Mind Flights: Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Volume Two

by Dimitri Kelly

  Briefly Aria frowned, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had come. “Follow me.” Zlyn trailed behind her, still wondering what would be the best way to break the news.

  Soon, they were alone, and Aria wheeled on him and grabbed his hands in hers. “What’s wrong?” Concern shown in her eyes, and her voice was barely audible.

  Zlyn had thought of many different ways to tell Aria, but in the end, it would all come down to one significant action.

  Zlyn removed the pouch from his side. Placing it on the table between them, he opened it so that Aria could see its contents.

  Her eyes went wide! “Zlyn, why do you…” She paused, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. “Why are you giving me this?” Zlyn noticed that she was frowning again.

  “The Elder told me to bring it to you.” He tried to hold her eyes but couldn’t. “And he also told me to bring you to Lunareze as quickly as possible.” Zlyn sighed. “The Divide is beginning to fail, Aria.”

  “My family…” she looked deeply in his eyes. “Shouldn’t the Tear have passed to…”

  Zlyn’s expression softened as he saw understanding begin to dawn in Aria’s eyes.

  “What’s happened to them Zlyn!”

  Zlyn glanced at the floor, and then at Aria. “They are all dead.” She looked stricken. “Something from the Divide…” Aria shrieked, which cut off Zlyn’s words. He pulled Aria close, and she cried on his shoulder.

  When the sobbing slowed, Zlyn gently pushed her back so that he could look into her eyes and said, “We have to leave now. There may be more of those things coming. If we stay too long, your friends here may be in danger also.” He placed the pouch containing the Tear into Aria’s hands. Seeming dazed, she took it without comment, and went to gather her things.

  *

  They had been in the woods for some time now. Zlyn had thought it wiser than taking Aria back up the well-traveled road they had used to reach her. He felt certain that there were things just waiting for them to come back through, especially after seeing the hellhound, and realizing that other creatures like it knew that a Keeper still lived. That knowledge, knowing that the creature had been tracking Aria, had helped Zlyn to make his decision to travel to Lunareze by using the forest.

  The closeness of the trees forced Zlyn and his men to move in a single file. Aria was in the middle. Zlyn figured being there would provide her with the most protection.

  “Let’s stop briefly.” Zlyn scanned the trees around them.

  “Vakien, scout ahead.” He turned and looked at the other scout in his group. “Trakas, I need you to check behind us to make sure we’re not being followed.” An image of the hellhound flashed unbidden in Zlyn’s mind, and he made a snap decision. “And Ilimaer, I want you to go with Trakas.” It doesn’t hurt to be too cautious, thought Zlyn. He inclined his head to his men, who repeated the gesture, and then scattered into the darkness of the night.

  Zlyn opened a pouch containing dried deer. He gave some to Aria. ‘Eat up.” He gazed towards the way his men had gone. “We won’t be here long.”

  A short time later, Vakien returned. “The path ahead is clear.” He sat down. “The forest also thins out a little further up.” Zlyn offered a piece of dried meat, and Vakien took it. “Have the others returned yet?”

  Zlyn shook his head. “Trakas normally beats you back, Vakien.” Zlyn frowned. “Maybe…”

  A scream rent the air!

  “Ilimaer!” said Daehorn.

  In an instant, the elves had their weapons drawn. The cry ended just as quickly as it had begun, and a profound silence settled over the forest.

  Zlyn and his men stood as if etched in stone. Something whizzed through the air and hit the ground before rolling to a stop at their feet. It was the head of Ilimaer. His eyes stared straight ahead, and his mouth was still open as if he was screaming, even in death.

  An eerie voice, which sounded like a million tormented souls, came from the darkness.

  “Keeper…give her…to me…” The creature, or whatever it was, struggled to speak, as if it hadn’t used its voice in a very long time.

  Zlyn looked at Aria, who was shaking and pale. She hadn’t taken her eyes off the severed head of Ilimaer, and Zlyn was not sure if she had even heard the disembodied voice that spoke from the darkness.

  Zlyn gave a hand signal, and his men spread out in a defensive position. Only he and Perran stayed close to Aria.

  Zlyn looked at Perran, his most decorated warrior, and said, “Perran, no matter what, we have to get Aria to Lunareze!” He paused. “If we fail…” Zlyn left the thought unfinished. Perran knew exactly what was at stake.

  An evil laugh split the air.

  “So…I will kill you all!”

  A being coalesced in front of them. It seemed as if it was pulling itself from the very darkness that surrounded them.

  Beside him, Aria gasped in shock. She knew this creature. They all did. They had, in fact, heard stories of it since they had been children. Stories of how it had slaughtered an entire village. It was a changeling, an Azra’Dar. It was supposed to have been sealed away thousands of years ago by the Divide. At that moment, Zlyn wondered just how much time they had before the Divide failed completely.

  Sylxal let loose a volley of arrows, and the Azra’Dar roared in pain and anger as each arrow hit its mark.

  Vakien advanced as Sylxal kept firing arrows. Vakien’s spear was held in front of him. He wanted to end this fight as quickly as possible.

  Zlyn looked on as the Azra’Dar dodged and knocked Sylxal’s arrows from the air with extra limbs that had sprouted from its body. It seemed unaware of Vakien’s approach because it was so fixated on the arrows of Sylxal.

  Once Vakien was near enough, Sylxal paused for a brief moment and Vakien, intending to skewer the Azra’Dar, stood up.

  But the Azra’Dar was faster! It grabbed the spear in one hand, and another misshapen limb wrapped around Vakien and slung him into Sylxal. Both men slammed into a tree, and fell in a crumpled heap.

  Instantly, the Azra’Dar was on them! It took the spear which it held, and drove it through both elves, who immediately went limp.

  “No!” yelled Petran, who raised his sword in defiance and rushed obliviously at the Azra’Dar.

  Daehorn, with alarm in his eyes, glanced at Zlyn and Perran. “Go! Get her out of here!”

  Zlyn started to protest, but he saw the certainty in Daehorn’s eyes. It was a look that brooked no defiance. Daehorn knew the situation, and had made his peace. He would do what he could for Zlyn and Aria.

  Zlyn inclined his head slightly, then grabbed Aria and took off. Perran trailed behind them.

  Daehorn had drawn two blades. He advanced quickly on the Azra’Dar. Daehorn was determined to inflict as much damage as he could.

  “We have to hurry!” yelled Zlyn, as they rushed recklessly through the woods. Behind them, the sounds of combat grew fainter, then silenced completely.

  “Vakien said there’s a clearance ahead.” Zlyn struggled to suck down air. “It may give us a fighting chance.” He thought of the gruesome deaths his men had suffered. None of them had deserved this!

  The trees began to thin out, and Zlyn was about to shout back at Perran when he noticed a flicker of movement out of the corner of his left eye.

  “Perran!” he yelled. But it was already too late. Zlyn watched in horror as what looked like tree branches ran through Perran’s body.

  “No!” Zlyn stared helplessly. Perran threw his head back and screamed. The Azra’Dar bared fangs which dripped with blood from his men, and then the creature jerked outwards. Perran’s scream was abruptly cut short as pieces of the elf flew in different directions. The branches then shriveled up into the Azra’Dar’s body, and became gnarled arms, with wicked eight inch talons attached to clawed hands.

  “Aria! Run!” Zlyn attempted to get in front of the Azra’Dar, but it batted him aside like a rag doll. Zlyn landed in a crumpled heap. He was dazed but not hurt. Th
e Azra’Dar ignored him.

  Aria stood frozen in fear and disbelief as the Azra’Dar advanced slowly upon her. Instinctively, she placed her hand over the Tear.

  “I see you know me,” rasped the Azra’Dar in a voice between a snake’s hiss and crushed glass.

  A shiver ran down Aria’s spine. She gripped the Tear so tightly that her knuckles went white.

  “I can smell your fear,” hissed the Azra’Dar. “You know what I want.” A forked tongue shot from its mouth. “Give it to me, and I may let you live.”

  Aria took an involuntary step backward. The Azra’Dar grinned wickedly, displaying needle-like teeth. “Your parents’ fate does not have to be yours.”

  “You…you killed my parents?” stammered Aria.

  The Azra’Dar’s pit-black eyes shrank to slits. Murderous intent gleamed within their depths. “Give me the Tear now.”

  Zlyn jumped in front of Aria. “Run!” he shouted. His eyes never left the Azra’Dar’s face. “Get away!”

  Aria snapped her gaze from the evil thing in front of her. Spinning around, she ran. Branches tore at her clothes, leaving welts on her skin, and in some places, lines of blood.

  Snarling, the Azra’Dar leapt at Zlyn. Its speed was startling. Zlyn barely had time to get his sword up before it was on him.

  Zlyn’s blade swung in deadly arcs, raining blows upon the ashen-gray flesh of the Azra’Dar. And yet, the monster did not slow.

  With growing dismay, Zlyn noted that every time he hacked the Azra’Dar, its flesh healed over.

  Zlyn stumbled over an exposed root, and the Azra’Dar saw its chance. It came in low and hard, swinging up with its taloned hands.

  Excruciating pain shot through Zlyn. His stomach had been sliced open from abdomen to ribs.

  Zlyn fell, trying to hold his stomach together as he did so. Stabbing sensations, like being pricked by thousands of needles, shot through his body as he tried to push his intestines back in. Without slowing, the Azra’Dar shot after Aria.

  *

  Zlyn’s scream caused Aria to stop. She dropped to her knees as the iron fist of grief struck her in the stomach. Hard. Aria threw up.

  That thing, she thought, it killed my family…brothers…sisters…mom…dad…And now my protector. Everyone! All gone!

  Throwing back her head, and grabbing fistfuls of her jet-black, shoulder-length hair, Aria screamed into the moonlit sky. This can’t be happening! This can’t be real!

  But breaking twigs, and snapping branches behind her said otherwise.

  Unbidden images of the Azra’Dar slaughtering everyone she loved raged behind Aria’s closed eyes. Because of it, she had nothing. Because of it, she was alone.

  A new emotion stirred in Aria’s breast, giving her strength.

  She spun around, anger blazing in her eyes.

  Yet even as she turned, the Azra’Dar was bearing down on her. Her hand closed around the Tear as the Azra’Dar bowled her over.

  Aria’s foot was entangled in the underbrush, and did not give way as she fell. She heard a loud pop, like lightning striking a tree, as she was slammed into the ground, the Azra’Dar atop her. Pain rocketed up her leg.

  “I will kill you slowly,” rasped the Azra’Dar into Aria’s ear, his mouth close, like a lover whispering sweet nothings to his sweetheart.

  Revulsion swept through Aria. A part of her realized the Tear had grown warm in her hand. At that moment, she hated the Azra’Dar. She hated it because it was evil and uncaring. She hated it because it was the foulest thing she had ever encountered. But most of all, she hated it because it had killed everyone dear to her. She struck out blindly with the Tear. The cut, unlike that made by Zlyn’s blade, did not heal.

  The Azra’Dar shrieked. He, a creature who had never felt true pain. He, a creature who had never feared anything. But now, the Azra’Dar was afraid, because he knew he had been mortally wounded.

  Its shriek only served to drive Aria to greater efforts. Relentlessly, she stabbed the creature. The Azra’Dar fell off of her, yet Aria didn’t stop. Even after the creature was still, she didn’t stop.

  “Aria,” said a small, weak voice. Aria paused. Even in her momentary madness, her momentary bloodlust, Aria recognized that voice. It was Zlyn. Somehow, he was still alive.

  “Aria,” said Zlyn. He sounded weaker. She knew he didn’t have much time.

  Aria jumped up, ignoring the fresh pain that went through her ankle, and limped over to where Zlyn lay.

  The sight of him caused her to gag. She had never seen so much blood.

  The Tear was glowing in Aria’s hands. She hoped the other part of the legend was true about it. She placed the blade against Zlyn’s flesh, and carefully traced the outlines of his wounds. As the blade passed over the ragged flesh, the wounds closed. And as they closed, the bluish glow of the Tear gradually went away. Aware that time was short, Aria worked quickly. And in less than five minutes, she was done.

  Although scars remained, Zlyn no longer bled. However, his skin was pasty from blood loss.

  Zlyn looked confused. “How did you…”

  Aria interrupted. “It’s the second part of what happened with the Tears that most of our people don’t know about. When they fell, not only did they have the power to destroy evil, but also the power to heal. A few of the wounded found that out as they were gathered. But that fact was hidden by the Elven Council because they recognized that if this was known, then fighting would probably erupt over who had possession of the gems.”

  “So that’s why it is a double-edged weapon. It has both the power to destroy, and to heal.” Zlyn sat up. “Thank you, Aria,” said Zlyn. He sounded tired. “The Azra’Dar…”

  “Dead.”

  “How?”

  “The Tear.”

  “We have to get to Lunareze, Aria,” said Zlyn. “The ritual…”

  Aria placed her hand over his mouth. “Save your strength.”

  She gazed up. Judging from the position of the moon, they had a few hours before daybreak. Just a few precious hours before all hell broke loose. Literally.

  She pulled Zlyn up, and nearly fell as she did so. The Tear fell out of her hand. Zlyn picked it up and gave it to her.

  “What’s wrong with your ankle?”

  “I heard it pop.” She winced in pain. “I think it’s broken.”

  “Why don’t you use the Tear to heal it?”

  “The magic doesn’t work like that Zlyn. It simply converts the magic from whatever evil it’s drawn from into something pure. That is the nature of the healing magic of the Tear.”

  “So once it’s used up…”

  “There is no more.” finished Aria.

  Zlyn looked into the distance. The going would be tough. I’m weakened by blood loss, and Aria by a broken ankle. But we might make it. We just might make it.

  “Keeper,” said a rasping voice full of pain. Fear froze Aria and Zlyn in place.

  The Azra’Dar pointed a taloned finger at them. “There…will…be…others…”

  The Azra’Dar’s arm fell off. Pieces of his body began to drop away. As his flesh hit the ground, it became maggots that scrambled in every direction. And when it was over, nothing remained of the Azra’Dar.

  “Disgusting,” said Zlyn. Frowning, he turned and spit.

  With the thought of the creature’s last words fresh in his mind, Zlyn pointed them in the right direction.

  And leaning on each other for support, they began their journey to Lunareze. The future of the Elven nation went with them.

  Back to TOC

  REAPER

  Keona thrashed about on the hospital bed. Billions of nerve endings sent pain signals racing throughout her body.

  “I don’t know how she made it.” Dr. Malone ran his hands through his bushy, black hair. “Her envirosuit was completely ruined when her crewmembers got to her.” He looked at his assistants, a few of whom were new. “And over ninety percent of her body was burned when she arrived at the hospital.” Some of
the new guys blanched at his words.

  “You’re kidding, right?” The newest med-tech, Jason, who was only a few weeks in, nearly laughed. “I don’t see any burns Dr. Malone.”

  “Come closer.” With Jason standing beside him, Dr. Malone reached down and exposed the back of Keona’s arm. Pieces of flesh clung to the bed. Dr. Malone looked on as the color seemed to bleed away from Jason’s face. Jason bent over, and his breakfast came up. Dr. Malone didn’t react. He waited patiently for the heaving to stop.

  “Jason, I really need you to see this.” He put his hand on the tech’s shoulder, purposefully ignoring what had just happened. “Watch!”

  The tech’s eyes slowly rose to Keona’s arm, and then went wide. The flesh on her arm slithered across the open wound, until it was fully covered. After a few minutes, there was no sign of any trauma.

  Dr. Malone saw the wonder in Jason’s eyes. “Nothing we have is this advanced.” He scratched his head. “I won’t even pretend I understand it either.” His gaze returned to Keona. “Something happened to her in that pit. Something important. It may be the key to us surviving on this new world.”

  Keona moaned. Her lips moved, ever so slightly. “Reaper…coming…”

  “What is she saying?” Jason looked as if he didn’t want to go anywhere near Keona.

  Dr. Malone moved closer. “I can barely make it out,” he paused, “but it sounds like…the Reaper is coming.” Dr. Malone scratched his head. “Poor woman- of course she thinks she’s dying…”

  *

  Keona was unaware of what the doctors around her were saying. Instead, she saw herself reaching for the glowing crystal globe again. “No!” she yelled, knowing what was about to happen.

  However, the other Keona didn’t listen. Her hands closed around it, and the light immediately intensified.

  Her crewmembers raised their hands to shield their faces.

  Keona screamed. Heat from the sphere scorched the inside of her mouth, choking off her cry.

  Inside the Envirosuit, Keona’s skin peeled back, revealing raw nerve endings. Something from the globe entered her. Some sort of presence.

  Keona fell to the ground, her ruined hands pulling at the searing Envirosuit. Mercifully, she passed out.

  *

  Deep underground, an abomination stirred within the mineral-rich mantle of the planet. Someone or something was tunneling down.