They ran westward to the source, only finding rubble and dead bodies.
"Ahh, I'm wounded... I can't run any further. I'll hold them off."
"Here." Finkle pointed to a hearken shell between several rocks. "I found the source."
Odder kicked it. "They’re still in the field. We have to rescue them."
A guard gripped Odder's arm. "We are ordered to take you to safety."
Odder tried to break free, but the guard tightened his grip, bringing Odder to his knees.
Aimma clutched the guard's hands and tried to pry his fingers free.
Finkle kicked the guard in the shin. "Pick on someone your own size."
A barrage of blasts sounded from the north. Everyone ducked and froze to take notice. Explosions of yellow light flashed in the haze, and a fast-moving figured emerged.
"It's Prince Destin!" Odder said.
The Prince sprinted releasing fireballs over his shoulder. "Everyone run. The goblins are here."
"Bulwark," said one of the guards, pointing at Odder, "Take them behind that pile of rubble and guard them with your life."
Bulwark, a bulky elf about three times the weight of Odder, acknowledged the guard and with his poleaxe, urged the three to follow.
Once behind the towering remnants of the Villamari temple, the four peered around the stone toward Destin.
The King lifted himself over a small boulder, formed a blue energy ball in his free hand, and launched it behind the Prince. The rest of the guards followed suit with fireballs, energy blast, and lightning strikes.
Destin fell to the ground and held his ears as the elves bombarded the area behind him turning it into a wasteland.
Odder crouched down, covered his head, and shouted - hoping his screaming would counter the deafening uproar.
All went silent, but the threat lingered heavy in the air. Odder pulled his hands down while Aimma and Finkle were in a tight embrace at the base of a stone. He stood up and watched Destin climb to his feet. The guards stood ready while the King held a fireball. Everyone focused intently on the quietness.
A high-pitched whistling noise cut the silence, and then another. Odder caught a flash of light flying and then disappearing behind the King. The guards looked around with confused expressions. More flashes of light whistled from the haze. A thump sounded, and Ecklyn fell over the King.
The King pushed him aside revealing a sawblade embedded into Ecklyn's chest. "Take cover!"
Whistling lights now riddled the sky. The guards conjured magic shields deflecting the sawblades and sending them into several unfortunate elves. The sawblades pierced their elven armor like a serrated knife cutting through cheesecloth.
"Odder, we need to get to safety." Finkle pulled Aimma from the ground. "The goblins are advancing, and there's no doubt the dragon is near."
"We can't leave Destin or the King," Odder said with resolve and loyalty.
Aimma turned toward Bulwark. "Can you conjure a shield?"
"I can do one better, a moving rampart."
"Now would be a great time." Aimma turned to Odder and lowered her voice. "Destin's too close to the goblins, but we can save the King."
"I'm ordered to take you to safety, and that's what I will do." Bulwark furrowed his brow.
Getting Aimma and Finkle to safety made sense, even though a painful lump in his throat said he should do otherwise, Odder nodded. "We go with Bulwark."
Bulwark removed a large red ruby from his belt and crisscrossed it in the air while chanting a spell. Streaks of red light thickened around the four until a perfect dome covered them. The semi-transparent shield did not cloud their visibility nor block the sound but did cast a rosy hue on everything visible.
Flashes danced on the dome as the sawblades disintegrated on impact.
"That boulder." Odder pointed south. "We have to get someone. It's on the way."
"No," Bulwark said, his words sharp.
Odder met eyes with the guard and said, "It's in our best interest. There is a powerful wizard waiting for us."
Bulwark pulled back and paused. "Alright," He said, with hesitation, "but we need to be quick."
Traveling with the magic shield made their walk slow and awkward. Odder stared back, regretting his decision to leave the King and Prince.
“You made the right choice. Save yourself,” said his inner voice.
Hundreds of goblins emerged from the haze, most of them small Skags but also Dekans and Guriquars. Half of the King's guards rushed to the King and the other half to the Prince.
Destin stood his ground and launched energy balls at the eight-foot-tall Guriquar goblins who wielded the sawblade weapons.
Another figure stepped out of the haze, a hideous half scorpion, half female creature. Her eyes blazed amber, and her long black hair drifted in the wind. Two golden scorpions latched to her shoulders like vampire offspring, and her eight legs tore into the ground as she moved toward the Prince.
Four guards came to Destin's side and attacked the creature with their swords. Her scorpion tail lashed out and stung two of the guards in the neck. Their bodies stiffened, foam spewed from their mouths, and black streaks spidered on their skin spreading to all parts of their bodies.
Aimma screamed at the sight.
Odder grabbed Finkle's arm. "Can you do anything?"
Finkle shook his head. "Pray the Celestines will give them justice in their afterlife."
Several Skags impaled the remainder of the guards with their spears, while two Dekans forced Destin to his knees. The female scorpion walked up to Destin, laughing.
"Wait please," Odder pleaded with Bulwark. "Finkle, can you hear what they are saying?"
"I need a root,” said Finkle.
Aimma reached in her bag and gave him a bitter root.
Finkle said a spell and stuck it into the ground. The root vibrated, trembled, and then stiffened. Soon voices emerged.
The witch climbed over Destin, her stinger striking the air. The goblins hissed, pushing him to the ground, and forcing him onto his stomach.
"Stop, wait!" Destin pleaded. "I delivered him to you."
She lifted one of the golden scorpions from her shoulder and placed it on Destin's back. "Thank you. Now here is your reward."
The scorpion dug its legs into Destin's spine and buried its head into the back of his neck.
As he cried out, Finkle stepped on the root. "Laddy, you don't want to be hearing the horror your master is enduring."
Aimma and Odder stood, tears welling in their eyes. Odder’s soul ached, and his body inert with grief. "We have to help him."
"We'll get killed," Bulwark said, redirecting everyone's attention. "We must go."
Odder glanced back. Destin laid face down on the scorched ground surrounded by goblins, poking him with the end of their spears. The witch advanced on the King, and stung him several times, causing his body to jerk at each strike until he laid lifeless. Horror ran down Odder's spine.
A sudden roar ripped through the skies.
"Dragon," Finkle said, in a cowering voice. "It's back."
They quickened their pace until Bulwark abruptly stopped, causing Aimma to run into his backside.
Massive reptilian legs blocked their path with sulfur permeating the air. They scrambled in the opposite direction, but the dragon slapped its right claw on the dome shield, digging in and applying pressure. Light currents flashed throughout the dome as its magic faded in and out.
Bulwark held up the ruby and used his will to oppose the force of the dragon.
Odder, Aimma, and Finkle crouched at Bulwarks feet.
Bulwark's arm trembled, so he braced it with his other arm. "I don't know how long I can resist."
Aimma jumped up and held his arm giving him added support. Odder and Finkle looked at each other.
"Well, I can't get up there, laddy."
Odder sprung to his feet, placed his hands over Aimma's, and pushed.
The dragon lifted its other claw on the dome a
nd used its entire weight to apply pressure.
Bulwark's trembling turned into an uncontrollable shake. They grunted. Odder's strength faded as did Aimma’s.
The shield dimmed and receded. Just before disappearing, the dragon recoiled its claws.
Bulwark threw the ruby at the dragon, then held up his poleaxe in a defensive position. Odder and Aimma retreated behind his legs.
With his eyes pressed, Odder waited for the scorching of his flesh into ash, but nothing happened. Why…? A sense of dread slithered into the silent void.
He heard a thump, much like the sound a spear makes when thrown through a melon at target practice. Bulwark's legs went limp, and his body collapsed to the side.
Odder pulled him close, and Aimma searched for wounds. She found a hole in the guard's temple. It gurgled and oozed blood mixed with black fluid.
Aimma placed her hands over the gash and chanted a healing spell.
Finkle placed his hands over hers. "You can stop Aimma." He pointed at the black veins spiraling away from the wound, covering his face, and traveling down his neck to the rest of his body. "He's been poisoned."
Odder looked at his own poisoned veins and noted the similarities. He snarled, grabbed the pickaxe, and jumped to his feet. He fixed the weapon toward the dragon, but it turned away to exhale a stream of fire on some passing guards. Odder circled around to check on the others.
"Odder, come to me, my dear."
He froze. That voice, it's familiar. He strained his eyes to find the source.
A dark figure emerged from the haze wearing a black and violet shawl. "Look how you’ve grown - no longer a small child." She stepped closer, revealing her dark skin and black hair. Her hideous scorpion legs and tail retreated into her body, leaving only her female figure. She extended her hand. "Don't you remember me?"
Odder's nostrils flared. "Only as the monster that killed my king and master."
"Yes, but so much more. I am Queen Sorren." She waved for her goblins to approach.
"My dream." Odder gasped, remembering. He dropped his pickaxe and stumbled to the ground.
She stepped closer.
The dragon roared, startling Odder.
"Don't be afraid. I control the dragon, and it won't harm you. I have other plans for him." Her eyes flared as she spoke. "Go, burn Elestus but save the castle."
The dragon roared and took flight.
Odder shook his head and looked for his friends.
"Oh, your friends?" She waved to her side uncloaking two goblins holding Aimma and Finkle, their mouths bound. "You no longer need them."
She stepped closer, her amber eyes flaring once more. "Come join Destin and I." She extended her hand once again.
He fixated on the warmth of her glowing eyes. His mind became cloudy. Destin's alive murmured in his thoughts like a distant echo. He reached and stretched for her as if in a trance.
The markings on his arms illuminated red.
The witch peered at his arm and smiled revealing her serrated teeth. "The curse. I can save you, and I can teach you to become the most powerful wizard in this realm."
An object whistled past Odder's ear and exploded on the Queen's chest, causing her to fall back.
Odder snapped out of his trance.
The Queen pulled out a stiletto embedded into her ribs. Two more flew by, hitting in her side and forehead. She screeched and collapsed backward.
The goblins holding Aimma and Finkle collapsed with stilettos impaled into their heads. A flash of black smoke raced across the ground and stopped in front of them. Serra appeared and ripped off their bindings. "Run! I'll get Odder."
She ran to Odder, who kneeled dazed on the ground. Serra held out her hand. "Let's go."
Odder hesitated, his inner voice screaming gibberish.
Her expression became fierce. "There's nothing here for you." She pointed behind him. "Look, your House, it's on fire."
The words pierced Odder’s memories, clearing his thoughts. He peered over his shoulder. The basalt dragon engulfed Elestus in flames. A sharp pain twisted up his arm from his markings but he gripped her hand.
She lifted him to his feet and covered him with her cape. A dark smoke engulfed them. Odder's lungs deflated as if a strong force hit his chest, and the landscape blur. He gasped, panicked for air, then a sudden rush filled his lungs. They were hundreds of yards south of the Queen. Aimma and Finkle ran up next to them.
"We don't have much time." Serra pointed. "She's recovering."
The Queen's body transformed back into the scorpion, and she lifted herself upright.
"Let's go this way," Finkle said.
Nine shadowlike figures fell from the sky and landed on the ground. Their obscure ghostly cloaks swayed in the wind and draped over their grim skeletal frames. Black hearts pulsated behind their translucent ribs. The glow of their yellow eyes leaked from under their hoods which covered their faces. They pointed at Odder.
"Oh no!" Serra gripped her daggers on her waist. "This is bad."
"What are they?" Odder asked.
"Shadow reapers," She responded. "We need to find another way."
She set down her satchel and yelled, "cipera adme oak tree." The satchel stretched open. "Jump in."
All three stared at the satchel with puzzled looks.
"For the sake of the Celestine's, it's a portal bag." Serra grabbed Finkle and threw him in. He shrieked, but the sound faded. "See, now jump in before we get killed."
Aimma hopped in with Odder following her.
A hole opened in the air, and Odder fell, face down into a purple lilac bush.
Serra leaped from another hole that formed next to Odder and landed on her feet in a crouched position.
Aimma and Finkle helped Odder out, untangling him from the branches. He brushed the purple flowers from his clothing and spit a few on the ground.
Serra sat silently where she landed, under a large oak tree, overlooking Lucent Lake. Odder, Aimma, and Finkle joined her.
A mixture of pine, oak, and aspen trees, with their yellow and red leaves, painted the shores and traveled up the hills into the mountains. The surface of Lucent Lake, named after its clear mountain water, drifted motionless and smooth like glass.
In the distance, flames danced on Elestus with the basalt dragon flying overhead. To the south, the fires created an eerie amber glow which lit the black smoke at the Ladiv Arena and where the reverent temples once perched.
They all sighed, looking on in disbelief.
Finkle wrote several frantic messages in the air with several replying. "Phew, the clan is safe. They escaped to the forests."
Aimma also air-scripted a message. No answer. She wrote another. Again, no answer. "I need to find the sorceress."
"She's most likely dead," Serra said.
Aimma shook her head. "No, I refuse to believe that."
"Believe what you want." Serra pointed to the burning ruins. "There's no counter-attack, no resistance. They are all either dead or in hiding."
Aimma shook her head. "We need to help the survivors."
"Yes, I must help momma and my brethren," Finkle said.
Serra threw a rock that skipped across the lake. "Don't be foolish. You'll end up like the rest - dead."
"You can't be sure of that," Aimma said, her words lashed out like studded whips. "We have to find those who are injured."
"Why?" Serra stood and turned away from the group. "Are you blind? The castle is destroyed, your King is dead, goblins are slicing down elves like wheat, a demon-scorpion Queen is leading the siege, and worst of all, the shadow reapers."
"Shadow reapers?" asked Finkle.
"Xenduri clerics who gave up their souls to be possessed by demons." Serra turned back. "They can't die, and once they are summoned to kill you, they will not stop."
Aimma clutched her arms to her chest. "There must be something we can do."
"We go to Salvat," Odder said, under his breath.
Serra lifted her brow. "What di
d you say?"
"The wizard Salvat." Odder stood and stared at the once great House of Elestus. Anger ripped at his insides. "They will pay for this. I will break this wretched curse, rescue Destin, and avenge the King's death. The King said the wizard Salvat would help me, and this is where I need to go."
Serra sat back down and skipped another rock across the smooth water.
Finkle stood. "You're insane! But revenge boils underneath my skin, and the gnomes are safe in their burrows. Alright laddy, I'm with ya."
Aimma rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat. "The sorceress ordered me to take care of you. Your poison continues to spread. I suppose I must stay by your side."
"Thank you, and Serra?” Odder asked, his voice simple and soft-spoken like an amiable child. “Will you help?"
"Oh no. This isn't my war."
"Look around," said Odder. "The goblins seized Elestus, and for all we know, the other Houses as well."
"We're all in this war missy," said Finkle
"Again, not my war," Serra blustered. "I have my own fight. Besides, do you even know where this wizard lives?
"Uh, Finkle?" Odder cleared his throat. "Do you happen to know where to find Salvat?"
Finkle fidgeted his vest and answered with a crooked face, "The Marshlands to the south, I believe."
"No." Serra kicked dirt into the lake. "Salvat's domain is east of the Marshlands and just north of Villamari. It's dangerous traveling."
"Then guide us," said Aimma.
Serra stared at the fire and smoke billowing over the township.
Odder placed his markings in front of her. "I don't know how much time I have, and if this disaster is an example of what's to come, then the wizard Salvat maybe our only hope. Surely, you have someone worth saving?"
She sighed and closed her eyes. After a moment, she stood. "Fine. I have a portal point close to his domain."
She placed her satchel on the ground. "Cipera adme rodent hole." The satchel stretched open. "After you."
"Wait," Aimma whispered to Odder. "I know we asked for her help, but can we trust her?"
"Do you have a choice?" Serra confronted Aimma, standing in her face. "If I wanted you dead, you would be already."
"Makes sense to me." Finkle plugged his nose, held his fez, and jumped in. "Weeee..."
Odder- The Blood Curse Page 15
