Princess of Lanfor (Heroes of Ravenford Book 4)

by F. P. Spirit

  Kalyn counted to ten, then slipped through the double doors into the chamber beyond. Seth, Donnie, and Aksel were all now invisible and had gone ahead of her.

  The room around her was as Donnie described—rather large, with numerous columns disappearing into the dark ceiling above, and rows of benches spanning the chamber, leading to the altar on the opposite side.

  Keeping her footsteps in time with the chanting, Kalyn snuck behind a nearby pillar. She noticed two sets of tracks in the dusty floor, leading straight toward the altar.

  Kalyn peered around the pillar and locked her eyes onto a tall, bald man in black, with the prominent skull tattoo on the left side of his face. She instantly recognized that grinning tattoo. He was the one who took Kia away from her and turned her into a slave. She glared at the man’s back and mentally marked him for death.

  Kalyn swept her eyes across the room. Martan stole behind the pillar next to her, the archer’s bow drawn and nocked. Across the aisle, Glolindir stood plastered against the pillar directly opposite of them, the tall elf’s shoulders tensed with anticipation.

  Abruptly, the double doors slammed open, and a blur of red flashed across the room, right up to one of the giant snakes.

  Quick as lightning, Kalyn drew an arrow back and shot the snake square in the eye, causing it to reel. Before the creature knew what had happened, Lloyd chopped its head clean off with that razor-sharp black blade he wielded.

  A figure in blue charged in right behind Lloyd, and with a massive leap, landed in front of a second serpent. Cyclone thrust his halberd all the way through the unprepared snake, then yanked it out and gutted the giant creature, leaving it to slowly die.

  Over at the demolished doorway, two more figures stepped into the room. Alana stood there prepared for battle, holy sword gleaming in her one hand, rose-adorned shield in the other. Elladan entered next to her, the bard’s fingers flying over his lute almost faster than the eye could follow. Lively music flowed across the room, in direct contention with the chanting from the altar.

  The two-headed dragon creature stomped into view from around a pillar, and with a thunderous roar, charged Cyclone. The tall serpent woman with snake hair slithered around, and upon seeing two of her servants lifeless on the floor, released a shrieking wail.

  Alana, shield held in front of her, dashed from the doorway toward the medusa with the cry, “For Cormar!”

  A giant snake rushed ahead of the medusa and met Alana, striking at her, but before Kalyn could react, an arrow flashed by her and caught the serpent directly in the eye, causing it to flinch in its tracks. A quick glance over her shoulder showed Martan standing next to his pillar, another arrow already nocked to his bowstring.

  Nice shot!

  Alana took advantage of the serpent’s pause. She rammed her sword through the roof of the snake’s mouth, the tip of her blade jutting out the back of its head.

  I thought they said these snakes were tough? Ha! Not tough enough to withstand real heroes.

  There was a strange sizzling sound followed by a bright flash. Across the aisle, a bolt of lightning burst from Glolindir’s hands. The brilliant bolt lanced across the chamber, catching the two snakes next to the hydra, and also striking a caster standing at the altar, blowing the man back several feet.

  The stench of burnt flesh filled the air.

  “Hot warg, that was slick!” Kalyn stepped out from behind the pillar. She fired two arrows in succession, catching the singed snakes in the eye, dropping both before they could get any closer to Cyclone and Lloyd.

  “Wa-hoo! Those lil guys are a piece of cake!” Kalyn shouted excitedly.

  Martan stepped out behind Kalyn once more and shot twice in rapid succession at another approaching snake, hitting it squarely in both eyes. The creature let out a loud hiss and dropped to the ground writhing in pain. “Lil guys? You realize these snakes are over eight feet tall, right?”

  Kalyn grit her teeth together as she felt the blood drain from her face. “Don’t remind me. They’re big targets. That’s all that matters!”

  Why couldn’t it have been a bunny cult? Or a squirrel cult? Squirrels can be mean too! Just try stealing one of their nuts.

  Martan drew his arrow back and fired at the caster Glo had blasted. Yet before the arrow had sailed half the distance, the caster waved his hands in a swirling circle and disappeared from sight. The arrow Martan had fired passed through the air where the mage had just been, continuing on as if there were nothing there.

  Kalyn and Martan both ducked back behind the same pillar.

  “I told you before not to miss!” Kalyn shoved him in the shoulder.

  “Sorry. I tried my best,” Martan said apologetically as he drew another arrow.

  “Well… can’t hit something you can’t see, I guess. Still, you’re out of practice.”

  Any retort that Martan may have made was interrupted by a loud cry. “Help! I can’t see!”

  A chill went up Kalyn’s spine. That sounds like Glolindir!

  Kalyn dashed out from behind the pillar, her bow raised. Glo stood in the same spot directly across the aisle from her, but he was stumbling around and flailing his hands helplessly.

  Before Kalyn could move a muscle, Elladan rushed from the doorway and grabbed the flailing wizard, pulling him back just as another giant snake charged them.

  “Get back, or I’ll turn you into a bunny!” Elladan yelled, waving his free arm at the giant snake.

  The creature slowed its approach, hesitating as if uncertain. The momentary pause gave Kalyn the perfect shot. The snake dropped into a writhing heap on the floor in front of the two elves, an arrow protruding from each of its eyes.

  She was about to gloat aloud when a sudden cry made her freeze. “Kalyn, look out!”

  Strong arms wrapped themselves around her torso and jerked her backwards a moment before a giant wall of stone shot up from the floor.

  “Are you alright?” Martan asked breathlessly, still holding her in his arms.

  The warmth of his body pressed against hers made Kalyn feel tingly all over. She abruptly unraveled his arms from around her, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Quit your worryin’ and get back in the fight before they kill everything on us!”

  Kalyn grabbed Martan by the arm and practically dragged him around to the other side of the stone wall. They made it back around just in time to see Aksel appear out of thin air. The little cleric cast a spell in the direction of the naga, causing a shimmering aura of radiant light to surround the large creature. At the same time, Lloyd carved a deep gash across the back of the large snake-man’s hooded head.

  The naga stopped its chanting and threw back its head, a tortured scream escaping its lips as the aura of light burned the wound across its back. The creature whirled around, nearly tripping Lloyd with its muscular coils, then pushed him away from the altar. A wicked-looking curved sword magically appeared in its hand as the tall warrior recovered his balance.

  The two titans clashed, blades and tail whipping around almost faster than the eye could see. Kalyn didn’t dare try a shot. They were too close and moving too fast to take the chance.

  A shimmering in the air behind the duo caught Kalyn’s eye. Donnie suddenly appeared at the altar, standing behind one of the dark-robed men. He stabbed with his pointed sword, right through the mage, killing him instantly.

  Another chanting caster suddenly screamed and slumped to the floor as well, Seth appearing directly behind him. Without pausing, the halfling flung a knife through the air, catching another mage right between the eyes.

  They seemed to have things well in hand, and Lloyd was still locked in close combat, so Kalyn swept her gaze around the chamber.

  Across the room, Alana squared off with the medusa. According to Glo, the creature’s gaze could turn its adversaries to stone. Thus, the
lady knight skillfully used her shield to hide her face while parrying the tall creature’s double swords. Yet with that handicap, she didn’t appear to be making any headway against the snake-woman.

  Kalyn decided to lend her a hand. She drew back an arrow and let it fly for the medusa’s head, but at the last moment the monster raised its weapon and ruined the shot. The arrow penetrated completely through its arm and speared a few small snakes in its hair, but missed its head completely.

  The medusa screamed and reached up, gingerly touching the dead little snakes in her hair. Luckily, the distraction was enough for Alana to carve a deep gash into the medusa’s hide.

  On the other side of the chamber, Cyclone battled the hydra. The plan had been for the hunter to handle the dragon-like creature, but somehow he had managed to climb onto the creature’s back. The hydra snapped at him with both sets of wicked-looking teeth. Cyclone slammed the heads with either end of his spear, momentarily stunning the creature.

  A sudden movement caught Kalyn’s eye. Another serpent was closing in on Seth and Donnie, but the duo appeared to have their hands full with the last caster and Skull Head. Kalyn rapid fired two arrows at the giant snake, each landing firmly in an eye, killing the creature instantly. Three more arrows whizzed past Kalyn, embedding themselves into the last snake in the room, dropping it before it could reach Aksel.

  The lady archer let out a brief sigh. That’s a relief.

  Yet the battle was far from over. Kalyn focused back on Cyclone just in time to see the hunter sweep his wicked-looking blade down and lop off one of the hydra’s heads clear off its neck.

  Kalyn’s jaw dropped. It was the one thing Glo had warned them against. “Dragon dung! Now he’s gone and done it.”

  Martan’s jaw dropped open. “Oh no.”

  “What are you doing?” Elladan and Aksel both yelled at the hunter.

  “What is who doing?” Glo cried with frustration.

  Elladan grabbed Glo’s arms and started shaking them. “Prepare a fire spell. Prepare one now!”

  “But I can’t see!” Glo screamed.

  “Just do it!” Elladan urged him. “I’ll be your eyes!”

  Cyclone raised his halberd again, aiming the blade for the second head.

  “Stop!” they all screamed at once.

  Just then, the stump that Cyclone had cut split into two pieces. A pair of buds bloomed from them and swiftly burst into two new heads. Both heads swiveled around and glared at Cyclone with angry hisses.

  Cyclone smirked and readied his halberd for another swing.

  Kalyn’s head nearly exploded. “He’s gonna keep doing that until it has more heads than the Duke of Dunwynn has issues!”

  She watched in horror as the hunter swept his blade down lopping off yet another one of the heads. “Somebody do something quick!”

  “Working on it!” Elladan yelled back.

  Suddenly, there was a bright flash and a burst of heat filled the room. Kalyn whirled around just in time to see a beam of fire leave Glolindir’s hand and scorch the newly-severed hydra head, stopping it from splitting into new ones.

  Elladan stood behind Glo, holding the wizard’s arms and aiming them. “Get ready.”

  The hydra roared as Cyclone lopped yet another head from its body.

  “Fire!” Elladan cried as he swiveled Glo toward the fresh stump.

  Glo said the magic words and a beam of fire burst from his fingers, searing the bloody wound on the monster.

  Kalyn started to cheer with glee when a loud shout interrupted her.

  “Kalyn!”

  She spun around, but something rammed into her, sending her sprawling on the floor. Kalyn looked up to find Martan standing over her, his hand clamped around a raised arm and his eyes looking directly into the face of the medusa. The monster screamed and dropped her sword, but her arm was firmly caught in Martan’s grasp. It desperately tugged against the archer, but Martan had become unmovable, stiff, and completely gray. He had been turned to stone.

  “Martan!” Kalyn screamed, even as she realized her cry was falling on deaf ears. She jumped to her feet with an angry scream, tears brimming over her eyes.

  The medusa raised its other sword to break Martan’s stony grip on it, but Kalyn lifted her bow and fired an arrow into the monster’s raised arm. The medusa screamed, its sword dropping from its hand. The creature glared in Kalyn’s direction, but Kalyn avoided her gaze by ducking behind Martan.

  The lady archer nocked another arrow and rolled out from behind Martan. Yet before she could fire, a gleaming blade sailed through the air with a whoosh, slicing clean through the medusa’s neck. The snake-haired head went tumbling off the tall creature’s body as the rest of it slumped to the floor.

  Alana stood behind the fallen creature, heaving heavily. She glanced at Kalyn, a grim smile on her face, her eyes filled with sorrow. Suddenly, her eyes flicked up and looked past Kalyn, growing wide with fear.

  “Donnie!” Alana screamed.

  Kalyn whirled around, her breath catching in her tight throat as she watched Donnie sail through the air and collide with a pillar, falling to the floor with a loud crunch before finally going still.

  “Ahhh!”

  The loud cry drew Kalyn’s attention toward the altar. Lloyd was still locked in combat with the naga. The creature had broken through the warrior’s defenses, its wicked curved blade embedded deep in the young man’s left arm. Lloyd dropped his sword, swiftly beating back the naga’s weapon with his black blade, then staggering backward.

  Kalyn drew an arrow back and let it fly into the monster’s coils, but the creature just shrugged it off. Yet instead of pursuing Lloyd, the naga turned away, knocking the young man down with its tail.

  “This blood will suffice for my mistress,” the monster hissed as it slithered up to the altar with its red-stained sword.

  Skull Head spun to watch, the battle around him all but forgotten. His face took on an exultant expression as he cried out with glee, “Yes! Yes! The goddess can now come forth!”

  Yet he had dropped his guard. A moment later, Seth appeared behind the bald man and sliced two knives across the backs of his knees. The cultist screamed and dropped to the floor, groping at his legs.

  The naga glanced down at the man and halfling for a brief moment, then chose to ignore them. It slithered closer to the altar and hissed, “Come, my mistress, and feed on their…”

  Out of thin air, Lloyd appeared between the naga and the altar. His black blade burst into flames as the tall warrior jammed it into the monster’s torso.

  The large snake-man visibly shuddered, then gasped, the bloodied sword falling from its hand just short of the altar. Lloyd yanked out his black blade as the naga crumpled to the floor in a coiled heap.

  “Mistress… I have… failed… you…” It gasped, and then all went silent.

  Kalyn glanced around the chamber. The hydra was now a smoldering corpse. Cyclone sat on the ground a short distance away, badly burned. The cultists were now only corpses, scattered all around the altar. Giant snake bodies littered the room. Alana knelt next to Donnie, who lay still unmoving. The medusa was dead, and Martan…

  Kalyn turned around and peered at the gray statue of Martan. His posture was a protective one, his feet set wide apart, his bow hand behind him to protect her and his posture leaning back to provide a shield. His stony hand was still wrapped around the medusa’s limp arm, and his face was permanently frozen with a strange look of terrified determination. He had been scared to death, but he still stepped between Kalyn and that monster.

  Kalyn tried to choke back a sob, but was unsuccessful. “Martan. Oh, Martan, why?” She stumbled up to the statue and wrapped her arms around him, her inner armor slowly crumbling away until a torrent of sobs and tears finally escaped her and trickled down the stony edges of
Martan’s clothes, dripping off and mingling with the medusa’s blood beneath him.

  “What have you done, you fools?” a man’s voice echoed around the cavern, raking against Kalyn’s nerves like nails on slate. “You’ve ruined everything!”

  Kalyn let Martan go and turned around, focusing on the bald cultist with the skull tattoo.

  “Hey, you’re the ones who invited us. It’s your funeral,” Seth smirked at the skull-headed cultist.

  Skull Head leaned back against the altar and glared at the halfling. “You think you’ve won? Well, think again. You can’t stop it from happening. One way or another, my mistress will rise again.”

  Kalyn took a step forward, then stopped as her boot brushed against something. She glanced down to find the medusa’s head lying face down on the floor. Without really thinking it through, she stooped and grasped it by the snake hair, lifting the oversized head. Kalyn then strode purposefully up to the cultist, stopping just in front of him.

  She looked down her nose at the kneeling cultist, her tone deathly quiet. “What is your name?”

  He looked up at her, his eyes drooping just slightly, “What’s it matter to you?” Slowly, his brows knit together. “Oh. I see! You’re that little brat that I tried to take from Deepwood all those years ago. Tell me, do you still wear that cursed elf stone around your neck?”

  Kalyn gripped the hair of the medusa’s head a little tighter and knelt to look him in the eyes. Her voice was as hard as granite. “Name.”

  Skull Head smiled, his tattoo smiling at her as well. “How’s your little sister, eh? Did she thank you for saving her? Did she wrap you into a loving hug and plant a tender kiss on your brow?”

  Kalyn’s eyes squinted, her hate for this man growing even deeper if that were possible. “Name.”

  “She was my favorite slave. I only gave her the best treatment, I’ll have you know.”

  “Name!” Kalyn shouted nearly at the top of her lungs.

  He glared at her in return, then finally spoke. “I am Ruine.”