Before he could get his own shield up, a sphere of energy from Master Garis formed around all four of them. A horrific blast of fire surrounded them as a fireball detonated against the gnome’s defensive shield. The shield held. The fire dissipated quickly, but the swamp grass and brush around them continued to burn while filling the air with smoke and red-hot sparks.
Telsa’s concentration was broken. Her Power withdrew back to her reserve. She did manage to point her rifle in the direction of the blur and fire off several dozen energy rounds. A ball of magic from Master Garis followed Telsa’s rounds. The gnome’s magic transformed into a bolt of lightning. Both Telsa’s energy rounds and the gnome’s lightning bolt glanced off an unseen wall before shooting up into the sky. The air around the blur shimmered to reveal a group of half a dozen orcs in metal armor. A small orc wearing a robe stood behind them. The small orc was carrying a staff with a skull on top.
“It’s a shaman,” shouted Master Garis. “Based upon the defensive shield, he’s a good one.”
With the loss of their stealth and invisibility spells, the group of orcs showed up on Richard’s passive scan. He sensed the Power reserve of the shaman.
Richard grew concerned. His reserve’s even larger than the gnome’s.
With no long-range weapon of his own, Richard did what a Marine did best. He charged. He sensed Myers running a step behind and to his left.
Before either of them could close the distance, the shaman sent out another ball of energy.
Richard put up a hasty defensive shield.
Surprisingly, the spell fell short and struck a muddy patch of ground in front of Myers and him. The ground bubbled and sprayed upward. The mud congealed into a column five meters high and half again as wide. Two lengths of mud stretched out from the torso. They resembled badly-formed arms. The arms reached toward Richard.
“Golem,” Richard shouted as he attempted to dodge.
Muddy claws at the end of the arm missed, but the arm reversed direction and knocked Richard to the side. The blow cracked his ribs. He was flung through the air and landed in a stagnant pool of water. Richard half expected the golem to follow up its attack but sensed it continuing on a path toward Telsa and the gnome.
Spitting out water and blood as he came to the surface, Richard struggled to firm ground and got to his feet. The golem had stopped its run toward Telsa and Master Garis. Richard saw why. A dark figure on the golem’s back was plunging a sword into where the creature’s head should be. The attacker was Myers. As Richard ran toward the golem, it raised one of its arms and grabbed Myers. Before his brother could react, the golem plunged its arm deep into the muddy swamp taking Myers with it.
Richard reached the base of the golem and swung his sword against the column of mud that served as one of the monster’s legs. The golem reached down and made a grab for him. Richard dodged aside and swung again. Mud sprayed out as his sword sliced through the arm, but other than that, the sword blow seemed to have no effect.
Below ground, Richard sensed Power surround Myers and shimmer as his brother shifted into the void. The dot on Richard’s passive scan that was his brother began rising to the surface.
Energy rounds from Telsa’s rifle struck the golem’s upper torso. A blast of lightning from the gnome hit as well. The golem shook its head but showed no other effects. The attacks did draw its attention. The golem resumed its run toward Telsa and the gnome. Before they could do more than turn to dodge, the golem had them in its hands. It plunged them both deep into the mud just as it had Myers.
Richard sensed Power from Telsa’s reserve attempt to heal her as the swamp mud filled her lungs. He sensed her reserve begin to rapidly deplete as it tried to compensate for the continual damage of being encased in mud. The dot on his passive scan that was Master Garis was faring even worse than his friend. Richard knew the gnome couldn’t self-heal. His life force was growing increasingly weaker.
Richard was torn between saving his friend or saving the gnome. He didn’t have time to weigh options. He just reacted. Wrapping himself in Power, Richard shifted into the void and levitated downward toward Master Garis.
Telsa can self-heal, he reasoned. The gnome can’t.
Within seconds, Richard was at the gnome’s side. He wrapped the mage with Power and shifted him into the void. At almost the same time, he sensed Myers in the void moving down to grab Telsa.
Richard broke the surface as he pulled the gnome with him. The mage wasn’t breathing. He sent a scan into the gnome’s chest. The mage’s lungs were full of mud. His heart was still beating, but barely.
A large splash behind Richard drew his attention. He spun just in time to see the muddy mass of the golem’s fist heading straight for his head. Dragging the gnome with him, Richard dove to the left. The golem’s arm passed overhead, dripping mud and swamp water behind it.
A burst of energy rounds caught the golem in the head. The muddy mass reversed directions and took off running. Richard noticed Myers standing over Telsa as he fired her rifle on full auto at the charging golem.
“Save the gnome,” yelled Myers. “I’ll keep this piece of muck off you.”
Richard didn’t like his brother but trusted him to do what he said. The man was a wizard scout. He had no doubt he’d keep the golem occupied or die trying.
Myers ran toward the golem and levitated himself upward while continuing to fire at the monster’s head as he went. The golem swung both fists at Myers, but he dodged the blows and landed on the creature’s back. He jammed the muzzle of his weapon into the golem’s neck and held the trigger down. Energy rounds exited out the other size.
The golem roared but otherwise seemed unaffected.
Tearing his gaze from the battle, Richard concentrated on the gnome. He wrapped the old mage in Power and compared the way the gnome’s body was with how it should be. Before Richard could pull the damage into himself, he sensed a ball of magic streaking toward him from the direction of the shaman.
Richard forgot about healing and threw up a defensive shield, angling it toward the sky. The ball of energy changed into an icy blast of air. The wall of cold hit the shield and ricocheted upwards. At the same moment, he sensed the gnome’s heart stop.
Richard yelled to anyone who could hear. “I can’t heal and defend myself at the same time.”
He sensed the shaman forming another ball of energy, and saw Myers dodging the golem while continuing to fire his rifle. Richard knew there’d be no help from that direction. His brother was fully occupied. The situation appeared hopeless. He was almost ready to run at the shaman in a desperate charge when a blast of pure Power hit the shaman’s shield. The shield held, but the orc was distracted enough that his spell fizzled.
Richard traced the blast of energy back to its source. He saw Telsa on her knees. She was down but wasn’t out. He sensed her self-heal working overtime to overcome the effects of the remaining mud in her lungs. As he watched, she drew a sword from the scabbard at her waist and stumbled toward the shaman and his orc guards.
A part of Richard urged him to go help his friend, but a more logical part of his psyche told him he needed to save the dwarf. It was now or never.
Wrapping Power from his healing reserve around the gnome again, Richard drew the mage’s injuries into himself. He immediately began to gag as his body replicated the damage of both lungs being filled with muddy liquid. His heart stopped at the same time. Pain filled his mind until it was replaced by the blessed sweetness of unconsciousness.
All too soon, the sounds of battle drew him out of the comforting darkness. He felt cold, wet mud against the right side of his face. He heard nearby words he quickly forgot. A whooshing noise was followed by the sound of an explosion.
Richard forced his eyes open as he pushed himself upright. Master Garis was standing a couple of meters to his right. A blast of magic hit a sphere surrounding both the gnome and Richard. The mage’s defensive shield held, and the energy dissipated away.
The gnome g
lanced at Richard. “I’ll help Telsa with the shaman. You help your friend with the golem. He’s got his hands full. I doubt he can last much longer.”
Richard shook his head to clear the fog and tried to think. What friend?
Before Richard could ask, the gnome took off running toward a short figure who was trading blows with a half dozen orcs. Splashing sounds drew his attention and he turned, seeing a man in full combat with a large blob of mud. Richard’s mind cleared. His memory of the battle came back with a vengeance. Jumping to his feet, he drew his sword and charged the golem. While Myers definitely wasn’t a friend, he was a wizard scout and an ally. Richard couldn’t leave him to take on the mud creature by himself no matter how much he disliked his ex-TAC officer.
Myers fired another burst of magic energy at his opponent. Only three rounds came out before the weapon became silent.
Empty, Richard thought.
His brother threw the rifle down and drew his sword.
The golem swung both arms in a sweeping movement. Myers dodged one arm, but the other caught him on the side, throwing him through the air. He was stopped by a large boulder half-buried in the mud. Richard heard the sound of breaking bones.
The golem went in for the kill. Before the creature reached the downed wizard scout, Richard wrapped his brother in Power and levitated him out of the golem’s reach. The monster started to turn and Richard leaped onto the golem’s back, swinging wildly at its head. Mud flew with each swing, but the displaced muck was quickly replaced as the monster drew additional mud from the swamp to repair what little damage the sword did.
The golem reached behind its back and grabbed Richard by his legs. With a jerk, he was thrown straight toward the boulder where Myers had been hurt.
Before Richard hit the large rock, he felt Power wrap around him. He recognized his brother’s frequency. The Power moved him to the side enough so that he missed the boulder. Mud and stagnant water flew into the air as he landed, but he took no damage. He was on his feet in an instant, wiping a hand across his face to clear his vision.
Apparently irritated it had been cheated out of a kill, the golem picked up a water-soaked log and swung it at Myers. Richard’s brother easily dodged the blow. Myers passed inside the golem’s reach and made a two-handed strike at its right leg. The sword passed completely through the golem’s knee, but it didn’t fall. Richard sensed magic flow between the golem and the swamp. The magic pulled mud into the creature’s body repairing its damage as fast as Myers could deal it out.
The old Richard would have charged with sword in hand. His years of missions for ‘the One’ had taught him to think before he acted. At least, he sometimes thought before he acted. This was one of those times. He followed the golem’s magic to its source. He sensed a ball of energy at the center of the golem’s chest.
That’s the orc’s spell, Richard thought.
Reaching out with his mind, Richard probed the spell. It was protected by four traps. He pulled back slightly, but immediately sent out an active scan and began deactivating one of the traps. In short order, he had it defused. Before he could move to the second trap, the golem roared with anger. How it could make sounds without lungs, Richard didn’t know or care. What he did care about was the charging mass of mud bearing down on him.
When the creature got within range, Richard sidestepped and hacked at its knee with his sword. The monster kicked out with its leg and knocked him to the ground. Before it could stomp him into the murky swamp, Richard sensed a line of Power from his brother reach into the golem’s chest and begin fiddling with another trap.
The golem must have sensed Myers’s attack as well because it spun and charged at his brother. The golem only made it halfway before Richard sensed Myers finish deactivating the second trap.
Reaching out with his mind, Richard located the third trap and began twisting energy flows to short-circuit it. The mud creature spun before it reached Myers and charged back toward Richard.
The golem was almost on Richard when the third trap was bypassed. He finished in time to dive to the ground as the golem’s improvised club passed overhead. The golem raised its log in preparation for a down stroke.
Another line of Power from Myers touched the final trap surrounding the spell. The golem forgot about Richard and began running at Myers with club raised. He stood his ground while continuing to give the trap his full attention. As the club began its downswing, Richard sensed the final trap vanish. He was ready. As soon as the trap disappeared, he entered the spell with his mind and twisted the lines of magic back on themselves. The magic dissipated into the universe from which it had come. At the same time, the mud that had been the golem sagged and splashed to the ground covering Myers in the nauseating muck.
An explosion to Richard’s rear reminded him the battle was far from over. A quick glance showed Master Garis and the shaman trading spells. Telsa was dodging around the old gnome doing her best to keep the attacking orcs from disturbing the spellcaster. Four of the original six orcs were down, but a score of others had taken their place. Telsa dodged between the larger creatures, taking three of them out as Richard watched.
Myers caught up with Richard and began to pass. “I’ll help her.”
“No,” Richard shouted. “The spellcaster’s the biggest danger. Use the drilling technique I taught you against his shield. I’m getting low on Power. I’ll help Telsa.”
Richard half expected an argument, but Myers instantly obeyed by sending out a line of Power against the shaman’s defensive shield. Richard sensed the point of the line twisting back and forth as it dug into the shield. The shaman sensed his brother’s attack as well and began to form a spell. The shaman pulled back his hands in preparation for shoving the spell. At that moment, Myers’s line of Power broke through the shield. A small ball of blue energy from Master Garis flew through the hole and hit the orc in the chest. The shaman was instantly covered in a layer of ice. The ice cracked and started breaking into dozens of small pieces while taking the shaman’s flesh with it. The spot on Richard’s passive scan that had been the shaman disappeared.
Richard made for the nearest orc fighting Telsa. He needn’t have bothered. As soon as the shaman was taken out of action, Master Garis released a spell that turned the already soft ground around Telsa into quicksand. Both Telsa and the orcs began sinking at a rapid rate. Richard sensed Telsa wrap herself in Power and levitate upward until her feet were once again level with the swamp’s surface. The orcs didn’t fare as well. Within seconds, the last of the orcs sunk below the surface. Soon, only a few bubbles in the quicksand gave any indication anyone had ever been there.
Myers ran up next to Richard and stopped just shy of the quicksand’s edge. He waved for Telsa to join them. “Hurry. This isn’t over. More of these orcs’ friends are on their way.”
A sweep with his passive told Richard his brother was correct. Hundreds of life forms were converging on their position. Dozens of the life forms had Power reserves of varying sizes.
Magic users, Richard thought.
Master Garis arrived at their location just as Telsa finished levitating herself onto dry land.
“Whatever you’re going to do,” said the gnome, “you’d better do it now. Some of those magic users heading our way have larger Power reserves than the shaman we just fought.”
Telsa cut off her levitation and dropped to the ground beside Master Garis. She stumbled when she landed. Richard noticed several gashes in her armor. An especially large gash along her thigh drew his attention.
“You’re hurt,” Richard said.
“I’ll be fine,” said Telsa. “My self-heal’s already working on it. A couple of the shaman’s guards had weapons that sliced right through my armor.”
“We can talk about the fight later,” said Myers. “Assuming you’ve still got enough Power, you’d best get busy blasting that hole to the gas pocket. Once the gnome ignites it, we’re going to have to hightail it out of here or we’ll be burned alive. Ev
en our self-heal might not work long enough to get us out of the swamp.”
“Well,” said Master Garis, “since I don’t have the luxury of self-healing, I’ve got an alternate exit strategy. Once I set the gas ablaze, stay close to me. I’ll teleport the lot of us back to our rendezvous point.”
Telsa wasted no further time in discussion. Richard sensed her reach out with a scan to find the shortest path to the gas pocket. He sensed her gathering almost all of her remaining Power into a large ball before sending it downward at a forty-five-degree angle. Mud and swamp water, along with a few orcs flew up into the air. An explosion dwarfing any of the funnel mines Richard had ever used knocked him off his feet. A rush of air shot out the hole.
Master Garis was on his feet in a flash. He waved his hands as he shouted words Richard quickly forgot. A ball of magic formed between the gnome’s outstretched hands. The ball of energy flew down the gaping hole created by Telsa’s blast.
“It’s a delayed fireball,” said Master Garis. “We’ve got ten seconds. Stay close. I’m getting us out of here.”
As the gnome began another spell, Richard noticed Telsa jump to her feet.
I guess she’s all better.
Richard thanked the Creator for allowing wizard scouts to self-heal. From the looks of her Dragar armor, he had a feeling the orcs’ weapons had cut her up pretty bad.
A thought crossed Richard’s mind. He reached out with his passive scan in the direction of the quicksand pit created by the gnome. He sensed the lifeless bodies of two dozen orcs. He also sensed three sources of magic. He wrapped the sources of magic with Power and used telekinesis to pull them out of the quicksand. Two swords and a dagger rose into the air. He pulled all three weapons into his waiting hands just as Master Garis finished his spell.
Richard felt himself tingle. The swamp shifted in and out of focus. Then everything went black.
* * *
As soon as he solidified, Richard smelled the odor of leather and sweat. Several horses whinnied. The gnome had teleported them to the ravine where they’d left their mounts with the rear guard. Master Garis went over to speak with one of the two guards. Richard reached out with his passive scan for two kilometers in all direction. He picked up a few roving patrols, but the main bulk of the orc army was in the gap nearly twice that distance away. He changed the sensitivity of his scan to filter out smaller concentrations of life forms as he stretched his passive scan in the direction of Donner’s Gap. He sensed a large blob of Power from the gap.
Wizard Rebellion (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 5) Page 25
