“The dragon may be done,” Darcienna said, her voice strained.
“Kade!” Rakna said as she tried to control the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. “The king says the army is almost upon them. We must do something or the clutch will be wiped out. Hurry, Chosen, hurry!”
“We have too far to go on foot,” Ven said. “We need Rayden to get us to the top. The clutch will be destroyed and the tunnel found if we continue on foot. I am sorry, Kade, but we still need the dragon.”
“Can’t you change into a dragon or something that can carry us the rest of the way?” Darcienna asked. Kade gave her a look, not liking the tone in her voice, but nonetheless, quickly glanced back at Ven for her response.
“I cannot change into such a large form. I am one of the strongest of our kind, and yet, that form is too large for me to take. I am sorry but the dragon is our only hope.”
“I know one way that may work,” Kade said as he let the Transparency Calling go while keeping the Silence Calling intact. “I take it that we will not be seen?” he asked Ven as she came into view. He chastised himself for not asking before releasing the calling but his mind was spinning as he struggled to keep from joining Rakna in her panic.
“Yes. This area is not watched. Morg does not expect an attack so he takes no care to guard this section of the mountain. He will, most likely, be focusing on his army,” Ven said.
“Then this should make the difference,” Kade said as he readied himself for the calling.
Kade hesitated only a moment and then performed the calling. The piece of meat materialized. The dragon’s nose began to twitch instantly. Kade waved the food in front of the dragon, and he could see its throat starting to work.
“Let me try,” Darcienna said as she placed her hands on the dragon’s side and closed her eyes in concentration. Kade could see the muscles in her forearms start to twitch rapidly as she sent her healing into the dragon.
Rayden breathed in deeply and started to salivate as his nose followed the meat. His breathing eased as Darcienna clenched her teeth in concentration. She gasped and stumbled back as if she were being repelled. Kade caught her with his free hand before she could fell.
“He is too large for me to do much more,” she said as she fought to regain her breath. This clearly took a lot out of her.
Rayden rose as his energy quickly returned. Kade tossed the meat up and the dragon caught it in its mouth. He chewed for the second time that Kade could recall and then swallowed.
“With your healing and my food, he should recover quickly,” he said as he continued to call on the meat.
Rayden was eagerly eyeing the food. Kade tossed it into the air and the dragon quickly snapped it up. Kade closed his eyes and focused on removing the internal block. He did not have time to stand here making food over and over. He ground his teeth, and with all his focus, he called on the meat. Once again, it failed to materialize. Kade felt rage explode in him. Not only did he have to face fearsome creatures, the most dangerous man in the world and an over bearing, pompous Master Chosen, but now he was his own enemy? Something in him was not letting him use his gift and it pushed him over the edge. Exasperation and rage crashed through him like a dam breaking.
“I said, COME!” Kade demanded with a scream as he worked the Food Calling.
Rage clouded his mind but determination to conquer this internal enemy drove him on. Meat the size of a cow fell through his hands and hit the ground with a thud. Breathing heavily, he barely had enough sense to look from face to face. All were watching him wide eyed with caution. Was there fear, also?
“Kade,” Darcienna said gently as she laid a hand on his arm. “Kade,” she said again, calling him back to himself.
“Kade, we still have a ways to go. If Rayden can carry us, he can get us the rest of the way up the mountain. It won’t be easy, but I am sure he can get us to the entrance,” Ven said, imploring the Apprentice Chosen to think.
“Kade!” Rakna said. “They have engaged the army.”
This last was enough to stem the tide of rage and return Kade to his rightful mind. He turned as the dragon consumed the meat with a vengeance. Kade felt his breathing returning to normal. He took a deep breath and let it out, and with that, the Divine and anger disappeared.
“Rayden, we must be going,” Kade said to the dragon. He was trying to give his precious friend enough time to eat, but the clutch depended on him moving now. It could be just moments before the spiders were wiped out. Without being there to see, he just did not know.
Rayden violently tore out several large chunks of meat and then laid down, allowing the passengers to mount. He chewed eagerly as the passengers scrambled onto his back. Ven changed to her monkey form and gladly clung to Kade’s neck. Darcienna eyed the shapeshifter suspiciously as she settled into her spot.
“We are ready,” Kade said, feeling the adrenalin start to pump through his veins. Rayden, we must hurry. Climb my friend, climb! Kade sent, feeling panic for the queen as he gave the dragon the mental command to go.
Rayden turned and lunged up the mountainside. Ven clung to Kade’s neck and held on tightly. Darcienna also clung to Kade as the grade of the mountain was steep. Ven was right; to walk this may have taken a day, but the dragon was going to make it in no time at all. Now, if they could only hang on as the dragon surged up the mountain.
“Kade, the king says Doren has laid many traps and is holding them off, but he also warns that it will not work for long,” Rakna said, trying to be strong.
“We are doing our best,” Kade said, feeling the queen’s urgency.
Kade mentally urged the dragon to greater speeds. They moved through the lower level of clouds and felt the chill of the air as the moisture cooled their skin. Rayden labored but showed no signs of slowing. He struggled up the mountain until they came out through the top of the clouds. The bright sun made them all flinch and cover their eyes.
Ven shifted and then changed shape into her birth form. Before Kade could pull his hand away, she held it to her side once more. Kade was certain that Ven enjoyed the feeling of being close with him. He could not bring himself to look at Darcienna. This was definitely going to get more complicated if he could not sort this out.
There are much more important things than this drama, Kade thought angrily.
“The entrance is just ahead,” Ven said as she pointed. “There,” she said. The dragon came to a stop at Kade’s urging. The opening was much more massive than it looked to be at first. It was large enough to allow the dragon entry. Kade directed Rayden into the tunnel.
“The king says that they have diverted the largest mass of the army by drawing them off, but there are still some heading toward the cave. We have suffered casualties, but it is minimal,” Rakna said as the dragon entered the tunnel. “But, they cannot keep this up for long.”
“We must hold out hope,” Kade said as he lifted Ven easily and let her slide down the side of the dragon.
Kade swung his leg over Rayden’s neck and then slid down with his backside to the dragon. He needed to walk to loosen his muscles and the ceiling was too low for them to continue to ride. His stomach twisted into a knot. Fear tore at him with every step he took. The memory of Morg making him dance to his every whim made his heart pound. He was breaking out in a cold sweat. Darcienna grabbed his hand. After a moment, she pulled him to a stop and turned on him, looking deep into his eyes.
“Kade, are you okay?” Darcienna asked with concern. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced his mind to think. They needed to have faith in him. He could not afford for them to see him acting like a coward or being indecisive.
“Yes,” Kade said as he forced his voice to be calm and commanding. “It is just a little warm,” he said as he continued to walk, pulling her along.
Fear of failing the spiders assailed him. Fear of becoming a puppet for all to see made his heart pound. Fear of having to watch as Morg did what he wanted with Darcienna made his panic grow by the secon
d. Fear of failing to enact revenge for what Morg had done to his family was more than he could take. Waves of doubt spread through his body the further they went.
“The king says the army is closing in on the cave. There are too many for them to hold much longer,” Rakna said. “The king says the Master Chosen has created spiders that are keeping the attackers busy but it is not enough.” Kade hit on an idea that was close to genius.
“Tell the king to have Doren make the enemy appear like the spiders so they will fight amongst themselves.” The queen was silent for several long moments.
“Doren says the idea is brilliant,” Rakna relayed.
“Ven, can I use light without being detected?” Kade asked, forcing his voice to stay calm. The further they moved from the entrance, the darker it became.
“Yes,” Ven said in her large beast form. “We will not be detected for some time,” she said as a distant laughter drifted up the tunnel. Kade gave Darcienna a passing look. She did not say a word. “This was originally meant to be an escape route, but in time, Morg has become complacent, not believing he needed it,” she said, stopping beside him. “We will not be detected.”
“I will risk a small light,” Kade said as he drew on the Divine. “It would do no good to get this far only to fall and break a leg.”
Kade considered the light for a moment, and just like the tunnel with the arch, let it go only to replace it with the brilliant Blue Fire of the Divine. He felt much safer with a way to defend himself, if the need arose. Not that it would do much good against the shield Morg was able to call on, but it did help his confidence to have a calling ready.
“Kade! I thought you said Morg might be able to detect when you use strong callings,” Darcienna said.
Just then, Morg’s laughter cut off sharply. Everyone froze, listening intently, afraid. Kade could feel every beat of his heart as he held his breath, waiting for any sound. His chest burned as his ears strained. And then, the mocking laughter continued. They all let out the breath they were holding.
“The king says they have distracted the army and have taken down several of the larger beasts,” Rakna said. As way of confirmation, Morg started to rant and vent his anger at the setback. “They are holding…for now,” she added.
“What do you mean you are fighting amongst yourselves?” Morg screamed in anger. “Fight the spiders. It should not be that difficult to recognize what a spider looks like you fool!”
Even though they were still a long ways off, they could just make out what Morg was saying as his screams echoed off the walls. Kade smiled to himself as he imagined the chaos that the illusion must be causing. It was a small reprieve and he was going to take full advantage of it. He picked up his speed as they walked.
Kade felt his confidence grow ever so slightly with every step he took. He glanced around at his small party and sized everyone up. The dragon was no small matter, but one blast from that staff could bring it to a quick end. The shapeshifter had enough guile to cause Morg serious issues, but could it get through the shield if Morg activated it? He could only hope that Morg did not live in such fear that the shield was always up. Darcienna could protect them…for a short time. And the queen was only there to help communicate. The more he thought on it, the more his confidence waned. If he could just get that bloody staff, he could end this easily.
Kade stopped and considered using the Transparency Calling but feared they would stumble into each other. For now, he decided it was best to leave the calling off until they were closer. Was this just an excuse to delay the inevitable? he asked himself. He shook his head and continued walking.
They moved along with trepidation as they slid deeper and deeper into the mountain. The light from the entrance was gone long ago. Without Kade’s fire, they would be cast in complete darkness. The eerie blue glow caused Kade to see shadows from combatants that were not there. Every time he turned a corner, he was afraid he was going to see Morg’s smiling face only to be followed by the feeling of being ensnared. He reached up to feel his amulet and was relieved that it was cool to the touch. The amulet was cloaking the Fire Calling as he hoped.
No sooner had he dropped the amulet to his chest when it heated up to the point of almost burning him. Morg is trying to find me, Kade thought. The Evil Chosen let out a scream of rage and then the amulet cooled.
The tunnel started to lighten enough for Kade to see the ground in front of himself so he let the blue flame fade away. Morg’s voice was getting louder the more they progressed. Kade’s stomach twisted into an even tighter knot as the moment approached for him to finally end this, or fail every living thing on the planet. It occurred to him that it was not just every living thing but everything that had passed, also. This was too important. Too much depended on him. The responsibility was crushing. He swallowed hard, as he forced one foot in front of the other.
“Stay to the left,” Ven said, startling him. “There are several traps on the right.”
Kade closed his eyes and performed the Reveal Calling. Sure enough, there were several traps along that side of the tunnel. Had they blindly walked into those, it would have been enough to bring their hopes of ending Morg’s reign to a crashing halt. Kade could feel sweat running down his back.
“Thank you,” Kade said to Ven. She smiled with pleasure at the praise. It was odd seeing her smile while in the beast form she currently held. That smile would have sent someone screaming if they did not know better.
They continued on. The light was getting brighter and the laughter was getting louder with each step. Morg went silent and the amulet heated up again. Kade leaned forward, letting it hang from his neck. A moment later, Morg let out a string of curses and the amulet cooled down once more.
“Where are you my little nuisance?” Morg asked, every word dripping with sarcasm. “You are not smart enough to just go bury your head in the sand until I am ready to collect you.”
Darcienna squeezed Kade’s hand. He realized fury was rising in him at a dangerous rate and took a deep breath to calm himself. When did the fear leave me? he asked himself as he unclenched his jaw and forced his mind to think. His hands were clenched into tight fists, and his elbows were slightly bent as if ready to fall into a fighting stance. Now was not the time to act irrationally. If he was to succeed, he needed to do it while thinking.
“There is one more trap just ahead,” Ven said as she pointed to the ground. “That is the last one, and then we will be in his main chamber,” Ven said in a hushed voice, afraid of speaking too loudly, even though she knew their sounds were masked by the calling.
Kade closed his eyes and saw that there was, indeed, a Detection Calling spanning the entire tunnel. It was too far for them to jump. Kade studied the ground as he moved carefully, trying to formulate a plan.
“Ven, is there a chance you could take a form that he trusts and take the staff?” Kade asked, hoping for an easy solution.
“He trusts no one,” Ven said as she gave a sarcastic laugh. “He is suspicious of all and would rather kill anything that got too close before asking why they were there. No. I would have no chance. Besides, he does not allow anyone in this room.”
“Then we will find another way,” Kade said as he studied the ground.
“What is it you see?” Rakna asked.
“There is a Detection Calling that goes for about fifteen feet and spans the tunnel. We have no choice but to find a way over,” Kade said.
Rakna moved up next to Kade, studying the floor and then the walls. She moved over to the side of the tunnel and surprised Kade with what she did next. She put one leg up on the wall and then the next until she was up at the top of the tunnel. Kade had never seen her off the ground like this, but he should have realized that it was possible. She was, after all, a spider.
“The dragon will need to stay,” she hissed quietly. “But the rest can cross with my help,” the queen said as she lowered a web that drifted on the light current of air that wafted through the tunnel.
Kade took it in his hand and expected it to break apart at the gentlest touch, but it held. Still expecting it to break, he pulled hard, but again, it held. Unfortunately, it showed signs of cutting into his hand. He thought about it for just a moment when another idea came to him. He tied a loop at the end and stepped into it with his boot. The queen lifted him off the ground while he wrapped his arms around the light webbing. It was obvious she was straining as she cautiously lifted one leg, preparing to walk along the ceiling. She quickly put it back on the ceiling and gasped.
“I am not able to lift you without falling. I fear this is not going to work,” Rakna said as she worked her way back down the wall.
“Let me help,” Ven said as she approached Rakna and held up her hand, preparing to touch her. Rakna took a step back as she eyed Ven suspiciously.
“Ven?” Kade asked.
“I need to touch her,” Ven said, confused at the queen’s reaction.
“Why?” Darcienna asked. Kade did not like the suspicion in her voice and showed his displeasure by the glare he gave her.
“I can change into a spider but that does not mean I am a spider. I will no more be able to climb the walls than you can,” Ven said as she answered Darcienna’s question while looking at Kade. “But, if I can take in just a small amount of her life force, I can become just like her with all of her abilities. Do you see the difference?”
“Will it hurt her in any way?” Darcienna asked, trying to keep the accusation out of her voice.
“She will not feel a thing,” Ven replied.
“I find this acceptable,” Rakna said as she moved forward into Ven’s outstretched hand. The shapeshifter let her hand settle onto the queen as her fingers sank deep into her plush fur. Ven closed her eyes and a smile slowly crept across her face. It almost appeared as if the shapeshifter was experiencing pleasure as she soaked up the queen’s essence. She took her hand away and changed into a beautiful, white spider.
The Divine Unleashed (Book 3) Page 19
