Tales of Aria: The Legend of Damiano's Disk

by Carl Russ III

  Hagan lowered his eyebrows. “Or what?” The two Cobras responded by speedily unsheathing the sabers at their waist‑sides and pointing them at Hagan’s throat.

  “Yeah, I probably should have saw that one coming,” Hagan said bluntly.

  Synchronously, Lucas unsheathed his sword. Dammit Hagan, why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut?

  With a cocky grin, one of the Cobras transferred his blade’s aim to Lucas. “Resisting will get you nowhere, boy. Drop the weapon.”

  Iris glanced over her shoulder to see the two Cobras who had initially been searching for the group. They were now rushing into view, to assist their comrade in apprehending Aiden. Unexpectedly, Lucas swiped his blade at the saber pointed in his direction, successfully disarming the foe. Hearing the loud clink, Iris snapped her attention back to the confrontation.

  Surprised by the action, the first man swung his saber at Lucas, who swiftly blocked the attack with his sword.

  “Glacies orbis!” The disarmed Cobra hastily retaliated by conjuring an ice orb. At the same time, Hagan conjured a fire orb while Iris materialized an icicle missile.

  As Lucas continued to block the swipes of the first Cobra, the second threw his ice orb at Lucas, pelting him in the stomach and sending him to the ground.

  “Lucas!” Iris shrieked as Hagan hurled the fire orb at the armed Cobra. The man stumbled backward as the searing flame impacted his chest plate, giving Hagan a chance to deliver a powerful right hook to the other Cobra’s jaw. Iris used the opportunity to fire her sharp icicle at the armed Cobra, brutally finishing him with a direct hit to his forehead. As Hagan proceeded to savagely beat the second Cobra using nothing but his fists, Iris darted to aid Lucas, who was helplessly quivering on the ground.

  “Lucas, speak,” Iris said frantically, kneeling beside him. He was unable to respond, temporarily dazed by the excruciating pain in his stomach. “Do not lose consciousness,” she told him. “I know it seems impossible, but you must breathe. Breathe Lucas.” He gasped for breath, each attempt only worsening the cold, sharp sting that was far too overwhelming to ignore.

  Turning her head, Iris saw one of the men who had been struggling with Aiden approach rapidly with his saber drawn. She placed her palm against the ground with her fingers stretched toward the charging enemy. “Glacies lubricus fascino!” Immediately, ice encased the ground beneath her hand, spreading with extraordinary speed across the stone toward the oncoming Cobra. Seeing the approaching ice, the man attempted to slow his pace. Too late: the ice had already reached the area below his feet. He slipped and fell with a mighty thud.

  Iris glanced over to Hagan, who had just knocked out his opponent.

  “Is Lucas okay?!” he asked.

  “He’s injured,” Iris replied, “and struggling to retain consciousness.” She snapped her head back at the Cobra who was attempting to return to his feet. “Glacies stiria telum!” Iris ceased his effort with an icicle missile through the chest before turning her focus back to Lucas.

  “More Cobras on the way,” Hagan warned, looking to the east at a charging group of armored men. He slung the backpack to the ground and prepared an arrow. By this time, many of Secar’s citizens were watching the massive battle from the windows of their homes, both confused by and fearful of the unanticipated occurrence.

  Aiden, who had been using every ounce of strength he possessed to free himself from capture, was at last subdued. He’d tried to save himself with his bizarre brand of Fire magic, but was mercilessly beaten the moment his hands blazed to life. Enduring many blows to his head, he was soon unable to conjure. His face was now a badly brutalized mess. One of the men secured Aiden’s hands behind his back while the other dashed to combat the trio.

  Hagan ducked to avoid a fire orb from the nearing foe, responding with an arrow which expeditiously eradicated the threat. Turning back to the east, he witnessed the approaching group of Cobras conjuring various Fire and Ice spells. “Iris!” he shouted, “Shield! Now!!” Rising to her feet, Iris prepared herself.

  “I’d kill you now,” the Cobra told Aiden as he tightened the rope on his wrists, “but I wouldn’t want to take the pleasure away from Kuraikaji.” Aiden knew he’d been beat, and was far too disoriented to even retaliate with words.

  Suddenly the man’s eyes widened and his mouth swung open. He fell to the ground. Much to Aiden’s surprise, he felt a tugging at the rope around his hands. Someone was cutting it off. With his hands freed, he turned to see Sezuni holding a blood‑soaked dagger.

  “I knew you’d screw up,” she said, tucking the dagger back into her cloak. “Just stay put and try not to be stupid for a few minutes.”

  Aiden was utterly baffled. “Okay,” he said softly, watching Sezuni dash to assist the trio through his blurred vision.

  “Glacies amplus scuto!” Iris shouted, creating a massive wall of ice, blocking the entire road in front of the charging Cobras. Instantly, they began hurling their conjurations at the barrier. “We must withdraw,” she told Hagan, using all of her strength to drag Lucas away from the quickly dissolving blockade.

  Hagan glanced at the Cobras, then back to Iris. “It’s too late for that.” He put away his bow, positioning himself to conjure a counterattack. “We’re just going to have to face them.”

  “They’re far too great in number,” Iris shouted. “We must retreat immediately!”

  “Don’t,” Sezuni commanded. Hagan and Iris were both astonished and relieved by her presence as she lowered her arms and said, “Umbra obscurum crystallinus!” She lifted her hands above her head, causing a large black crystal to jut from the ground below the mob, sending them flying in various directions. A few were killed by the attack, but most merely sustained injuries. “Remove the barrier and finish them,” Sezuni ordered as the crystal vanished. Iris obeyed, dissipating the wall of ice by flicking her wrist.

  The moment the icy barricade had disappeared, Hagan pointed his palms at the surviving Cobras and bellowed, “Ignis sterno!” A wide stream of flames rushed from his open palms, scorching the enemies in a sweeping inferno.

  “Glacies gelidus zephyrus!” Simultaneously, Iris ensured their demise with an icy barrage of her own.

  “Hey!” Aiden slurred loudly. “Bad stuff over here!” He fell to the ground, unable to withstand the pain of his injuries any longer. Sezuni glanced back in his direction to see more Cobras emerging in the distance. Observing that Iris and Hagan had the current situation well under control, she unsheathed her katana and sprinted to combat the men.

  As she neared the assailants, Sezuni quickly jumped to her right to avoid an icicle missile and ducked as a fire orb zoomed over her head, continuing to run forward. Shocked that she had managed to dodge his attack, the nearest Cobra began to unsheathe his saber only to be viciously sliced across his neck by Sezuni’s katana. “Umbra orbis!” Sezuni threw a shadow orb at another man who was in the middle of conjuring a Fire spell, knocking him to the ground as she hastily approached the Cobra responsible for launching the icicle missile. She swiped at him with her katana, only to be blocked by his saber. “Nice,” she commented, sweeping her leg and tripping the enemy. With a stab to his head, she glanced up to see an ice orb whizzing directly toward her. She narrowly dodged it, returning a shadow orb to the attacking foe.

  Lucas slowly got to his feet, witnessing Hagan and Iris defeat the last of the large mob. Noticing the movement, Hagan turned his head.

  “Lucas! You’re alright!” He and Iris rushed to their companion.

  “I’m fine,” Lucas told them, holding his stomach.

  “Thank goodness,” Iris replied. “Quickly, heal yourself.”

  Hagan glanced to the west. “I’d better go help Sezuni. Stay here with Lucas.” He took off to assist her.

  “Sezuni?” Lucas said, puzzled. “She came back?”

  “Yes.” Iris answered. “Details are not essential right now. You must recover from your injury immediately.”

  Closing his eyes and focusing, L
ucas proceeded to heal himself. “Lumen sana!”

  As he recovered, Iris scanned the road to the east. She could see more Cobras exiting the building at the end of the next block, noting that the structure was likely Kuraikaji’s hideout. She turned to Lucas. “It seems our struggle is only beginning. Reinforcements are approaching from the east. To make matters worse, I feel that I’m nearing my conjuring limit.”

  Lucas finished healing and collected his sword lying on the ground nearby. “Is anyone else hurt?” he asked.

  Iris glanced at Sezuni and Hagan, both who seemed to be in good condition as they concluded their battle. Suddenly, Aiden’s stagnant body caught her eye. “Aiden requires immediate attention.”

  Lucas looked at Aiden in the distance. “Do you have enough in you to hold them off while I heal him?”

  “I’ll do my best,” she responded, looking back to the east. To her surprise, the Cobras were nowhere to be seen.

  Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Lucas made his way over to Aiden. Kneeling down, he turned his ally face up. Lucas was astonished by Aiden’s dire physical condition. Wow, he took a pretty harsh beating. It’s going to take a lot to heal him. I hope I can do it.

  As Lucas slowly revived Aiden, Iris saw the Cobras suddenly reappear from around the corner of the next block’s end, now mounted on horses. She prepared to raise another large wall of ice as the Cobras drew closer. It was then that Iris noticed something unusual. The man in the middle of the group of seven was dressed much differently than the others. He wore a dark‑gray, long‑sleeved overcoat with red trim and golden buttons. His pants were the same shade of gray, held by a black belt with a shiny gold buckle. Iris gasped. Could that be–?

  Aiden’s eyes opened as Lucas removed his hand. “How do you feel?” Lucas asked.

  Aiden quickly got off the ground. “What the heck just happened?! What’s going on?” His jaw dropped as he noticed the seven men riding toward them in the east. “Kuraikaji!!” Gasping, Lucas gripped his sword and bolted to Iris.

  Without warning, an arrow sped past Aiden, striking down a Cobra running toward him from an alley. “Don’t even think about running,” Hagan warned as he and Sezuni took off to face the impending conflict to the east.

  Lucas halted beside Iris. “It’s Kuraikaji,” he told her.

  “I’d feared so,” she responded.

  The mounted Cobras came to a stop in front of the two as Hagan and Sezuni joined them. A bead of sweat ran down Lucas’s face. Dammit! Not now! Healing Aiden took almost everything I had left in me. Iris said she’s almost drained too... but I can’t let Kuraikaji know that. I have to stand my ground.

  Aiden joined the group, attempting to hide his face behind Hagan. The Cobras didn’t say a word or even conjure as Kuraikaji looked down at the group. He had short black hair and a thin pencil mustache. His left eye was green with an eye patch obscuring his right.

  “What are you doing in my city?” he queried coldly.

  “Your men attacked my town,” Hagan angrily responded. “This is payback.” As he began to reach for an arrow, Sezuni quickly grabbed his arm and shook her head.

  “I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about,” Kuraikaji said calmly.

  “We know about Damiano’s Disk,” Lucas asserted, causing a look of surprise on Kuraikaji’s face. “We ran into more of your Cobras in the In Between. It seems that you really want that thing. But your rampage stops here. Just give it up, Kuraikaji.”

  Kuraikaji chuckled. “Ah, heroes, huh? Cute.” The other Cobras laughed at his remark. There was a pause as Kuraikaji observed the cadavers in the surrounding area. “You’re quite skilled fighters,” he finally said. “Nosey fighters as well.” Suddenly, his visible eye widened. “You!!” Kuraikaji barked, pointing his finger at Aiden.

  “Eep,” Aiden sheepishly responded.

  “Now I see what’s going on,” Kuraikaji seethed before turning to his men. “Kill them!”

  He took off to the east as the six remaining Cobras prepared to attack. Three of them conjured massive fireballs, one prepared an ice orb, while the remaining two loaded arrows. Without hesitation, Sezuni sheathed her katana and lowered her arms. Meanwhile, Iris prepared to conjure another ice barrier as Hagan fired an arrow and Aiden’s hands burst, once again, into flames.

  The Cobra holding the ice orb leaned and barely dodged Hagan’s arrow, returning fire with his conjuration, but missing. At the same time, the two Cobras armed with bows released their arrows. Aiden’s hands extinguished as he leaped through the air to dodge the first while the second narrowly missed Iris.

  “Glacies amplus scuto!”

  A large wall of ice appeared between the group and the Cobras, prompting Sezuni to raise another massive crystal below their feet. This threw the men from their horses, causing their conjured Fire spells to vanish. The crystal disappeared, leaving the Cobras in a scattered mess while the horses galloped away.

  “Holy crap, that was awesome!” Aiden blurted.

  Iris felt her legs weaken. “Unfortunately, I’ve reached my conjuring limit. I will be unable to assist any further.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Hagan noticed another Cobra pop out from behind a nearby building and launch an arrow. “Watch out!” he yelled, pointing to the sniper as the arrow plunged into Sezuni’s arm.

  “Ahh!” she cried.

  “Sezuni!” Iris and Lucas ran to her as Hagan returned an arrow at the stealthy foe, who merely took cover behind the building while another Cobra fired a second arrow.

  Luckily, he missed, prompting Aiden to ignite his hands. “I got ‘em!” he said, running toward the enemies.

  Hagan turned back to Sezuni, who had just pulled the arrow from her arm. She threw it to the ground, bleeding profusely from where it had entered. “Lucas, heal her!” Hagan shouted.

  “I can’t,” he replied. “It took a lot to heal Aiden. I’ll be lucky if I can even conjure a light orb.”

  “Dammit!” Hagan yelled in frustration, putting away his bow and turning back to the icy barrier. Four of the men had survived the attack, and were running into an alley on the other side of the subzero barricade. “They’re coming around!” Hagan warned his companions.

  “Keep fighting,” Sezuni ordered, taking a small bottle of red liquid out of her pocket. “I’ll be fine.”

  As the first sniper poked his head around the corner with a loaded arrow, he was unexpectedly pelted by an onslaught of fireballs from Aiden. Seeing this, the other Cobra shot at him. The arrow screeched just over his head, prompting Aiden to turn to the assailant and give him the same fiery treatment.

  “Ha!” Aiden exclaimed victoriously as his hands returned to normal. He bolted to rejoin the group but almost immediately came to a stop in order to avoid a slithering brown snake‑like creature covered in spines. It hissed at Aiden as he reignited his hands, speedily turning the threat into a pile of ash.

  Sezuni, who had cut a portion of her sleeve to create a makeshift bandage for her wound, held a shadow orb in the hand of her uninjured arm while Hagan waited with a loaded arrow.

  I’ve only got one arrow left in my quiver, Hagan thought. I don’t think I’ll have enough time to collect the rest of them. As soon as I fire these two, I’ve got to get conjuring, pronto.

  Noticing a Cobra appear from around a corner, Sezuni threw her orb, delivering a direct hit as the other three ran out from behind him. Aiden, who was nearby, quickly shot a barrage of fireballs at them as Hagan released his arrow. Stifled by the concurrent attacks, the Cobras never had a chance to take offensive action before meeting their demise.

  The fire surrounding Aiden’s hands vanished as he reunited with the group. “I just saw a monster back there. While we’ve been keepin’ the Cobras busy, they musta started making their way into town.”

  “That’s just what we need,” Hagan griped.

  “Fortunately,” said Sezuni, “it seems that we’ve already defeated a great deal of Cobras. There can’t be
many left alive.”

  “Did anyone see where Kuraikaji went?” Lucas asked.

  Hagan shook his head. “I lost track of him when we started fighting.”

  “Same,” said Aiden. “I know he went east though. Mighta went home.”

  “I suppose we should pursue him,” Iris suggested. “Shall I remove the barrier?”

  “Yeah,” Lucas responded, “let’s do it.”

  As Iris dissolved the icy wall, Hagan turned to Sezuni. “You know, I could have just shot him if you hadn’t stopped me.”

  “The moment you would have raised your bow,” Sezuni retorted, “his men would have annihilated you. That’s not even taking into consideration Kuraikaji’s ability as a fighter. I’m certain he was anticipating an assault.”

  “What if I had hit him?” Hagan argued. “Those Cobras weren’t so tough. Besides, we just ended up fighting them anyway.”

  “I can’t read the future,” Sezuni said bitterly. “I did what I thought was best.”

  “There’s no time to argue about what could have happened,” Lucas interjected. “It worked out. We just have to think about what we’re going to do next.”

  Following a brief pause, Hagan looked over to Iris. “What the hell, Iris? Are you still holding on to that satchel?”

  “Of course,” she answered. “I’m positive it will prove useful at some point.”

  “It’s an empty bag,” Hagan protested.

  The two were interrupted as Aiden’s hands burst into flames. “We got more monsters out west!”

  Sezuni unsheathed her katana with her good arm. “I’ll take care of them. Try to save your magic for Kuraikaji and any remaining Cobras.” She raced toward the beasts as Aiden’s hands extinguished.

  He turned back to the group. “So, we gonna do this or what?”

  “Let me pick up my arrows first,” Hagan replied. “My quiver’s empty.”

  Aiden gave a nod. “Fair enough. When ya get done, we gotta get to that building on the end of the next block. I’m bettin’ ol’ Kajimyster’s in there.”

  Iris eyed the windows of the surrounding buildings, noticing the faces of the people who had been watching their battle. “Our crusade seems to have attracted the attention of Secar’s populous.”