Odder held up the sword. A warm blue light emitted from the word, Spirit, and traveled down his arm and into his chest. A sensation of calm and courage lifted his senses.
Salvat rubbed his palms together. "Are you ready."
"Yes," replied Odder, surrendering his doubts.
The wizard waved his hand in front of the looking glass and chanted several words. A murky liquid exploded outward, then collapsed back into the mirror.
"All I see is black," Odder said. "I saw the demons lairs in the other two looking glasses."
"Some say fear is what you see when you turn away from the light," Salvat said.
"There are many fears. Fear of death, fear of fire, fear of monsters, what can I expect?"
"That is between you and your demon, but I can promise it won't be pleasant."
Odder inhaled, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "Alright, let's do this." He placed his palms against the darkness.
"Remember to trust in the sword's spirit," Salvat whispered. "It will guide and protect you."
Odder pushed, the mirror resisted. He pushed harder then the mirror imploded, pulling him in. He tumbled head first in darkness until he hit water. The water pulled him under, he tried to swim up, but continued to descend despite his efforts. He struggled to breathe for a moment but found himself not needing to.
The cold water pressed against his skin as did the darkness surrounding him. He glanced up observing the light fading until it disappeared. Treading water didn't help, so he allowed himself to drift. Panic crept into the fissures of Odder’s psyche. Stay calm, he thought. Am I in a large lake or ocean? The salty brine burned his lips. Must be the ocean. If it is the ocean, then there must be sea creatures. His mind sharpened, Sea monsters! He tried to swim forward, but the dark dulled his senses, and his movements proved to be futile. He drifted once more. His heart pounded like a beacon calling out to whatever lurked out there, hiding.
The demon must be nearby but how do I defeat something I can't see, and the monsters? What's lurking in the deep? Something moved around him or was it the isolation playing tricks on his mind.
Odder held his hand up to his face. He waved, but he saw nothing, only detecting the warmth of his skin. I have to find a way out of here. He swayed, trapped in the lonely motion of the current’s ebb and flow.
Then he sensed a large presence lurking in the dark, in front of him, or to the side, or behind him. He listened but only heard the ambient noise from the vast body of water muffling in his ears. His breathing raced, his hands trembled, and his blood thickened.
Something was close. He sensed it. Unsheathing my sword would reveal what was there, but I'm scared to see it. Then he remembered the wizard's words, ’Trust the sword's spirit.’ Odder unsheathed his sword. Flames ignited, delivering light to the surrounding area.
To his horror, he found himself floating in front of a giant eye, nearly ten times his size. An orange reflection from the flames flickered on its lens. Hundreds of various sized tentacles flailed in the vastness. The immensity of it made Odder gasp. The monster shook and exposed its massive beak.
Odder panicked and thrust his sword into its eye. The eye burst into flames, and the monster let out a silent but fierce cry pushing Odder back. Foam and bubbles engulfed the area as it propelled backward disappearing into the darkness. Odder held his sword over his head. Help me, he pleaded. A glowing blue mist surrounded Odder, and the sword pulled him upward, through the water, until it broke the surface.
Disoriented, Odder searched for safety. Off in the distance, he spotted a small island with a single mountain. "That's our destination," he said to the Maha’De.
The glowing blue mist surrounded Odder once again and pulled him toward the island. He crawled to the shore and fell on the sand, relieved to be out of the water. Horrifying. He caught his breath and stood. Now what? He separated a white stringy substance between his palm and fingers. Sticky. I hope it's not... It is - spider webs!.
He lifted his head and scanned the beach. Half-eaten corpses and white silk riddled the area. He continued and stepped over a decomposing torso. It pulsated, and its skin moved in ripples. He jumped clear just as the trunk ruptured, throwing thousands of tiny spiders in all directions. Odder held the scream in his thoughts and frantically swiped off the crawling creatures from his skin. He flailed his flaming sword and charred the nasty pests. He continued, this time staying clear of the dead things.
He came up to the rock face with a small crevice. He bent down to peer inside. You got to be kidding. The crevice opened to a tunnel lined with webbing just big enough for him to crawl into. He pictured himself getting stuck, then having his innards liquefied and sucked out by a giant spider.
Odder stood and examined the cliff. There has to be another way.
He walked several miles in each direction, searching, hitting, and pulling at rocks to find alternative ways in. Odder finally stood back at the crevice. His shoulders slumped.
He slapped his face. Knock it off. There's nothing to fear. He fell to his knees but hesitated to move forward. I-I can't do it. He stood back up and wiped the sweat from his brow. The demon marking illuminated on his forearm, then he heard a splat from behind. His eyes sprung open. He reluctantly turned, knowing he would see one of his worst nightmares. Several more splats. The rotting bodies and their parts exploded, sending spiders flying everywhere.
Odder gasped. Alright, second thought. He fell to his knees and touched the webbing with his sword. He grit his teeth and peered over his shoulder. The sand became black as tens of thousands of spiders crept toward him. He shuffled in the web tunnel, feet moving like a gerbbit. The tunnel curved around the edges of some rocks and then narrowed. His breathing quickened. This is the worst.
He sensed movement behind him. He looked back under his arm. To his horror, it was a black, hairy widow spider with limbs covering its entire body. Odder yelled and scrambled forward. He spotted the exit, but the spider snagged Odder’s foot with several legs, and pulled. Odder, just a mere few feet to freedom, kicked in a wild panic, but the spider continued to shorten the space between them. Its body opened, revealing menacing fangs surrounded by a tangle of smaller teeth.
Odder kicked and pulled, than called out to the Maha’De which burst into flames, catching the webbing on fire.
The spider screeched and let go.
Odder flew out of the exit, swung the Maha'De and severed several of the spider’s limbs. The scorched spider jumped on Odder’s body, its fangs closing in. Slime dripped onto his face. Then the spider stopped and quivered. A blade tore through its head and split the spider in two. The creature burst into flames, and Odder kicked it back into the flaming tunnel. He jumped to his feet, wiped the webbing off his arms, and fought the sensation of spiders crawling under his skin.
“Thank you, Maha’De.” Odder took a deep breath. "Alright, calm down."
Once his blood pressure dropped, he looked around and found himself in a chamber which resembled an underground cave adorned with stalactites and stalagmites. Dead rotting bodies decorated the room like a goblin slaughterhouse. Odder spit, trying to remove the revolting sour stench which filled the air. The ceiling faded into a deep darkness like the others.
He heard a clicking noise up ahead behind some fallen rocks. Holding the Maha'De, he inched forward. "Formeteu, show yourself."
A creature, like what he saw in his dreams, slipped into view. The insect-like demon stood around twelve feet on four spider legs. Four more legs reached around from its back, and six small arms with claws protruded from its side. Different layers of exoskeleton covered the demon’s body like a horned war beetle. Two large mandibles on its face, tapped together making different combinations of clicking sounds.
Odder stepped closer. "Demon, I am not afraid."
It moved forward, its mandibles clicking faster. A gold ring around the demon's neck fastened it to a pillar with a golden chain.
"Time to set you free."
The demon laug
hed. "Do you think destroying me in this realm will get rid of me?"
Odder's sword flamed.
"Have you forgotten your past? Killing me will only make me stronger. I will be back to devour everyone you care about." Its chest opened, revealing a large mouth with hundreds of jagged teeth. Tiny appendages with small, boney hooks swayed as if ready to snare its prey and feed it into the orifice.
Odder swung his sword, but a web snagged his arm. As he tried to break free, the demon hurried over to him like a spider to its newly trapped meal. Odder fell, dropping his blade. The demon climbed on top and held him down with its six limbs. Dozens of appendages darted out of its mouth and stabbed Odder's legs.
He went numb as the cold poison traveled through his veins.
"I will savor every part of you." The appendages, moving like the legs of a millipede, pulled Odder's feet into the demon's mouth. Its jagged teeth reached out to get a firm grip.
Odder's body went limp. The poison paralyzed him, but he experienced every bit of the pain as the creature pulled him into its mouth inch by inch.
Formeteu looked into Odder's eyes and clicked its mandibles. "Your fear is delicious." The demon swallowed Odder up to his thighs. Helpless, he waited for death.
A small tear fell from his eye. Salvat help. Somebody help.
"No one can help you. You will experience what it's like to be digested for a thousand ye..."
A bright blue light flashed above Formeteu.
The Maha’De levitated above them and hovered like a deity ready to deliver judgment.
Formeteu rapidly clicked its mandibles, as the Maha’De descended. The sword sliced chunks of the demon into the air.
Odder laid still in pain but prayed for victory.
The demon puked out Odder and green slime, and tried to defend itself, but the sword was relentless.
One final cut and Formeteu's head fell to the ground, severed from its body. It burst into ashes then dissipated into the dark void in the ceiling. A dull clicking noise echoed as it departed.
The Maha'De soared to Odder, and his strength returned. He moved his fingers at first then his arms. The cave trembled into a violent quake. Rocks and debris fell from the sides.
A looking glass appeared. To my hand Maha'De. The sword's handle fell into Odder's palm. He gripped it. Now through the looking glass. A blue mist engulfed Odder, and the sword pulled him through the mirror.
CHAPTER 20
THE MAHA'De
"Drink this." The wizard Salvat poured a vial filled with a fluorescent green fluid into Odder's mouth.
Red lights flashed in Odder's eyes. A warm tingling traveled from his core to his extremities. The sensation in his body returned, and his muscles regained their strength.
"Thank you. I think the healing potion worked?"
"Yes, this one more potent than a healing touch."
Odder rubbed his hands through his hair. "I'm glad it's over. Formeteu was by far the hardest demon to defeat."
Salvat picked up the wooden sword and handed it to Odder. "You were brilliant. You faced and conquered many fears. Most elves would've cowered into madness." He helped Odder to his feet.
"Now what? Did I break the curse? Can I wield magic?"
"You have broken the demon curse, but the demon blood still travels to your heart, and you know what you must do.”
Odder sighed.
“However, your magic is restored.” Salvat smiled. “At this moment you will start to observe the world differently. You will feel the magic all around you, and you will connect with life like you never have before." Salvat created a fireball in his hand. "Take it."
As Odder reached for the fireball, it leaped onto his palm. He moved it back and forth and rolled it over his fingertips. "I can control it." He made it grow large, then small.
"You have been chosen to be the Champion, and because of that, your willpower, control, and learning of magic will transcend. It may take an elf several years to learn a spell that you learn in minutes."
Odder made a fist and extinguished the fire. "For as long as I can remember, all I wanted was to be like everyone else."
Salvat grinned. "You are more than that, and it's time to celebrate. By defeating your inner demons, you are now confident, calm, and fearless. All the attributes of a Champion."
Odder frowned. "Formeteu said he would come back stronger."
The wizard moved his hands in a circular motion. A blue sphere formed around Odder. "I'm not entirely sure if we can ever completely free ourselves from a demon's influence, so guard your heart. The evil ways are tempting."
"So, what do I do next?"
"You will find the Maha'De in Elestus, hidden in plain sight. Go there and reunite the spirit. Then you must awaken the flame by dipping the sword into the molten silq of Rigan. The potion master will know what to do from there."
The sphere brightened. Salvat and the chamber faded like a ship drifting away into the early morning fog.
"Thank you again," Odder shouted.
Salvat tilted his head. "Find me after you defeat the goblins, and I'll tell you about your father."
"You knew my father..." The sphere flashed, and Odder stood facing a hedge of thorns.
"He's back." Finkle ran to him with Aimma following.
"Did you meet the wizard?" Aimma asked.
Odder bent down to Finkle, straightened his fez, and gave him a light slap on his face. "Good to see you, my friend." He looked up at Aimma. "Yes, and I defeated the final demon."
"What?" they both said in unison.
Corbin, who stood over Serra and Karzan by the fire, whistled.
"Well, come tell us all about it," said Karzan.
As Odder walked over, he noticed individual flames in the campfire dancing as if each spark had the breath of life placed into them. He glanced at the trees. The colors appeared crisp, bright, and deep, yet he realized that he saw only a small part of the tree’s actual existence. Like looking at the tip of an iceberg. The wind drifted with the clouds in harmony as the sky kept watch.
Even the golden golem blazed with an intense magic aura. "Salvat was right," he whispered, holding back his excitement. "I see the hidden magic of the world. Like a blind elf given the miracle of sight."
He sat on the ground next to Serra and placed his palms on the dirt.
"What ya doing, laddy," asked Finkle.
"He's experiencing the magic vibration of the land," Serra said. "Let him be."
Not only the land, but he also bonded with the air, and every living thing nearby. He peered into the woods and spotted magical creatures stirring between the branches. Creatures hidden to a vekart.
"Incredible," Odder said, his eyes bright with wonderment.
"I suppose we do take magic for granted." Finkle pushed a log next to Odder and took a seat.
Odder told everyone about his meeting with the wizard Salvat, the many demons trapped in Salvat's looking glasses, and his battle with Formeteu.
Finkle sat with his mouth open the entire time, while Aimma, occasionally, hid behind her hands.
"And the spirit of the Maha'De saved you?" Serra asked.
Odder puffed his chest and nodded. "Yes."
"Let me see your markings lad." Karzan turned Odder's arm in various positions. "The poison has not receded." He frowned, releasing Odder’s arm. "Did Salvat tell you the poison is demon blood?"
Odder shrugged. "Yes, but how did you know?"
"I suspected," said Karzan.
"Impossible," refuted Serra.
"Why?" asked Odder shaking his head.
"Demons exist in a spiritual realm while we live in a material world," she explained. "They can influence our decisions, plant evil ideas, and even possess willing hosts, but to be present in a physical form - well I thought impossible."
"He said if I enter the portal, I'll create a bridge for the demons to enter our world."
"That's a scary thought," said Aimma.
"Indeed," Finkle said.
> Serra stood and walked over to Odder. She bent down in front of him and drove her dagger into the ground. "Then we can't let that happen. If you can learn spells and wield magic as fast as the wizard said you can, then we need to start teaching you some powerful spells."
Finkle leaned into Aimma and whispered, "Oh she's good."
"I'm ready," said Odder, "Also Salvat told me the location of the Maha'De."
Finkle bounced into the air. “Let’s get the demon killer.”
“Steady gnome.” Karzan moved to the edge of his log. "Where is it, lad."
"Elestus, somewhere, hidden in plain sight."
"I don't remember seeing a sword on display except in the castle," said Aimma.
"Hmm... how about you Finkle?" Odder asked. "You know the Elestus township layout better than any of us."
Finkle picked and twisted his facial hair just above his lip. "True Odder, true." He paused then pointed his finger in the air. "There are no swords in plain sight."
Everyone sank in their seat.
"That's not entirely true," said Serra.
"Yes, Serra," said Karzan. "Tell us what you know."
She picked up a pile of sand in one hand and cleared the ground with the other. She poured forming a castle. "Here is the Elestus castle." She poured in two other areas. "This is the dragon tree, and this is the market."
"So, where is it?" questioned Finkle.
She grabbed more sand and poured it into the shape of a statue.
Odder's forehead raised, his brows following. "The statue of Lazden?"
"The statue’s holding a stone sword," said Finkle. "It must be somewhere else."
Odder recalled the intense pain in his forearm when he stood at the base of the statue looking up at Lazden. "No... no that's it."
"Are you sure, lad?" asked Karzan.
Odder- The Blood Curse Page 22
