"Britt stop, we can't go through the walls. Can we fly?" mimicked the hearken shell.
"We Elestus elves are not the best at flying spells. I think our option is just to follow the maze," the hearken shell said in Britt's voice.
Odder moved to the edge of his seat. "The Jadax will trap them. They have to find a way through."
Finkle lifted his nubby nose and took a sniff. He waved at a passing servant carrying a basket of corn. "Four ears."
"How can you eat?" asked Aimma. "This is much too intense."
"Missy, you don't want a starving gnome around. We start to crave things like leather boots." He stared at her feet and licked his lips.
She wrinkled her nose and tucked her boots under her chair.
Odder leaned into Aimma. "He's just messing with you." He smiled and glanced at her boots. "But it's true. You don't want a starving gnome close to you."
She tucked her boots in further.
An explosion sounded from the Gelusador side, and the crowd gasped. Lava surrounded the Proprius and wizard, blocking their way forward.
The Vastadia's wizards morphed into barking yotes and sprinted down the rows of the maze toward the center. The Jadax shot a flash of energy into the surrounding walls and ground. The path rotated, and the walls shifted, causing the yotes to run in circles without perceiving the deception.
The globe zoomed in on a flaming skeleton lashing two whips made from fire. It blocked the path for the Villamari. Their Proprius and wizard battled with waves of water but failed to extinguish its flames.
"Look Aimma." Odder shook her shoulder. "Salutaria's wizards."
Aimma placed her hands over her mouth.
The globe displayed an image of the Salutaria's Proprius and wizard cautiously walking through the maze.
"Better pray for your townsfolk missy. The Jadax will make quick targets out of them," Finkle said, with pieces of corn falling out of his mouth.
Aimma turned toward the gnome. "Just because I wear a uniform doesn't make me part of the religious order, and my name's Aimma, not missy." She reached over and pinched his cheek.
Finkle blushed and wiped the corn from his lips. He handed her an ear. "Corn?"
She responded with a half-smile.
"Don't be upset Aimma," Odder said. "The competitors are safe." He pointed at the globe. "The Jadax is leading the Salutaria's wizards right into Destin and Britt, and the Rigans right into Gelusador."
"Fire and Ice. Those two Houses are destined to destroy each other," said Finkle, grinning and rubbing his hands together.
Just as the Gelusador's wizards turned the lava back into rock, the north wall disintegrated, exposing the Rigans on the other side. The two Houses skirmished in close melee as fire, ice, and steam filled the area. The Rigan's wizard manifested a banewolf made of fire and used the creature to distract their adversaries long enough to allow the Rigan's Proprius to launch a fireball at the Gelusador's Proprius's wooden sword. The sword turned black, then crumbled from his hand.
A horn blast sounded, and the two opponents stopped their battle. The ground opened, and the Gelusador's Proprius and companion wizard disappeared into a dark hole.
The Temple of Rigan erupted in cheers while the temple of Gelusador objected in hisses.
"That was amazing." Aimma stood, wide-eyed, and clapping.
Finkle leaned into Odder and whispered. "I think she likes this too much."
Odder agreed, and they both chuckled.
The globe changed the image back to the imminent encounter with Elestus and Salutaria.
"We'll see who's laughing when the Salutarians bests your dear Prince," Aimma said, with her nose in the air.
The smile left from Odder's and Finkle's faces, and they stood with an alert gaze at the image.
"I think it's time," the hearken shell said in Britt's voice.
"I think you're right," the hearken shell said this time in Destin's voice.
Britt pulled the Mask of Vasul from his cloak and handed it to Destin who placed it on his face. The globe zoomed in showing the crowd the details.
"Cheater," cried several elves from the Temple of Salutaria.
Aimma leaned into Odder. "Is he allowed to use that mask?"
"I don't think the rules say otherwise, as long as the magic does not cause death."
"I can see wizards behind the wall." Whispered the hearken shell. "Britt ready your entrapment spell."
Destin, in a defensive stance, approached the wall. The crowd went silent. The wall disintegrated, and Britt waved his two wands to snare the wizards. Destin attacked the Proprius's sword, blasting it with lightning. The burst caused the Proprius to fly back and crash into the back wall.
A gasp from the crowd broke the silence followed by yelling and shouting.
A horn blew, stopping the action. Britt released the wizard who ran back to his Proprius. The Salutaria's Proprius slowly stood, baring his teeth, and clenching his fists.
Destin narrowed his eyes, held up his sword and stood his ground.
The Salutaria's Proprius charged, but the ground opened and swallowed him and his wizard. The horns blew starting the action once again.
Britt ran to Destin, who asserted his defensive stance. "We are not to kill or maim, my lord," whispered the hearken shell.
"The Jadax sounded the horn to continue the action," Destin responded. "No one has been... permanently harmed."
"I don't like what I saw or what I'm hearing," Aimma said, pointing toward the crowd. "Elves are protesting."
The crowd buzzed with clamor. An argument near the King caught Odder’s attention. Drugan stood, waving his hands, and protesting the strike.
"This is ugly." Pieces of corn flew out of Finkle's mouth. "The King and Drugan at odds."
"Shh," said Odder. "Keep it down. Like Destin said, the Jadax did not penalize him. Let's focus on the games."
Aimma wrinkled her nose and talked through her tightly pressed teeth. "It's not fair. What if they killed the Proprius? Prince or no Prince, he should be removed from the game."
"I'm with you missy, Uh I mean Aimma," Finkle grinned and after a pause tugged at her dress. "Say, do you think I can borrow some of those hibiscus petals?"
"Are you serious?" She squinted her eyes at the gnome.
Finkle turned up his shoulder and looked away. "I guess not."
"You both missed it. Villamari and Vastadia are defeated." Odder pointed to the globe which showed the competitors of Skyger, Rigan, and Elestus converging toward one another. "I think Destin can see them approaching."
Among cheers, part of the crowd still booed from disgruntlement. Odder glanced back at the King and Drugan. The Xenduri stood from his chair, said something with an ugly twist to his mouth, then vanished in a cloud of black smoke.
Odder elbowed Aimma. "Did you see that?"
"I did. He looked upset."
"Why would Drugan disrespect the King in public and then leave?"
Aimma shrugged her shoulders and then slapped Finkle's hands as he tried to sneak them into her satchel. She peered at the gnome. "It does seem unusual."
Finkle responded with a nervous grin. "Ahem, yes strange." He twirled the tassel on his fez.
The ground shook, all three fixed their eyes on the globe.
"What was that?" asked Aimma.
"I don't know, but we shouldn't feel what's happening in the games out here," Odder replied.
The globe showed the competitors of Skyger and Rigan in a dual while Destin and Britt circled, unnoticed, to their flank.
The ground shook once more.
"There it happened again," Finkle said.
A sudden dark cloud surrounded the giant mirrored globe.
"What's the Jadax doing now?" Aimma asked.
"This is new," Odder said, sensing a shift to obscurity.
“Death is upon you,” said his inner voice.
The audience fixed their attention on the growing cloud. An obscure entity formed then morphed into the
face of a dragon.
"Amazing. The Jadax is over embellishing its illusions this year," Finkle said, rubbing his hands together.
The dragon's face solidified into a blazing red basalt dragon. It ripped away from the dark cloud with two horrific claws, revealing its scaly neck.
The crowd awed.
"Illusion?" Odder questioned. He glanced at the King who had a guard whispering in his ear. "Something's off."
The competitors stopped battling and gazed up at the fully formed basalt dragon. The dragon opened its grisly mouth filled with fangs, let out a roar, and then exhaled an immense flood of fire at the Temple of Villamari. The temple instantly turned into hell's fire, lost its elevation, and crashed into the Temple of Vastadia. Now freefalling, both temples tumbled toward the Elestus courtyard.
CHAPTER 13
REAPING TIME
The arena filled with a thousand screams as elves tried to flee away from the onslaught.
Odder shielded his eyes away from the fast-approaching giant inferno in the sky. Burning fragments of Villamari and Vastadia rained down on the crowds - exploding earth, wood, and bodies into the air. Smoldering soot and ash drifted in wind currents making visibility a mere several arm lengths.
Odder flew back as if being pulled - his heels dragging in the dirt. He jolted to the side, missing a pile of rubble, and then flew back about another ten yards before falling on his back. He rolled over, gasping for air, and pushed himself up to his knees.
He saw Finkle in front of him, bent over with both hands on his thighs catching his breath.
Odder coughed to clear his lungs from the thick smoke. "What happen?" He managed to ask before going into another coughing fit.
"We were about to get pulverized." Finkle stood upright rubbing his neck. "I conjured a haste spell and drug you away from the falling temple debris."
"We have to find Destin and where's Aimma?" Odder asked, trying to see through the ember glows of the flaming piles of rubble and smoke. "Aimma!" He cried out, tuning out the screams to listen for her voice.
Finkle pulled at Odder's scorched tunic, ripping the sleeve. "We have to get out of here. Destin and Aimma are likely dead, and there's still a dragon flying around. I'm sure the other temples will be falling too."
"Help me find them," Odder demanded, and moved back toward the courtyard.
Finkle slapped his forehead several times, "It's suicide," but he followed, dragging his heels.
Chard remnants of elves, both living and dead painted the landscape. Odder and Finkle moved from one body to the next while covering their air passages to protect their lungs from the noxious fumes. An extravagant outfit, between crushed marble, caught Odder’s attention. He turned the body over, exposing the Archwizard, his chest crushed and his face purplish-red as if blood congealed in his head.
Odder turned toward Finkle. "Don't say it. I know what you're thinking." He shook his head and turned away, ashamed of sharing the same thought.
“He got what he deserved,” said his inner voice.
"Odder." A faint voice called from behind a boulder.
"Aimma!" Odder rushed toward the voice.
"Nope, It's me, your favorite dark elf."
"Serra?" Odder and Finkle ran to the other side of what was apparently not a boulder, but a large fragment of a temple.
She sat with her back against the rock holding her thigh.
"So, this is the Xenduri vixen?" Finkle said, straightening his fez.
"Vixen?" Serra grunted and moved her hand revealing a large metal fragment embedded into her leg.
"Say." She winced, squeezing her eyes shut. Her shoulders curled over her chest. "Do you mind removing this sliver from my thigh? I'm having a hard time gripping it."
"That's no sliver, Serra." Odder frowned and placed his finger on the polished steel. "It looks like the tip of a battle ax."
She turned her head and grunted.
"Come on, laddy," Finkle said. His expression sober. "Let's help the maiden out."
Odder gripped the flat edges on the metal while Finkle held his hands over her wound.
"When I count to three," Finkle said. "You pull, and I'll start healing. One, two, three."
Odder yanked the object free. Serra shrieked, and punched Odder in the chest, knocking him off his feet. Black blood shot out of the wound and splattered onto Finkle's face.
He grimaced and moved his hands like a wild bird, wiping his cheeks. "Disgusting. Is this going to make my skin blister?"
“Finkle,” Odder yelled.
Finkle focused. He placed his hands back over Serra's leg. "Calm down Finkle," He mumbled to himself. He took a deep breath, "and you too missy."
He chanted a spell, and red streams of light drifted from his hands to her gash. The healing light pulsed and closed the open wound.
Serra sat up and let out a deep breath. "Thanks, gnomey. Can you hand me my satchel?" She opened her bag and pulled out a fluorescent red vial. She poured it onto her wound. It fizzled. "Better now." She relaxed her back gently into the boulder.
Odder sat next to her, relieved. He wiped the soot from his brow. "So, what are you doing here?"
"Well." She paused and threw the vial into the haze. "I came to finish the business I started with your Prince." She glanced around. "I guess another time."
"Sounds like you two need to talk but make it quick." Finkle sauntered to the other side of the boulder. "Don't mind me. I'll be over here, looking out for a dragon."
"You know I can't allow you to kill him?"
Serra bared her teeth. "You know nothing about your master."
"You're wrong. I know him better than most. Sure, he's arrogant with an overinflated ego, but he's a good and just Prince."
She pounded her fist on the ground. Her dark veins formed sharp geometric shapes that danced on her skin. "He's a murderer!"
A sudden roar rumbled from high above. Odder flinched and the back of his hair lifted.
"We have to get out of here," Finkle said, returning.
“Flee and hide,” said Odder’s inner voice.
Odder stood, staring into the screams and dust. Ignoring Finkle and his thoughts, he said with resolve, "We can't go until we find Aimma."
"What about Serra and most of all, what about us?" Finkle grabbed a hand full of ash from the ground and threw it into the air. "Look around, laddy. Smell the brimstone. We're in the demon's underworld."
"What do you know of demon's little gnome," Serra interrupted.
Finkle glared and clenched his fists.
"Stop it, Finkle. We don't have time for this." Odder took a knee and in a calm voice, asked Serra, "Can you walk?"
"Not yet, I need more time to heal."
Odder took in a deep breath and stood. He cleared his thoughts and stayed true to his decision. "Alright, we'll be back for you." He started north.
"This is a bad idea," Finkle mumbled.
"Aimma!" They both cried out circling the area where they sat moments ago. "Aimmaaa..."
Odder grabbed the arm of a passing sentry. "Aimma, have you seen her? She's a healer, about my height, braided silver hair."
The sentry held his fist up to his mouth and coughed. He tried to utter words but coughed again. In his fit, he pointed east.
Odder released his arm and headed east with Finkle close behind. They crouched low trying to avoid the fumes.
"Aimma," Odder yelled. He looked back at Finkle. "Can you cast something to clear the air?"
"I'll give it a try." Finkle rubbed his hands in a circular motion, uttered some words, and spread his hands. A small lightning cloud formed between his palms. "Nitru Ventus!" He clapped his hands together, creating thunder, and sending a shockwave clearing the air.
The force knocked Odder to the ground. He covered his ears as a piercing pain passed through his brain.
"Quickly," Finkle said. "We only have a few moments to find her before the smoke returns."
Odder sat up pulling on his ears. "Why didn't you do
that earlier?"
Finkle shrugged.
Odder spotted Aimma healing someone on the ground near the King's chair surrounded by a dozen or more of the King's guards. "I see her."
"Me too." Finkle pointed. "Let's hurry."
As they approached, the guards held up their swords.
"It's alright," Aimma said, "they're with me."
The guards opened their formation to allow Odder and Finkle to enter.
Odder stood, opened mouth, staring down at the King. A boulder rolled across his legs leaving them crushed and mangled. Flashes of blue light traveled between Aimma's hands and the King's legs.
Finkle released a long exhale and turned away.
The King gripped Odder's leg with his flaking charred hand. "Odder." Blood leaked from his mouth.
Odder bowed to one knee. "Yes, my King."
The King released Odder's leg and grasped his arm, rotating it until the markings shown. "You must not go to the portal."
"Your majesty, please relax so I can heal you," Aimma said, her voice stern but calm.
Odder frowned and clasped the King's hand. "Why would I go there?"
"If you go, the demons will be released upon the land." The King coughed into his shoulder, painting it crimson. "Find the wizard Salvat. He will hide you."
A gray haze crept over the burning rubble and crawled along the scorched earth like a wild beast, surrounding the elves.
"They are almost here. You must go now," The King said, waving them away.
"I won't leave," Aimma declared.
"Nor I," Odder said.
Finkle stood tight-lipped.
"Guards, take Odder out of here. I command it."
The guards glanced at one another and back at the King. Realizing his sincere expression, they gathered Odder, Aimma, and Finkle and escorted them out of the area in a defensive formation.
With protest, Aimma yelled, "At least one of you stay with your king."
A guard stood upright. "I'm Ecklyn, and I will stay." He ran back and positioned himself between the King and the field.
"Britt, hordes of them approach. Can you see them through the haze?"
Odder perked up. "That's Prince Destin's voice."
Everyone stopped and listened.
"Run Prince, run!"
"Over there." A guard pointed west. "The voices are coming from that direction."
Odder- The Blood Curse Page 14
