by Aaron Thomas
Max stopped moving as if considering the idea. His knife-finger went back to work moments later.
“Okay, then three things. The third is attracting a woman to lose your pay to. Two of the three I would say are bad, and the likelihood of the third is small.” He chuckled to himself, “But you are just ugly enough to scare any woman away if you removed your helmet promptly.”
A stick grew beside Max’s foot and he skewered the rabbit on it and placed it on the fire. The smell of cooking meat made Kilen’s stomach growl. Joahna gave him the cooked eggs, which he quickly devoured. Washing them down with a long drink from a cooled water skin, he took a moment to thank everyone for taking care of him.
Every night they watched over him while he slept. They healed his wounds, energized his body, and fed him every day. Max had even taken up sewing and polishing his armor and boots. He wished he had something to offer them in return, instead they protected him by staying hidden within him. They protected him by not letting his secret slip. He had nothing to give them other than the freedom from his mind by being in an elemental. The only thing that he could give them is a relentless pursuit of new bodies. Kilen knew that if he ever found a way to return them to a body that he would miss them immensely.
Gripping his blade he felt the earth magic determination slip into his mind, he let tiniest amount take control. Setting the chainger in place, he was determined in mind and in magic to restore the men he had killed. This new determination gave him energy and an eagerness to fight his way to the knowledge he needed. He started putting on his armor and found that the cold, shiny steel emboldened his eagerness to fight. It made him feel strong and invincible He felt like he was becoming steel himself.
Joahna helped fasten the leather straps and adjust the armor to fit properly. All the armor fit better now than when he first received it. He had gained some muscle and stood straighter than he had before. The armor felt natural, it felt like a part of him. Joahna held the polished shield before Kilen so that he could see his reflection in the steel surface. He looked to the sides of the green oak tree symbol of the Earth Realm to find a weapon bearer staring back.
Joahna cleared his throat, “I’m holding this so you can try it on while the rodent cooks.”
Kilen quickly snapped out of the statue-like position and took the shield. He hefted it and tried its weight, swinging it back and forth. He drew his sword and held both at the ready, peering just over the top of the shield.
He watched as the ice elemental clapped his solid hands together making a loud crack each time they met. “It should be about ready. Eat, so we can get this over with.”
Kilen nodded and carefully put the shield back on the canvas sack from where Joahna had picked it up. Anxious to be on their way, he ate what tough meat there was on the small rabbit. He licked the grease off his fingers and savored the flavor of a hot meal. He had been eating the dried meat and bread Leroy had made. It tasted good, but having it for every meal for days was getting old. He wiped the remnants of his food on the moss-covered ground and picked up his shield. Kilen began to untie his horse from the tree and a moss covered stone hand touched his shoulder.
“We won't be needing the horse,” Max said. “I think it would be better if we didn’t put Jasper in danger.”
“I’m going to walk in then?” He asked, starting towards the wall of fog.
“No, I will carry you,” Max said.
Kilen turned just in time to watch Max’s body contort and form into a large stone horse. A moss-covered back doubled as a saddle and roots came out of his back for Kilen to hold onto. Stirrups formed of roots, seeming to grow right out of the rock. Black stones, filling the cavities that were his eyes, stared at Kilen. Kilen didn’t think that stones could hold emotions, but the determination rolling off the elemental multiplied Kilen’s own determination to find the man his own body. Kilen put a foot in one of the root stirrups, which constricted, lifting him onto the soft, moss saddle. The roots held him securely in place so he drew his sword and held his shield at the ready.
Jace formed images of how to attack while on horseback, Kilen didn't even stop to think that he didn't know how to fight on one. Max danced the horse body around lightly, testing Kilen’s balance. Kilen looked up as Joahna, in the form of a giant eagle, circled above the tops of the trees.
Max edged closer to the wall of fog that enveloped this portion of the forest. Kilen closed his eyes and pushed his magic senses out, trying to see using the water vision. He saw nothing but solid water. He had seen Twilix use a trick, pushing a lining of water around her so that she appeared to be in a void. The fog was the opposite, the presence of water and magic were so thick it appeared to be as if Kilen were about to step into a standing wave. Solid and un-penetrable by Kilen’s regular or magic sight. The forest seemed to become so silent that Kilen swore his breathing would be heard for miles. His heart beat in his chest as if it were going to break free of its skeletal cage.
He tried to control the noise his body was making when a loud screech came at him from behind. The surprising sound sent a shiver up his spine, paralyzing him has its streaked past. Kilen saw the glass-like form of an eagle disappear into the fog, and the noise cut off as if sound disappeared inside the fog. Kilen strained to hear anything but nothing escaped the other side.
The stone horse between his legs bent its knees as if to pounce. It was time to face the Elder Wizards. Kilen and Max lurched forward into the fog wall. His magic and physical senses all returned at once. He could hear and see the forest on the other side of the fog wall. The fog was still thick and blocked him from seeing much more than two of Max’s strides. He could hear the screeches of Joahna already deep in the forest. Max seemed to be trying to catch up. He sped through the forest with an unnatural speed. Kilen tried to find a grip on Max’s stone neck with his shield hand but was unable grasp him.
A tree limb came out of the fog and connected with Kilen’s chest. The limb broke free of the tree, only mildly knocking the wind out of Kilen. That he was Still sitting upright was a surprise to Kilen, but he managed to raise his shield before he collided with the next branch. Max did not slow or falter in any way. Then he realised that Max, himself, was pushing through branches as well. Kilen kept his shield at the ready, colliding with a few more branches. They started to grow vines out after he struck them. The vines wrapped around Kilens shield arm, his chest, and Max’s legs. Some dropped from the canopy above to wrap around Kilens midsection in an attempt to unhorse him. With his feet securely wrapped in the vine stirrups he felt as if he were being ripped in two.
Quickly, Kilen swung his sword, slicing them free of the rapidly growing vines and Max doubled his effort as if he were trying to pull the trees from the ground. With each vine cut, the remaining vines groaned with tension. Kilen fought vigorously until the rest holding Max snapped and they moved forward at his unnatural speed.
Kilen watched and slashed any more that came near and once even sliced through a tree branch too thick for a regular man’s axe. The trees opened to a wall of fog, which Max jumped through and into a marsh. No trees grew here, only the occasional bush in shallow water. Kilen could still hear Joahna screeching in the distance. It was the only thing making a sound that Kilen could hear.
Max said nothing, only trudged on through the shallow water. Reeds protruded from the water’s surface every few feet giving the illusion of solid ground, but sank when Max stepped on them. The surface of the water was calm, only being disturbed by the movement of Max’s stone hooves. Then he noticed at the edges of his vision that the water's surface was beginning to crystalize.
“It’s freezing,” he said calmly to Max.
The elemental horse wasted no time picking up his pace as Kilen realized that the ice forming atop the water was approaching quickly, as if chasing them. The ice was gaining ground as Max pushed himself to go faster than before. Kilen and Max raced forward, trying to outrun the freezing water encroaching from all sides.
K
ilen turned in time to see a large spike of ice burst out from the water and into Max’s chest. Max’s stone form shattered, letting Kilens root stirrups free of the rock bonds. He went tumbling forward, unsure which way was up or down until he reached the icy cold water.
Jumping up to get out of the water was the most natural reaction to the frigidness that attacked him. He tried to use his fire magic, but none came. He tried to pull the water from his clothes as Brent had taught him, but nothing happened. He had no magic here.
Kilen was unable to escape the water drenching him. The creeping ice followed him, surrounding him like a moving pillar of water. It creeped up his clothes, chilling him to the bone. He swung his sword wildly, to no avail. The surface creeped up around him encasing his body in a pillar of water. His chest burned for the need of oxygen. His vision was starting to fade around the edges. He had felt like this before when his body lacked the strength to breath, back at an inn in the Water Realm. He heard Jace’s voice in his head screaming to use magic. He couldn’t. He had no control of the elements around him. He was dying. And then he panicked. He pushed against the encasement of ice as hard as he could.
The ice was no match for his imbued strength, the pillar shattered and he broke off the leftover pieces clinging to his body. Kilen stepped onto the surface of the now-frozen marsh and carefully made his way to what was a horse made out of rock. Max was frozen in place under the ice as pebbles. Kilen used his sword to hack away at the ice until Max was freed. The ice began to break apart and stones started to roll out of the hole, collecting themselves into a pile on top of the ice. He watched as Max slowly put himself back together.
Kilen watched his breath and he tried to shake off the feeling of freezing to death in water soaked clothes. His hand hurt from gripping the cold metal hilt of his blade. His concentration was broken with a loud snap of ice cracking behind him. The water below crept up through the crack in the ice, forming a blob of taller than Kilen. He watched as the blob took the form of a man and pulled a length of water from its back and formed a wickedly spiked blade. A deranged smile came over the head of the blob, giving such detail to the now glass-like form as the man turned to ice. Kilen was glad he had held onto his blade. The man attacked with a strike from overhead. Kilen dodged to the side, letting the man flow past, exposing his back to Kilen. Kilen swung, but slipped on the wet, icy surface, and missed the elemental. The man slammed his spiked blade into the pile of rocks and split it into four blades, throwing bits of Max in all directions. Kilen quickly realized that this new enemy was not there for him. It wasn’t there for him yet anyway.
Kilen advanced before the man could cause anymore damage to Max’s pile of pebbles. He struck with force, sending chunks of ice in all directions. The bottom of the ice man turned to water and flattened against the surface of the ice. The water surface cracked and two blobs of water rose where the puddle lay forming two more men. Kilen struck at the water just to have his blade meet only that, water. He easily sliced through the blobs which then instantly froze solid and pulled blades from their backs.
Kilen had put so much force into his swing that he slipped on the slick surface and was thrown several feet away. He stood but was too late, he watched as the small pile of rocks tried to solidify just to be cracked by the spiked ice blades. Kilen raced back and slammed his shield into the first man and struck the second with his blade. Ice crumbled into blocks and slid in all directions. The rocks were now tumbling quickly across the frozen surface back to the original pile, forming faster than ever. Kilen knew Max was trying as hard as he could. Kilen needed to buy him some time.
several cracks broke open to let blobs ooze out and start building again. Kilen felt as if this was some type of ridiculous game of death with no end. He fought on anyway. He circled Max, watching each of the blobs form into men, solidify, and draw their blades. Remembering what Gortus had taught him, he moved, avoiding attacks and striking where he found an opening. Ice shattered under the swing of his blade and splintered with the strength of his shield. The cold clung to him, but in the heat of battle he no longer felt its pain. Gortus’ training had hardened him against it.
The crystalline men fell on him from both sides of Max’s now man-sized pile of fluidly moving rocks. Max formed his true form and walked laboriously to each scattered piece of rock. Soon he had enough rock to form a blade of his own. The icemen didn't stand a chance with the two fighting side by side. Shards of ice flew in all directions, cutting Kilen. Holding his shield up did little good against the tiny razors.
Through the battle of ice and earth Kilen saw a clear figure pick the last piece of earth off of the ground and hold it up in his hand. A second later Max’s blade sliced through the arm sending the frozen hand in the air. Max caught the hand and crushed it in his mighty earthen grip. When he opened his hand, only water trickled out; the stone had already been absorbed back into his hand.
The ice melted and the air warmed as Max turned back into the form of a horse. Kilen wasted no time in mounting, this time gripping the pommel of a stone saddle. Max quickly splashed his way through another wall of fog.
Kilen was ready for anything, but it looked exactly like the forest they saw when they first entered the fog. This forest was silent. Kilen couldn't hear Joahna screeching from wherever in this chaos he was. Although it looked the same here, no tree branches blocked his path and no vines reached for him. Max did not stop to look for enemies. He pushed forward at a dangerous speed for a normal horse. Trees blurred past as he weaved in and out of them while Kilen kept his shield up and his eyes low.
Then something moved in the distance just in the corner of his vision. The movement that had caught Kilen’s attention was a small bush burning hundreds of paces away. He watched the small bush burn and the flames dance until he saw a new light at the corner of his eye. He turned his head more to look directly behind him and saw a couple of trees aflame in the path Max had just traveled. The burning trees from behind them got smaller as they rode on through the forest.
While watching behind them, Kilen felt a bit of heat coming from the left side of the path. Kilen turned in his saddle to face the heat and saw the whole left side of the forest was aflame, only a few paces from the path. He stared in awe as they rode on and left the burning patch of trees behind. He turned in his saddle again to face right, searching for any flame among the trees. The entire forest to the right side was aflame only fifteen paces away.
He looked back to see the flames chasing the stone horse as it sprinted through the now-burning forest. Each time Kilen faced away from the trees they seemed to burst into flame, and only stopped when he looked at them. Kilen realized this was not just a test but a game of wits and power. He could do nothing to stop the flames even if he had skill in fire magic. Here, in this forest, he knew he had no control of the elements.
Kilen did the only thing he could do; he moved in the saddle, looking in all directions to keep the flames at bay.he shouted over the crackling of burning branches. “Faster, Max! I’m trying to hold the flames off but you must hurry!” Max lowered his neck and Kilen felt his legs sink into the body of the stone horse. The flames and trees closest to the path were a blur in Kilen’s vision. He was unsure if it was because of the speed or because of the smoke that now stung his eyes.
He couldn’t keep his eyes open, but every time he closed them heat came from all directions. Kilen looked down to the ground and saw that the grass on the forest path was now red with flames. His armor steamed and the edges of his green cloak started to turn black. Kilen now felt the burning heat in his legs; Max’s legs were starting to glow red from the heat of the ground. Kilen screamed for his legs to be released from the stone horse's grasp. Kilen pulled his legs from the molded stone, and put his boots upon Max’s back. Kilen balanced carefully on the horse’s back pulling the hood near his eyes to protect it from the embers floating in the air.
Once again Max was stopped abruptly and Kilen tumbled through the air, this time land
ing on his shield and sliding to a stop. Kilen leaped up off the ground that was now starting to blacken as the blades of grass were consumed. Kilen felt the immense heat from all around, he felt as if he had been tossed into the blacksmith’s forge. Kilen looked up for a way to help Max escape whatever had stopped him this time, just to see the earth had opened up beneath his friend. The form of a horse sunk lower into what looked to be liquid metal bubbling up through a crack in the earth. Kilen tried to step closer, but his cloak started to catch fire. He painfully backed away watching his friend being swallowed up into the earth’s fiery maw.
Kilen knew there was nothing he could do for his friend as he had no magic to protect him from the heat. Max must have known this as well, because Kilen felt the all too familiar concussion in his head from his friend’s returning spirit . The unexpected feeling made Kilen stagger, growing weak in the knees as he fell backwards through another wall of fog.
Kilen’s double vision corrected and the world stopped tilting as he lay looking up at the sky. The white clouds far above made him think that this whole ordeal could have been a dream. He moved his shield arm and felt the burned skin stretch. Pain flared up his arm and Kilen clinched his muscles in response. Clinching only made the pain worse. It caused the skin to stretch and split open in areas that were more severely burnt. Kilen was unsure if he went unconscious from pain or if he blacked out from Max’s return.
He woke to the same peaceful, clear view of the sky, pain in every part of his body, and the voices of Jace, Max, and Joahna arguing in his mind. He thought perhaps Joahna returned while he was blacked out, or maybe he was the reason he finally did.
He lay listening to them argue about what to do next. If magic could be controlled here in this part of the Elder Wizard’s forest defense. Kilen tried to summon a drink of water but nothing happened. He couldn't control the water in the air nor could he feel it. Kilen slowly whispered the words, “Max, help with the pain.”
