Phantom Campaign

by Eden Redd

  Isani’s tone grew somber, “I haven’t forgiven myself for leaving Ressa. She’s my best friend and I left her. That act will always burn at my soul, but it helped me focus on what I truly want to be. Like you, I want to be a champion. I want us to be champions. You have feelings for Lyla. The dream of seeing her off to live a new life was just that, a fantasy. Someone would have hunted her down and you would have never known. Now, she can fight and you can fight by her side.”

  Dax gazed on the beautiful shadow elf. Heart low in his chest, the mage’s emotions grew into a tangled mess.

  Isani reached up and touched Dax’s cheek. “Ressa and I chose you because, despite your history, you still want to do good in this world. We saw it when you defended Symon. We saw it when Fern and Zarra were drawn to you. We saw it that day when Nuria spit in your face in front of the line of students who wanted to join your club.”

  “You were there?” Dax asked softly.

  Isani smiled and nodded. “A lesser man would have punched her. It was at that moment, Ressa and I fell in love with you.”

  “You both stalked me for some time,” Dax said with a weak smile.

  “We did,” Isani said simply.

  “Isani, I don’t want any of us to die.”

  The shadow elf ran her fingers down along Dax’s neck and they lingered, “That is the beauty of responsibility. We watch over you and you watch over us. Fighting for yourself is normal. Fighting for others, that’s the stories of champions.”

  Dax took hold of Isani’s hand, lifted it up and kissed the back of it. “I won’t let the monsters win.”

  The shadow elf gave a wicked smile, “We won’t let you fail.”

  A strange roar filled the darkened sky. Dax and Isani looked out into the primeval forest. In the distance, trees shuddered and some began to fall. Large, black things rose up, white eyes glowing. At first, a half dozen eyes appeared over the falling treetops. The number grew into dozens. From every direction, a seething mass of large bodies and white eyes bore down towards the Lighthouse.

  “Remember, we will always be with you,” Isani said before giving Dax a deep kiss.

  The shadow elf pulled away, leapt into a flip off the walkway and landed in the courtyard.

  Dax stood straighter, looking at the approaching darkness in the distance. Shouts filled the air as students called out about the approaching horde.

  “We will not die tonight,” Dax said with conviction as roars filled the night.

  Nineteen

  The stench of low tide sank into the very atmosphere of the island. Armored giant crabs, malformed giant fish people and enormous sea serpents with odd legs crashed through the forests. Scaled and armored bodies cut down everything in their path. Madness consumed them as a siren song only they could hear pushed them to advance at a frenetic pace. Hunger, rage, and fury propelled the misshapen horde as claws and webbed hands knocked away trees like they were nothing.

  Dax stared with unblinking eyes. Even in the vast distance, the wild monster horde crashed and thrashed closer. The mage forced his eyes closed, calming himself for the battle to come. Around him, fear and courage colored hearts and eyes.

  Students gazed on the advancing hordes from all sides. Tales of sea monsters told to them as children to keep them behaved became very real. Fear stabbed into minds, images of being torn apart, eaten, and dragged to the cold ocean bottom played like a demented play in a dying theater.

  “Stay behind the walls! Protect yourselves and each other and we will survive this night!” Skullcut projected his voice.

  Professor Frost whispered a few arcane words. The mage’s eyes flashed with ethereal light before she mumbled a string of mystical incantations. The very air around the mage swirled and she began to levitate into the air.

  Dax opened his eyes as a force caressed his mind, easing the tension in his heart. He looked up to the starry sky, turning his head until he saw the white stone of the Lighthouse. Many more heads turned and looked up as Professor Frost rose higher and higher. The professor cleared the tip of the top and continued to float up. When she was about fifty feet above the Lighthouse tower, she looked down with crossed arms.

  “Students, Counselor Skullcut and I will do everything in our power to reduce the enemy’s ranks. Even with our power, it will be a difficult feat. As Counselor Skullcut has mentioned, defend yourselves and each other.

  “I will be here, connected to your minds. Remain orderly and call on me only if things grow desperate. I will monitor the battle from here. Should both the walls be breached, I will give the command to retreat into the Lighthouse. Everyone is to move to the lowest sub-level. Everyone defends. Everyone fights. Am I clear?”

  A slew of nearly three hundred students gave an ethereal approval.

  Professor Frost looked down with a stern gaze.

  “Our enemy comes from the great depths. Their attack at this moment is not a coincidence since night is their natural time. We will defend until morning. The rising sun will send these beasts back to the bottom. Our goal, survive to first light.

  “Show no mercy to these creatures and we shall know victory. For Kinarth Academy!”

  “For Kinarth Academy!” shouts filling the air.

  Dax looked up, wanting to shout like the rest. The weight of reality pressed hard on his spirit. Glancing to the sides, he watched as students retook their positions along the inner wall and the Lighthouse courtyard. Bodies moved with purpose and focus.

  Dax turned and looked out at the massive horde approaching, each tiny passage of time bringing them closer.

  “Paladins, clerics, and bards, ease our forces with blessings and song.”

  Bards played their instruments, gentle tunes filling the students who could hear them with courage and hope. Fear bled away as determination filled eyes. Paladins and clerics lifted hands, cones of light touching all present. Hearts beat with brave fury as fear shied away from their light.

  Dax was not immune, the fear he felt falling away like dying leaves away from a tree. Looking to the monsters in the distance, he felt like he could take them all on.

  Cards are locked and loaded. More are in my inner pockets. Each one is charged and ready to be used. I finally get to truly test some of my newer cards. The monsters will not stand a chance.

  Dax gave a confident smirk.

  Thoughts flowed to his friends. They were among the many on top of the surrounding inner wall. Each student had about five feet distance from each other and that was just the mages, necromancers, druids, fighters, and berserkers.

  Fern, Isani, Ressa, Zarra, and even Lyla painted Dax’s mind’s eye.

  I won’t let this be the end. Sebastian Kinarth, if you can hear me, watch over us as we fight to be true champions.

  Dax nodded to himself before he called up his stats.

  Name: Dax Sage

  Class: Mage

  Health: Normal

  Mana: 1400

  Mana Shards: 10

  Spheres of Magic

  Air: 3

  Water: 2

  Fire: 1

  Urth: 1

  Life: 3

  Decay: 0

  Light: 0

  Dark: 0

  Time: 2

  Space: 0

  Mind: 2

  Body: 0

  The last of the restoration potions filled Dax’s mana to its limit. Looking over his spheres, strategies formed around air and water magic. Judging from the size of the invading horde, calling on constructs would be a disadvantage. Even if the mage used every drop of his mana, there would never be enough creatures to fight such an impossibly large force.

  Use construct monsters in delicate situations. They will be an extension of me to help defend.

  Dax woke from his thoughts as a shadow stood next to him. The mage looked down to see Noss at his side, drinking a restoration potion before putting the empty vial in one of his pockets.

  “Dax, I feel scared, not brave. I don’t think the bard’s songs are helping,�
� the kobold said in a hushed tone.

  The mage pressed his hand to the kobold’s small shoulder, “You’re brave being up here. That says something.”

  Noss gave a weak nod. “I’m up here because my hero is here.”

  Dax looked to the kobold.

  Noss looked up, “You inspired me. You came from nothing and did something amazing. My people think life is cheap. My family told me I was throwing my life away by joining the academy. When I saw you wield card magic, I knew they were all wrong.

  “I’m up here because I want to fight by your side, but I’ll be honest, I’m scared to death.”

  Dax nodded. “If I die, you have full permission to reanimate my body to keep fighting.”

  Noss kept his gaze until his thin lips twisted into a wide grin. The kobold’s mouth opened and he laughed. It wasn’t a pretty laugh, a cross between a hog and a horse choking. Dax couldn’t resist and joined in, the mage and necromancer laughing loud and hard while other students looked over in bewilderment.

  “Thank you, Dax,” Noss said as he wiped away a tear from the corner of his oval eyes.

  “Thank you for fighting at my side. Be sure to use every card in your arsenal. Show the enemy what you’ve learned.”

  Noss gave a hearty nod. “I will.”

  “The enemy approaches. Do not show them any fear,” Professor Frost’s words flowed over their minds.

  Dax’s hand dove into his robe and pulled out two cards.

  Name: Lightning Bolt

  Element: Air

  Degree: 3

  Ability: Damage

  Special Ability: None

  Name: Ice Bolts

  Element: Water

  Degree: 2

  Ability: Damage

  Special Ability: None

  Noss mirrored the mage, pulling out two cards with his small, scaled hands.

  Dax stared out as a sliver of regret filled his heart. He wanted to give one more hug to all his friends. Right now, they were spread out to help defend, but he wished they were all side by side as they took on fate.

  Drinks will be on me when this is all over.

  The energy in the air began to rise. In the distance, jaws opened with jagged teeth shining in the small light. A wall of black monsters with white teeth rushed closer. Trees toppled as the stench seemed to grow. Gurgling roars echoed. The heavens seemed to stop their celestial dance as monsters approached from all sides on the one lit spot on the island. Trees, skeletons, and zombies moved and shuffled along the outer urth wall. Mages lifted up hands, some with cards and others with glowing spellfire engulfing them. Fighters lifted bows and pulled back flaming arrows. Bard song gave them courage and strength. Druids spoke to the wilderness, preparing their allies. Berserkers along the walls slammed their own fists against their chests, their demonic courage growing with every strike.

  On another section of the inner wall, Symon stood at the ready when he looked over to see Counselor Skullcut climb the stairs and then stand at the edge of the wall. The scarred man looked out with the calm of a summer pond. He held no weapons in his hands, but Symon could feel the power of the man growing with each passing second.

  “Symon, you will be a fine leader,” Skullcut smiled.

  The spellsword glanced to the large man and then back to the incoming horde.

  “I give you command of this section of the wall. Make sure no one follows me.”

  Symon’s brow raised, but before he could utter a word, Skullcut’s legs bent at the knees. Power rushed into his body like steam and a blink later, he launched into the air. Symon watched in disbelief as the academy counselor made an impossible jump.

  Skullcut landed within the outer wall before his legs bent and he launched again. High in the air, the counselor drank in the cold air before he looked down as the wave of monsters rushing closer. Energy flashed, a blade of lightning appearing in his right hand and an axe of fire appearing in his left hand.

  “I’m home,” Skullcut whispered as he fell directly toward a large, scaled monster.

  From a distance, Symon didn’t blink as Skullcut’s blade and axe cut with such power, the large monster shattered into a shower of foul blood and entrails.

  “The Butcher is HOME!” Skullcut shouted with the power of a cannon before he rushed into the horde, his mana weapons slicing with deadly accuracy.

  Professor Frost gave a wicked smile.

  “Spellcasters, open fire!”

  The words touched minds and a moment later, spells blasted out in all directions. Lightning, fire, and ice unleashed, speeding through the air before slamming and crashing into scaled, slimy bodies. Monsters roared as twisted limbs were blown off. Holes appeared through their bodies as elemental bolts struck soft, scaled bodies. The large serpents cried out as they fell to the sides, smashing smaller monsters with their bulk. Hard shelled monsters marched on crustacean legs, claws pulling large monsters away or simply cutting through them. Ice bolts blasted off the carapace covered bodies of some while lanky sea monsters dodged incoming fireballs. The horde slowed, but it did not stop.

  Dax unleashed lightning bolts as he watched animated trees lumbering toward the incoming sea monsters. Rows of skeletons ran with them, charging the things from the deep. When both forces met, a carnival of carnage exploded from both sides. Skeletons were nearly overrun as trees pushed against the monster tide. Large mouths with rows of teeth tore into trees as broken limbs stabbed into bodies. Black blood spurted as trees were smashed to kindling. Skeletons and zombies managed to make a stab or two before they were overrun. Gurgling cries filled the air, but the wave of monsters pushed on, breaking the weaker defense.

  The flood continued but one section saw a turn of the tide. Skullcut moved like a master in a butcher shop. The lightning blade sliced with power as his flaming axe cut and cooked anything it passed through. Monsters opened their jagged mouths, only for jaws to be cut off and flames slicing their bellies open. Creatures grabbed at their own entrails before Skullcut’s arms moved with purpose, taking the last of their life as tithe for activating his power.

  A crab-monster rushed the lone man, only for the lightning blade to slice along its underside. The creature the size of a large shed made a strange gurgling whimper before its body shattered into shards of gore and shell bits.

  Dax watched with steely eyes as the rest of the horde reached the outer wall, striking it with such force, the entire area shook. Small creatures climbed over, their bodies blasted from the top as elemental spells slammed into them. Their charred bodies fell as larger monsters battered the urth outer wall, cracking it along many sections.

  Professor Frost watched from high in the air. She calculated the size of the force and her own mana reserves. Hands out to the side, she watched as Skullcut turned through the horde of monsters. Lightning and fire flashed in wide arcs as the spellsword began his circle around the outer wall. His speed was beyond human and his attacks shattered bodies into bloody chunks. Spells blasted out, striking any monsters the spellsword missed.

  Professor Frost spoke incantations that made the very air vibrate around her. Small fireballs appeared in each hand. The professor continued her masterful incantations and the fireballs grew bigger and bigger.

  Dax and Noss held out glowing cards before black and white lightning surged and fired. Noss was at the edge, abyssal light arcing through the air and slamming into a fish monster’s chest.

  Dax picked his targets, being conservative with his mana. Calling it up, he glanced at it before unleashing another lightning bolt.

  Name: Dax Sage

  Class: Mage

  Health: Normal

  Mana: 1150/1400

  Dax saw that even if he was conservative, he would run out of mana in mere minutes. Holding back, he tapped on Noss’s shoulder.

  “We have to hold some mana back! We won’t last an hour at this rate,” the mage shouted over the magical explosions.

  “There’s too many,” Noss said as he pointed.

 
Dax looked back, seeing the sea of monsters as they seethed to get closer. The world around them was an endless ocean of teeth, claws, shells and fins.

  Time seemed to slow down as a fireball the size of a large home streaked through the night sky, lighting it up. Many looked up to see this massive fire comet soar through the air until it struck land about a mile away. The explosion caused everyone to hunker down and shield their eyes.

  Dax blinked away the afterglow of the explosion, looking out at a massive, flaming crater. What parts of monsters that survived moved independently, separate from their disintegrated bodies. The black flood parted where the explosion took place, but the rest carried on with depraved indifference.

  Dax looked over his shoulder, seeing Professor Frost with two giant fireballs the size of large homes. Mana poured from her eyes as she seemed like she was in a trance, her lips moving with magical power.

  The outer wall began to crack along several sections. Monsters slammed and bashed until sections gave away. Armored bodies pushed and broke through. Larger serpents coiled over the outer wall, the bulk of their bodies crashing down and destroying wide sections. Humanoid monsters ten to twenty feet tall climbed over their fallen brethren, running full tilt toward the inner wall.

  Flaming arrows streaked down, stabbing into heads and chests but the creatures didn’t slow down. Fire and lightning crashed into bodies and sent them scattering.

  ***

  Vance stood on top of the inner wall. The mage held out his hands, torrents of fire blasting out. He moved the stream of fire like holding a snake by the tail, the stream of magical fire blasting creatures that charged into it.

  The mage kept his focus, controlling every point of mana and making sure his flames pushed back at the monsters. A large snake-like monster with flipper feet reared up. It towered twenty feet higher than the height of the inner wall. Vance moved his arms, bringing his stream of flames toward the monster when something shined.