by Eden Redd
Skeletons, rats, and blood creatures were locked in battle. Luca stood, her eyes wide and laughing. Fingers made strange movements, rat blood forming more of the thin blood creatures.
Dax flicked his wrist again, another card sliding into his hand.
Name: Ice Blast
Element: Water
Degree: 2
Ability: Damage/Stun
Special Ability: None
Nuria lifted her head, card in hand as she aimed. The pair shouted trigger words, a pair of ice streams blasting out from cards. Luca’s laughter turned into a disgusted sneer as she moved her fingers. Blood shot up from the side, crashing into the ice streams and shattering them.
“You can’t stop me…” the orc said before something came at her with a tiny mace.
Fern’s determined little face was the last thing Luca saw before the mace cracked across her nose. The force snapped the orc’s head back, eyes rolling into her head. The air shifted as she fell back and landed on the floor with a hard thud.
The blood creatures burst, drops falling across the stone floor.
Vance and a small army of skeletons held the waves of rats at bay, just barely. The unicorn crashed through the skeletons and into the tunnel. Hooves kicked out as rats clawed and bit at the unicorn. It neighed as it thundered in the tunnel. Chucks of rock fell, shattering the phantom Illkiths. The bloody carnage continued until the unicorn kicked out both front legs. The tunnel trembled before it collapsed. The unicorn let out one last neigh before it was buried with the large vermin.
Skeletons moved about the chamber, slicing and stabbing the remaining rats. Ressa was to Isani’s side, pressing down on the leg wound. Zarra crossed the room, her hand glowing before she touched the hurt shadow elf. Healing energy flowed as the leg wound began to close.
Dax slumped to the ground, clutching at his wounded arm. Nuria made her way over and sat beside him. They both watched as Zarra continued to heal the rogue shadow elf. Not far away, Fern slumped to the floor, her eyes distant. Noss moved to her side.
Vance took a deep breath, lowered his arm and looked to Chandra as she lay. “I don’t know who they are but we have to interrogate them.”
Chandra tried to lift her head, a wry smirk on her lips. “Vizith…torpor.”
The kitun weakly raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
The group watched as Chandra, Vizith, Owyn, and Luca went limp. Eyes closed and they lay like broken dolls.
Dax stared at Chandra as she lay. “We encountered them yesterday, in the forest.”
Nuria nodded. “They wanted me to go with them. They know who and what I am.”
Dax looked to Nuria, shadows covering his eyes. “This has gone on long enough. We have to tell the professors. We have to end this now.”
“They’ll execute me,” Nuria whispered.
“They already know a lot about us and we have to trust them. We can’t hold onto this secret any longer. You have a void spawn soul, but your body is human. They will have to take it into account. What if someone is killed…” Dax winced as he held onto his bloody arm.
The throbbing pain grew worse with each passing moment. The mage felt their grand plan slowly falling apart. The strange people scattered around the chamber were part of some secret group that wanted to destroy Kinarth Academy. Despite his feelings, Dax knew that he had to tell the truth or students could die.
“I won’t let them execute you. I will be at your side every step of the way,” Dax said with confidence.
“Dax… I don’t want to die,” Nuria said in a faint whisper.
“We won’t let that happen,” Dax said before a shuffling caught his attention.
All heads turned to the corner of the chamber, Clive standing over the trophy crystal. The large mage seemed to be entranced, his head bent forward and looking down on the glowing object.
Symon was the closest, his gaze on the mage’s wide back, “Clive?”
“I…can’t turn away,” the large mage said in a harsh whisper.
Nuria’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head, “Don’t let him touch it!”
Symon darted toward the mage, hand out. “Clive!”
The large mage reached down. Symon was nearly to him when the mage’s fingers grazed the crystal’s surface.
Energy rippled and blasted out. The wave passed over Clive, not harming him as he knelt to it. Symon’s senses were dazzled as the wave passed over him with no ill effects. The wave struck everyone in the room and moved on, disappearing through walls.
“What was that?” Noss nearly shouted.
Nuria stared with incredulous eyes, “Our doom.”
The group looked to each other in deep confusion.
Symon grabbed Clive and pulled him back. “What did you do?”
The large mage looked to the spellsword with lost eyes. “I don’t know. I just had to touch it.”
Symon gritted his teeth before he addressed the room. “Zarra, finish healing Isani and Dax. We’ll gather up the prisoners and bring them to the surface so we can sort this mess out.”
Nuria laid her head on Dax’s shoulder, a tear streaking down her cheek. “Dax, I’m sorry.”
The mage sat, blood leaking from his arm and his heart sinking.
Eighteen
The sky darkened as the last rays of sunlight began to slip behind the horizon. Clouds drifted on as if on a glassy surface, the underside flat, but the rest bubbling up in odd shapes and sizes. The sight of the majestic heavens caused sailors and crew to stop their duties for just a moment to drink in its beauty. The air was cold, but bodies were warm, seeing evening approach like an old friend, ready to comfort souls into a mild slumber.
The moment slowly slipped away and bodies once again began tending to their duties among the ships. The captain of the Sea Witch looked down at the crew as they moved about. The ship swayed to light waves, barely noticeable on the large ship.
Light flashed on the deck, a mage and two clerics over a student. The Captain watched as the clerics laid healing hands on the student struggling to breath. The mage was close, eyeing what was happening. The student, a young man with a hole in his chest, gasped and struggled until the healing power of the clerics calmed him down, the wound closing.
Captain Roderick eyed them as the student sat up and thanked his saviors. The event was not an unexpected one. The Captain saw it nearly two dozen times. From what the professors informed him, any student that fell would be teleported back to the ship and healed. They would stay aboard until the exam was over, but their deeds and activities would be the deciding factor of their grades. It gave weight to their actions during the exam. It wasn’t simply about surviving, but trying to do the best you can during a difficult test.
Years of memories rolled across the Captain’s mind. The exams were slightly different, year to year, but Star Fall Island was always the same. A hard place to live due to storms and monsters, but a suitable place to test young men and women to be better. Students would come back, hollow or distraught. They often lamented on how difficult it was and questioned if they were ready to be a champion. Roderick heard it all, but it warmed his heart the most when students who thought they didn’t have what it took, went and excelled beyond what was expected. Those pearls often grew to legend and the Captain was thankful he could be there to see their first, shaky steps to something bigger.
Captain Roderick let out a small sigh. Life had been hard, but good. White colored the hair along his temples and it was a little harder to get up in the morning, but the stories he witnessed filled his soul.
Along the underside of the ship, hard insect-like legs clamped to the hull. Water splashed against the thick hull, dark things crawling out of the water. White and black eyes gleamed as webbed hands, crustacean legs and clawed, scaly hands took purchase and silently climbed up. Like a moving mass of darkness, dark wet things made their way up.
The wind shifted and the Captain took a quick sniff of the air. Low tide touched his sensitive nos
e, but soon it overpowered his senses. Dark realization washed over him as his hand fell to his cutlass and he drew it in one, fluid motion.
“First Mate, get everyone below deck and have every available fighter ready. We are being boarded,” the Captain said coolly.
Legs and tentacles crawled over the side as shiny black bodies moved onto the railing. White eyes stared, bumpy tongues slathering across grotesque lips upon seeing so much meat.
The First Mate was silent, moving down the stairs and making quick hand signals, Crew members saw the signals and glanced over at the things slowly making their way onto the deck of the ship.
The Captain made a silent prayer to the gods before he took a deep inhale.
“We are being boarded! Repel invaders!” the Captain shouted before rushing down the set of stairs, sword in hand.
Monstrous eyes turned in his direction as the Captain rushed at them, a madness in his eyes.
The sound of swords slicing and creatures screeching were lost to the sounds of the waves.
***
The sun’s dying light painted the Lighthouse in a subdued orange. Bodies walked through the gate while other students lay about, awaiting their coteries turn to enter the Lighthouse. The mood was light, several campfires burning to chase away the evening cold air.
Counselor Skullcut walked about the groups, inspecting the students and answering any questions they may have. The counselor smiled, his scarred face bright as his tone was business-like. The sun sank lower as he turned his attention to an entrance and saw students emerge. The counselor’s smile faded as some of the students carried others that were clearly not part of the academy.
Symon, Dax, Vance, and Clive carried people with them, the rest of the coterie following. Dax grunted as he wasn’t used to carrying anything heavier than a small keg. Arms and legs trembled before he let Chandra fall to the floor, the elf not responding. The rest of the group did the same, dumping bodies. The people who invaded the dungeon still breathed, their chests rising and falling, but they were mentally not home, as it were.
Counselor Skullcut and Professor Frost approached from two different directions, converging on the group. Their eyes held an intensity as they slowed their approach and looked at the sight before them.
“This will be a story,” the Counselor said as he looked down on the four strangers.
Heads hung low, darkness touching the spirits of the group except for one. Dax reached over and took Lyla’s hand into his. The beautiful mage looked to the mage and he gave her a reassuring nod.
“I will be there for you, every step of the way,” Dax said with a comforting tone.
Professor Frost’s brow wrinkled as she looked at the four strangers on the ground. “They look like Prenmore students,” she said simply.
Heads from the other coteries in the courtyard turned to see what was happening. A few stood up and walked closer, but not getting close enough to interfere. Curiosity glowed as everyone was trying to figure out what was happening.
Lyla stepped forward to the counselor and professor, bowing her head. “I have many things I wish to tell you and all of our lives may be in danger.”
Skullcut nodded. “Let’s speak out of range of prying ears.”
“Dax has to be with me while we talk,” Lyla said.
The professor and counselor nodded. All four moved away, walking around the main keep. Dax’s heart beat with calm trust. The academy wanted to bring the best out of its students so they may become champions, but deep down, he hoped he was doing the right thing for all of them, especially Lyla.
When all four were just out of sight and ear range, the professor and counselor eyed Nuria. Lips parted and she began talking.
Dax watched with growing intensity as Lyla spoke of events since she arrived in Nuria’s body. Despite his former calm heart, it began to quicken with Counselor Skullcut’s darkening eyes. The large man’s chin clenched before shadows covered his eyes. Thick arms crossed and Dax wondered if it was to keep from doing something terrible.
Professor Frost’s expression was blank, absorbing every word. There were no facial tics or eyes moving to the side. Her full attention was on every word from the woman formerly known as Nuria.
“I was in the beginning stages of the plan to hurt Kinarth Academy. I tried to keep playing the part, but they began to see through my deceptions. I was soon frozen out of the plan, but I knew it was still in effect. I pieced together the rest when one of our own touched the Trophy Crystal. We all felt it and you might have felt it up here too. There was going to be a trigger and it would signal some sort of attack,” Lyla said.
The mage lowered her head some more. “The Prenmore students cast something to cause them to fall into a torpor. They haven’t been responsive since,” Lyla finished.
“One of them, I’m assuming the kitun, is a Mind Dancer. They study purely the Mind Sphere, able to manipulate any intelligent creature,” Professor Frost stated plainly.
Tension filled the air as Counselor Skullcut seemed to almost seethe. Dax watched him, his confidence beginning to fail.
Was I wrong? Did I just end Lyla’s life?
“Despite my fears, I could not go on with my secret life if I knew I would be putting other students in danger. Dax showed me what it meant to be a champion. I accept my fate in your hands,” Lyla didn’t lift her head, eyes closed.
Counselor Skullcut un-crossed his arms, each one falling to his sides. Dark eyes shined in the last beam of the setting sun.
Dax’s body slipped in front of Lyla’s and he looked to the large Counselor with protective defiance.
“She spoke the truth, like a true champion! I know this is a mess, but she should not be condemned for it since she tried to pull away. Nuria was the one acting against the academy, not Lyla!”
“Calm yourself,” Professor Frost said with an edge.
Dax stared into Skullcut’s dark eyes. “I will not if it means she will be executed for being different!”
“She killed Nuria’s parents. It is still a crime, no matter the circumstances,” Professor Frost said.
Fear, doubt, and hope stormed along the mage. Dax tried to keep it together, cracks beginning to form along his own spirit. The burden of secrets weighed too heavy and the young man had had enough.
“What about my crimes? You knew, you all knew I took a life when I was younger, yet you still let me into the academy! How come I get to train to be better and she must be condemned for being scared and different! She’s not like them! She’s completely different, a void spawn soul in a human body!”
“Dax, calm yourself,” Professor Frost said with a hard edge.
“No, I will not be calm. The academy teaches us to bring out the best in ourselves and each other. I have been told to stand up for what I believe in. I have spent my life running and I don’t want to run anymore. I’m standing here, believing that our academy is more than training soldiers. We’re training to be champions!”
Skullcut looked up to the sky, the ending light of the day causing his eyes to shine with knowledge and history.
“I was a boy in Hydale when the void spawn attacked. The city quickly became a warzone. The spawn systematically attacked, grabbing two kinds of people, those they could gain knowledge from and those they would eat. It’s not talked about often because the horrors are still fresh to many.”
Skullcut looked down, raising an arm and looking at it. “The mana springs infuse our bodies with power. It allows us to be more than your average person. The longer you spend on Mist Haven Isle, the more powerful you become. It also slows down your aging. It’s why I’m standing before you at the ripe age of a hundred and eight years old. I was but a boy when Kinarth returned, an angelic demon leading the charge and slaying void spawn with such power and relish, they began their retreat.”
Skullcut’s arm fell to his side as he looked to Dax and Lyla with kind eyes. “I had many decades where I could never forgive the void spawn for what they did to our worl
d, our people, my family. Time marched and that hate boiled down to sorrow. A sadness took root that I could not deny.
“I used my abilities to hunt and take down enemies of every kind, but with time, my hate wasn’t enough to fuel the empty desire of revenge. I gave up working for lords, ladies, and kingdoms. I hung up my hate so I could spend my life helping others achieve greatness.”
Edrin stepped closer, pressed his hands to the sides of Dax’s head and touched his scarred forehead to Dax’s forehead.
“You’re doing the right thing. You're defending a soul. Your past crimes do not define you just like they don’t define Lyla. We all have done terrible things in our lives at some point, but it takes a true champion to rise above and put everything on the line for others and themselves.”
Edrin pulled his head back, a seriousness in his gaze, “Your past crimes were absolved the moment you became part of the academy. Once you are enrolled, any crimes committed under our care shall be dealt with by the academy.”
Skullcut looked past Dax to Lyla, “But you are not a student and must be tried for your crimes.”
Lyla looked down in defeat.
Dax shook his head with wide eyes, “No. There has to be another way! She will be killed!”
Edrin looked to Dax with sorrow in his eyes. “They will be fair and just. Had she simply come to us, we could have helped her, but this is a crime where she must be held accountable. Fear makes us do many things, but killing and hiding bodies is not an act of an innocent person. It is an act of depraved indifference to life and for that, she must be tried.”
“There has to be another way,” Dax said darkly.
Edrin nodded. “If she helps us uncover members of the plot against the academy, they will be lenient. It will be something we will discuss when we return, but Lyla must be guarded until we get back.”
