Tales of Aria: The Legend of Damiano's Disk

by Carl Russ III

  “Makes sense,” Lucas responded as Iris’s burns slowly vanished.

  Hagan glanced at Fino’s body, his arrow still buried deep inside. He grinned, pointing his finger at the corpse, “Got you, you bastard.”

  “Huh?” Lucas replied, his attention mostly focused on Iris.

  “I was talking to Fino,” Hagan explained.

  Iris’s eyes snapped open. Lucas smiled. “Hey.”

  “Hello,” she replied with a dumbfounded look. “Am I alive?”

  Lucas chuckled. “Of course. I just used my magic to revive you. We were all knocked out by that fireball’s explosion. Luckily, I woke up on my own and was able to heal you guys.”

  Hagan walked over and looked down at Iris. He smiled. “Morning.”

  Iris sat up. “Thank you, Lucas... perhaps you should consider using the spell to heal your own injuries, as you appear to have taken damage yourself.”

  Lucas nodded and closed his eyes to concentrate. “Lumen sana!” He began to glow as Iris got to her feet.

  She briefly scanned the area. “Did you happen to see where my satchel went, Hagan?”

  “Behind you,” Hagan replied, pointing.

  Iris collected the bag and quickly opened it. “Oh no!”

  “What is it?” asked Lucas as he finished healing.

  “The impact has destroyed my potions,” Iris said as she displayed the contents of the satchel to her companions. The bag was soaking wet and filled with broken glass.

  “That sucks,” Hagan commented. “At least we have Lucas.”

  “I suppose,” Iris responded. She looked at Lucas. “Considering the circumstances, you’ll have to refrain from using your magic to do anything other than the healing spell.”

  “What about the backpack?” Hagan queried as Iris dumped the broken glass out of her soaking satchel.

  Lucas’s eyes widened. “I forgot to check.” He quickly removed the backpack and examined the status of its cargo. “We got lucky,” he reported. “Everything seems to be in good shape.” He slung it over his shoulders.

  “Good,” Hagan replied. “So, now what?”

  Glancing farther down the corridor toward the entrance, Lucas gasped. “Bad news, guys. It looks like that explosion caused a cave‑in.” Iris and Hagan ran over to see that the entire passage was blocked by a wall of crumbled colorless rocks.

  “We’re trapped!” said Iris.

  “Great,” Hagan remarked, “this is just what we need.”

  Lucas walked back toward where Fino had emerged. “Well, those guys came from over here. Maybe there’s another opening?”

  The trio walked farther down the corridor. Lucas looked at Iris. “Is it just me, or did those Cobra guys look a lot like the men who attacked Azure?”

  Iris nodded. “I thought the same. I’m interested to know more about this Kuraikaji character and his motivations.”

  “I wonder what they were doing in Azure, anyway,” Lucas added. “If Lord Quinn is in charge of the Knowms, wouldn’t he have the fragment at his place?”

  “You’d think,” Hagan said. “But Quinn seems like a pretty smart guy. He probably has it hidden somewhere secret. It sounded to me like those Cobras were on their way to carry out another attack on a different town when they ran into us. Kuraikaji must be sending them all over Aria to find it.”

  “We can only speculate without further investigation,” Iris replied, “though your hypothesis is very plausible.”

  “Thanks for the seal of approval,” Hagan muttered.

  After walking a good distance, the group found themselves in front of a portal just before a dead end. “A gateway,” said Lucas. “So that’s where they came from.”

  “This should take us right to them,” Hagan noted.

  Lucas turned to him. “You think we should go inside?”

  “Considering that the main passage is blocked,” Iris answered, “I don’t think we have any other option.”

  “Pretty solid logic,” said Hagan. “Let’s do it.”

  Lucas approached the portal. “I guess I’ll go first again.”

  “You mustn’t,” Iris argued. “We have no way of knowing exactly where we will emerge in Aria. Now that we no longer possess healing potions, your magic is essential to our survival. I’ll go first.”

  Lucas stepped aside. “Alright. We’ll be right behind you.”

  Hagan looked at Iris and grinned. “Ready? I know how much you enjoyed the last one.”

  Iris sighed. “I suppose I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” She jumped into the vortex. Hagan and Lucas followed closely behind.

  * * * *

  The group found themselves in yet another cave, lit only by the luminosity of the colorful vortex. The air was dry, and the temperature was sweltering. Lucas removed his scarf and gloves as Iris fanned herself with her hand. “Quite a dramatic shift in climate,” she said.

  “What’s with all of these portals being in caves?!” Hagan pointed out, taking off his coat to reveal a white shirt.

  Lucas put the scarf and gloves in the backpack and extended his hand to Hagan. “I can put your coat in here,” he offered.

  Hagan handed Lucas the coat. “Take it.”

  After putting it in the backpack, Lucas took out the lantern and lit it. “I don’t know where we are, but it mustn’t be anywhere near Azure.” He slung the backpack over his shoulders and proceeded down the cave’s passage. The group followed.

  “This heat is unbearable,” Iris griped.

  “Well, get used to it,” Hagan responded. “We could be stuck here for a while.”

  Without warning, the cave was flooded with the sound of hundreds of flapping wings as a colony of bats flew overhead. Iris shrieked in terror, quickly dropping to her knees and covering her head with her arms.

  Hagan rolled his eyes. “Relax, they’re just bats.”

  “I despise rodents!” she snapped, quivering in fear.

  After the last of the bats had flown off, the trio proceeded through the cave, eventually reaching its mouth. As they emerged, they found themselves in the middle of a vast desert.

  “Oh no...” Iris groaned.

  Hagan observed the surrounding landscape. “Well if we weren’t lost before, we definitely are now.”

  Putting out the lantern, Lucas returned it to the backpack. “We need to keep moving. Our rations are pretty limited. There has to be a town or something nearby.”

  They walked through the desert for quite some time, sweating profusely from the immense heat. As evening approached and the sun began setting, Iris started to worry. “I’m beginning to think we’re not going to find civilization. Perhaps we should consider heading back?”

  “It’s too late,” Hagan replied. “Besides, if we do that we’ll just be stuck in that cave. We’re no worse off here.”

  Lucas stopped walking. “Alright, let’s take a water break.” Digging through the backpack, he removed the bottle of water. After taking a small drink, he handed it to Iris. “Only drink a small amount, we have to make it last as long as possible.”

  As Iris raised the bottle to her lips, Hagan suddenly grabbed an arrow. “Keep still Lucas,” he said, aiming it in his direction. Lucas froze as Iris turned to see a scorpion the size of a large dog approaching rapidly. Hagan released the arrow, killing the creature with little effort.

  Lucas turned around and viewed the lifeless beast. “That would’ve hurt,” he said, turning back to Hagan. “I owe you one.”

  Hagan put away his bow. “Just keep an eye out. I can’t always be there to save you.”

  Chapter 30: Reflections Of The Past (Part V)

   

  Love was dead. I should have been able to stop them. Why couldn’t I stop them? It was all my fault. For years he spiraled through a deep depression. Though he dreaded the thought, he knew he had to let go. Vera was gone forever, and nothing could change what had happened. Trying his best to move forward, he focused solely on his work as a newly appointed king’s adviser and began
studying magic obsessively in his free time.

  Having access to the castle, he often found himself searching the royal library for books to help him further his magical abilities. While spell books were available in other libraries across Aria, here he had access to rare and sometimes forbidden publications. He was especially intrigued the day he stumbled across one particular book, entitled The Forbidden Art of Necromancy (For Scholastic Use Only!). This lit a spark of hope inside of him. He wouldn’t have to let go if he could bring her back. Checking to see if anyone was watching, he carefully tucked the book into his cloth bag and exited the library.

  Chapter 31: The Stickup

   

  Hagan’s arrow plunged into the giant scorpion while Lucas shoved his blade between the eyes of an assaulting imp. “I think that’s all of them,” Hagan informed, trudging to collect his arrow from the scorpion’s lifeless corpse lying a good distance away next to a large rock.

  Lucas sheathed his sword. “I’ve seen these imps everywhere. They don’t seem to care much about climate.” He turned to Iris. “How are you feeling?”

  “Decent,” she replied.

  “Need some more water?” Lucas offered.

  Iris shook her head. “I would prefer to wait until it’s absolutely necessary.”

  As Hagan pulled the arrow out of the monstrous cadaver, a tall and muscular young man with messy red hair quietly slipped out from behind the rock nearby. Much to his surprise, Hagan was suddenly grabbed from behind. Before he could react, a knife was held to his throat. “Ya say a word or move an inch and you’re gonna get it, pal,” a voice behind him warned. Lucas and Iris turned to see the stranger holding Hagan at knifepoint. Iris gasped.

  “Let him go!” Lucas shouted, unsheathing his sword.

  The young man faced Lucas, turning Hagan with him, the knife still poised to deliver a lethal slice. The stranger was dressed in a dark‑red, short‑sleeved vest opened to expose a dirty gray shirt. Yellow cloth was tied around his neck and waist, accompanied by brown tattered pants. On his hands were brown gloves. He was barefoot. “No!” he yelled. “Gimme all your stuff.”

  The area was dead silent as the two stared each other down. I could try to hit him with an orb, but there’s a good chance I’ll miss and Hagan will be done for. But if I give this guy our stuff, we’re going to die out here anyway. Even if we reach a town, the backpack has all of our gold. We won’t be able to buy food or anything else.

  “I don’t have all day!” the stranger said. “Gimme your stuff or baldy gets it!”

  Hesitating for a moment, Lucas sheathed his sword and slowly removed the backpack from his shoulders.

  “Lucas, don’t!” Iris sharply whispered. “We will be unable to survive witho–”

  “Just trust me.” Lucas interrupted with a wink. He gradually approached the stranger, carrying the backpack in his hand.

  “You too, lady!” the red haired young man barked as Lucas froze. “Gimme that... purse thing.”

  “It’s empty,” she responded.

  “Pfft, yeah right,” the stranger remarked. “You’re carryin’ an empty bag through a desert. I believe that. Ya think I buy your crap?! Gimme the bag!!” Turning back toward Iris, Lucas motioned for her to hand him the satchel. Hesitantly, she gave him the bag. He took it from her and approached the stranger.

  Meanwhile, Hagan boiled in silent rage. Damn thieving bastard! Snuck up on me... As soon as this jerk lets go of me I’m going to chase him down and beat him into a pile of mush!

  Lucas handed the backpack and satchel to the hostile man. “Here. Now let him go.” The stranger quickly snatched the bags and bolted, simultaneously releasing Hagan in one lightning‑quick move. “Lumen orbis!” Lucas shouted, conjuring a light orb. Seeing that Lucas had control of the situation, Hagan stepped aside as Lucas hurled his orb.

  The luminous sphere nailed the fleeing crook in the back, causing him to fall to the ground with a heavy thud. The knife, backpack, and satchel flew out of his hands, landing in the sand not far from where he fell. Before the thief could get to his feet, he was met with surprise as he felt a sharp metal tip lightly graze his back. “Don’t move,” Lucas warned, nudging the criminal’s back with his sword.

  The thief froze, “Alright, alright... ow!”

  “Hagan,” Lucas yelled, “come get our stuff.”

  “Just kill the bastard!” Hagan shouted.

  “Get the stuff,” Lucas repeated sternly. “I’ll take care of him.”

  “You’re not gonna kill me?” the thief asked, letting out a groan of pain.

  “I never said that,” Lucas rebutted coldly, causing the red‑haired young man’s eyes to widen. Surprised by Lucas’s demeanor, Hagan obeyed, collecting the crook’s knife along with the backpack and satchel. Cautiously, Iris made her way over to get a closer look at what was taking place.

  “My friends and I are stranded out here,” Lucas began. “You’re going to take us to the nearest town. If you try anything funny, I won’t be so merciful the next time. Got it?”

  “Yes sir – you’re the boss!” the thief replied with a nervous laugh.

  Lucas quickly scanned the crook’s emotions. He’s terrified... It’s hard to tell if he’s being truthful, but the worst he could do at this point is run away. Lucas took his sword off of the young man’s back. “Good.”

  Hagan stared bitterly at the crook as he slowly got to his feet. “If you call me ‘baldy’ again,” Hagan warned, “I’ll shove a fire orb so far up your ass you’ll be puking ashes for weeks.”

  “That’s enough Hagan,” said Lucas. “I think he’s learned his lesson.”

  “Doubt it,” Hagan scoffed, his eyes cutting into the thief. “I’ll play nice for now, but I’ve got my eye on you.”

  “Is everyone alright?” Iris asked.

  “Yeah,” Hagan replied, handing Iris her satchel.

  “My back’s a little sore,” the thief commented as he dusted off his pants.

  “No one asked you!” Hagan barked, tucking the crook’s blade under his belt. “Thanks for the knife, by the way.”

  Lucas sheathed his sword and collected the backpack from Hagan. Once it was secured to his back, he turned back to the red‑haired young man. “What’s your name?” Lucas inquired.

  “Aiden Kerbs,” the thief replied. He extended his hand to Lucas, who was puzzled by the action. Aiden glanced at the faces of the trio, each dumbfounded. “What? I’m a nice guy.”

  “You attempted to rob us,” Iris said sternly.

  Aiden shrugged. “I do what I gotta do to survive. It’s tough out here.”

  “Just take us to the nearest town and shut up,” Hagan ordered.

  Aiden raised his eyebrows. “Alright then.”

  Iris glanced at the setting sun in the distance. “We must make haste. Nightfall is approaching rapidly.”

  “Then, haste we shall make,” Aiden replied, imitating Iris’s voice. She was visibly bewildered by the impression, but chose not to comment. Aiden marched forward. “There’s a town a little farther this way called Secar. It’s pretty much the only city here in Hravart Desert.”

  “Secar... is that where you’re from?” Lucas asked as the trio followed behind.

  “I was born there,” Aiden responded, “but I got the boot after I pissed off Kuraikaji.”

  “Kuraikaji?!” the trio gasped in unison.

  Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Guess you’re familiar with the ol’ Kajimyster, eh?”

  “Yeah, we’ve heard of him alright,” Hagan replied.

  “What can you tell us about him?” Lucas queried.

  “Whaddya wanna know?” Aiden asked.

  “Everything,” Lucas responded.

  “Well...” Aiden began, “Kuraikaji is in charge of the Cobras, a thieves’ guild ya might say. I was one of ‘em myself at one time. Joined when I was fifteen. Back then, we spent mosta our days out in the desert robbin’ anyone unfortunate enough to pass through. But things changed when the monsters starte
d showin’ up.

  “Kuraikaji loves two things: gold and power. Secar’s defenses were weakened while the knights tried to defend the town, and he saw it as an opportunity. We all rode into Secar, killin’ knights and monsters. Soon, the place was ours and Kuraikaji became unofficial king of the desert. He promised to keep the town safe as long as the people accepted him as their ruler. Seemed like a good deal, and the folks bought it up. Then the Knowms showed up. They were a group of guys in green cloaks who said they were assigned by King Ashraf to run things. Basically, they told Kuraikaji to get lost. As ya probably guessed, he wasn’t too happy about it, and the Knowms were slaughtered. Since then, he’s been in charge without any resistance. Monsters still slip into town here and there, but most people are way too scared to travel through the desert to go somewhere else.

  “So now he’s got ‘em trapped under his rule, whether they like it or not. The knights don’t even bother to come around anymore. Guess the royal crown kinda gave up on the place after losin’ so many men to the Cobras. It makes Kuraikaji all‑powerful. If ya want anything in his town, ya gotta get it through him. The Cobras ride to other towns, go undercover, and steal all the gold and food they can get. Then they bring it back to Secar where ‘King Kuraikaji’ dispenses the goods. Problem bein’, he keeps mosta the loot for himself.”

  “How did you get kicked out?” Lucas inquired.

  “I got sick of his crap,” Aiden replied. “We did all the work and he got all the goods. I made the mistake of tellin’ him to stop bein’ so greedy. Next thing I know, I was runnin’ for my life. I’ve lived out here ever since, sneakin’ into town at night to get what I need. I usually don’t get many victims out here, but when I saw you guys I just went for it.”

  “Hold on,” Hagan interjected. “What were the Cobras doing attacking Azure if they only visit other towns to thieve?”

  Aiden appeared to be confused by his question. “Attackin’ Azure? Look, buddy... I ain’t been in with the Cobras for a while now. There’s no tellin’ what kinda crazy crap Kuraikaji is up to these days. I’ve never even been to Azure!”

  “Interesting...” Iris commented. “It’s possible that Kuraikaji has only recently learned of Damiano’s Disk.”