the temple.

  Meanwhile, the battle had ended, the last of the guards fallen at their feet. Everyone now stared at the spectacle at the entrance to the temple.

  “Well that’s some fancy fire work there!” Kalyn grinned.

  “I’m suddenly glad you like playing with fire,” Donnie joked.

  “They don’t call him ‘Glo’ for nothing,” Elladan chortled.

  The young wizard grimaced, a short laugh escaping his lips despite himself. He shook his head. “Laugh it up all you want, but I can’t keep this up forever.”

  Aksel, finished with Kalyn, narrowed a single eye at him. “How long do we have?”

  Glo pursed his lips together as he thought it over. “Ten minutes, give or take, provided I don’t get any further interruptions.”

  There was a momentary pause as the gravity of their situation sunk in. Glo had bought them a little time, but not much. In less than ten minutes, that curtain of flame would come down, and a host of black guards and mages would come swarming out of the serpent temple.

  It was Lloyd in the end who saved the day. He had been staring at the temple intently, then suddenly spun around with his mouth and eyes open wide. “What if we take out those pillars?”

  Aksel and Glo exchanged a glance. There were two thick pillars holding up the entrance to the temple. If they were brought down, the entire front of the building would collapse.

  Glo shrugged. It just might work.

  Aksel didn’t seem convinced. He squinted at Lloyd, his expression skeptical. “And just how do you plan on knocking down those pillars?”

  The tall warrior sheathed his swords and strode over to Elladan. “Can I see your bag?”

  Elladan put his lute away and produced his portal bag.

  Lloyd reached his arm inside, down to the armpit, and rummaged around for a moment or two. Shortly thereafter, he withdrew his hand—it was wrapped around a long metal handle. The tall man continued to withdraw the handle until a large metal head appeared at the other end.

  Glo immediately recognized the weapon. It was one of the warhammers Lloyd had used back at Stone Hill. The young warrior had dashed a few skeletons to pieces with the sturdy weapon, but could it be used to break down stone pillars?

  Lloyd reached into the bag once more and pulled out a second hammer. He hefted the heavy weapons in his hands, spinning the heads over to reveal familiar-looking runes carved into the edges.

  “These hammers were a gift from my father,” Lloyd said as he admired the weapons. “They are dwarven-made. I’d imagine they’re up to the task.”

  The young man lifted one hammer up and held it out toward Alana and Cyclone. “Either of you care to do the honors?”

  The dragon hunter held up a hand. “I don’t do hammers.” He cast a glance at Alana. “Be my guest.”

  Alana arched an eyebrow at the hunter, then sheathed her sword and took the hammer from Lloyd. A gasp escaped her lips as she hefted the metal weapon in both hands. “Whoa. That’s heavier than I thought.”

  She widened her stance to compensate, then took a couple of practice swings. A wide grin spread across her face. “Oh, I like this!”

  Elladan wore a wicked grin. “Hey Donnie, you might not want to do anything to piss her off just right now.”

  Donnie tilted his head down and glared at the bard with one eye. “I never do anything to piss her off.”

  Alana stopped swinging her weapon and stared at the slight elf with a raised eyebrow. “Come again?”

  Donnie gave her one of his most charming smiles. “Well… not intentionally anyway.”

  Glo had been listening to the banter quietly, but his patience was wearing thin. “Can you guys get to it already? We don’t have all day, you know.”

  All eyes turned toward the elven wizard. There were still a few grins among the group, but they swiftly faded as Aksel spoke.

  “Glo’s right. We should hurry.”

  The little cleric strode off purposely in the direction of the temple, dispersing the slaves around him as he went. Glo took off immediately after him, the others following as well.

  When they reached the base of the stairs, Lloyd and Alana split up, each taking a separate pillar. Aksel had the others shoo away any remaining slaves, while the two warriors began to bang away on their targets. After a few swings, cracks started to form in the thick columns.

  Glo breathed a sigh of relief. It’s actually working.

  The curtain of fire was still going strong, keeping the cultists trapped in the temple. Yet dark faces could be seen glaring at them through those flames. The cultists jeered.

  “Kill the infidels!”

  “Drain their blood!”

  “Feed them to the goddess!”

  Glo tried to ignore the curses, but Kalyn didn’t seem quite inclined to. The young archer grabbed Martan by the arm and dragged him to the base of the steps.

  “What are you doing?�
� Martan cried in alarm. “Don’t you know this whole thing is likely to come down on us?”

  “Oh, quit your whining,” Kalyn admonished him. “They wanna play, so let’s play.”

  The lady archer nocked an arrow and drew it back, taking aim at the temple entrance. Martan raised an eyebrow, but then followed suit. “Just as long as we back away when this thing starts coming down.”

  Kalyn’s mouth twisted sideways. “Quit your worryin’. Live a little.”

  She let her arrow fly with the words, “And may the best girl win!”

  Martan’s shot went completely awry, nearly catching Lloyd in the shoulder. The tall man cast a glance back at the dour archer, but refrained from commenting, being so intent on taking down his pillar.

  Kalyn, on the other hand, chewed him out. “Shoot the cultists, not the heroes!”

  A few cries echoed from inside the building as the two archers continued to send arrows through the flaming curtain. Kalyn kept count as they went.

  “One for me, one for you.”

  “Three for me, two for you…”

  Glo was hard-pressed to maintain his concentration during the amusing onslaught. However, things were progressing. A few more swings, and both Lloyd and Alana had cracked chunks off each pillar. Large crevices began to appear in the stone canopy above them.

  Unfortunately, their time was nearly up. The curtain of fire Glo had erected slowly began to diminish in size. Sections of the wall began to flicker and fade. He started to squint from the pain, his head feeling as if it were going to explode.

  Just when he thought he couldn’t take it anymore, Lloyd broke through his pillar. A few moments later, Alana broke through hers. A loud rumbling sound reverberated across the square as the stone canopy above them sagged and began to crack in places.

  “Get back!” Aksel shouted in warning.

  Lloyd and Alana swiftly backpedaled away from the crumbling structure. Yet Kalyn seemed intent on hitting another target.

  “Just one last shot!” the lady archer cried.

  Martan threw his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground as he ran away from the building. Kalyn let one last arrow fly over his shoulder as he carried her away from the collapsing structure.