The New Age Saga Box Set

by Timothy A. Ray

  The orange wildcat eyed her sister closely, as if gauging the other’s intelligence. “Look—over—cliff side—straight down,” he told the elder elf, excessively busy straightening hair with his tongue to see if her sister did so.

  Bewildered at a talking feline, Kylee strode to the edge of the cliff, careful to brace herself against a large boulder and looked over. The wind struck her hard, her hair whipping, her body tense, her face morphing from curiosity to alarm, as if seeing something horrible below. “That son of a bitch,” she heard her sister swear.

  “What the hell is it?” she pushed, trying to get her sister’s attention. She’d get to her feet but the cat in her lap was refusing to let her move him. He’d found a break in her armor and his claws dug into exposed flesh. “That bloody hurts, you bastard!”

  Trek purred even louder. “Goblins.”

  She forced herself up, dumping the cat to the ground, and was satisfied with the resulting yowl she got in response. Served him right. Going to her sister’s side, her hand on Kylee’s shoulder for support, she looked over the edge and saw flickering torches on the passes below. She didn’t know how they stayed lit in a fury of wind like this, but they were at a lower altitude and it could’ve been less severe down there. “Shit.”

  Kore had returned, once again empty-handed, and upon seeing the two elven women on the edge of the cliff, ran to see what was going on. He towered above both women, his bulk giving them a quick reprieve from the windstorm. “No good.”

  “No shit no good,” Kylee snapped.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked her sister; backing away from the approaching horror below. How long had it taken us to get up here, twelve hours? Do we have even that?

  “Up,” Kore pointed towards the cliff side.

  Kylee shook her head. “In this? Are you insane? We’re better off finding boulders to drop on their heads than trying to scale a mountain in a storm like this!”

  The orc shrugged, “fight.”

  Both women knew that wasn’t an option either. Even with the height advantage, they’d be overrun by the numbers alone. They were trapped.

  Trek was moving between her legs and she wanted to kick the fairy for not warning her sooner. If he knew that the army was there without getting up to look, then he’d known when he sat his fat ass down in her lap. “What are we going to do?” she asked her companions.

  “Like the big oaf said, up,” Trek stated and when she looked down at him, she was forced to take a step back as his body began to shimmer. Arms lengthening, body thrusting upward, all three of them were thrown back as the cat’s body exploded outward. The orange fur darkened to brown and grew longer, the head got bulkier; the snout lengthening. Muscles rippled, legs bulked, and all her mind could think was shapeshifter!

  “Got rope?” a deep but familiar voice roared at the ranger. The creature standing before them was nothing she’d ever seen or heard of. He was thirteen feet tall, a good six feet across, and the arms nearly touched the ground as he slumped forward. The face looked like Tuskar’s, but the body was more like an ape.

  Kylee was digging in her pack as her sister marveled at the monstrosity before them. “What are you supposed to be?”

  “Does it matter?” the low voice growled. Her sister had dug some rope out her pack and handed it up for Trek to see. “Tie it tightly around your waists, then around each of my shoulders.”

  Kylee didn’t hesitate, and Willow felt like she had stepped into another dimension; a world she did not recognize. Goblins chasing her, wizards, shapeshifters—where was the simple life she’d left behind? Had it ever really existed? The elder elf tugged at her waist and she lifted her arms so that her sister could get the knot right. Was he going to drag them up the mountain?

  After Kylee had finished, Trek hunched down and looked at them over his shoulder, his green eyes penetrating her soul. “Get on.”

  Kore shook his head. “No like.”

  “Get on,” the mammoth creature growled.

  She thought she saw fear in the orc’s eyes; that was a first. Reluctantly, the armored warrior looped a wrist around the rope on the former cat’s right shoulder and wrapped an arm over his neck. She did the same, while Kylee latched onto both of them.

  “Do not let go,” the monstrosity muttered.

  “No shit,” Kylee breathed in her ear and she was forced to smile.

  As Trek went to the cliff side, he reached up with very large talons and dug into the rock. With a heave, they were lifted into the air, their feet dangling. She gripped harder, hanging on for dear life. She felt her sister’s own grip tighten and she was suddenly glad it was the armor she was clinging to and not her neck; she’d asphyxiate before they got more than ten feet off the ground.

  Another taloned fist struck and they were lifted free of the rock face below. She pressed her head into the massive fur and closed her eyes, trying not to get sick with the sea-sawing motion. Wind struck them hard, as if trying to dislodge them, but the talons held them in place. Trek grew more confident and began climbing faster, her body rocking, and she lost it, throwing up on the mammoth’s body.

  “I just cleaned that,” Trek snapped.

  “Kore no like,” the orc moaned, and she thought his face was looking greener.

  Kylee snorted in her ear, “I agree with the orc.”

  “Never saw that coming,” she snipped, and the two sisters laughed in unison as they were propelled higher. Lightening flashed and thunder rocked the mountainside in defiance of their humor.

  “No laugh, Kore sick,” Kore quivered, and that set the two off again.

  The rain had begun to come down in torrents and their laughter died. She began to pray that Trek’s talons did not slip free. They were digging themselves in there pretty good, so she felt a little hope, but with the way her day was going—she refused to count on anything.

  She heard Kore begin to yack and she giggled once more. “Looks like you’re going to have to clean the other side as well,” she told the ascending beast, but her words were lost to the storm thundering around them.

  Chapter 14

  Wizards & Witches

  I

  The cave stretched deep into the mountain; the orange glow always distant, never changing size nor shape as they seemingly grew closer. He had no idea how far they walked, but with the unending rock face around them, it felt longer than it had to be. His eyes had adjusted to the poor light, the flaring of the torch providing very little illumination in their trek forward.

  Finally, a door came into view. It was covered in unreadable runes, wooden, with silver studs placed in some unknown intended formation. Torches were mounted on both sides, the flame’s light casting eerie shadows across its surface; giving him a nasty shiver up his back. There was no other place to go and he felt uneasy as they came to a stop before it.

  The brownie had beaten them there and was angling his head up at the massive door, as if expecting it to open on its own. He turned, arms crossed and acted like he was going to stop them from going any further.

  “Out of the way, Bleak,” Merlin commanded.

  “She won’t appreciate dis, yer nu. Yer didn’t part on gran’ terms,” the brownie held firm, staring at them defiantly.

  “Move or I’ll turn you into a human,” the mage threatened.

  Ordinarily, he would have been insulted by such a comment, but he felt his anger die prematurely as the brownie leapt out of the way as if his rags were on fire. Merlin then opened the door, not paying attention to which way Bleak had fled. Hopefully he’d been squished when it slammed against the cavern wall. “Are you sure this is wise?” he asked his companion.

  “Why wouldn’t it be?” Merlin responded, an eyebrow raised.

  He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, “never mind.”

  Merlin stepped into the deep cavern, no longer blocking his view of the interior. There was a pool of water in the far-left corner; the clear surface rippling to an unknown rhythm. The doorway stood in t
he center of the rear wall and stretched twenty paces on either side. He could hear water dripping as it plunged into the pool and the relaxing tune of a stream trickling. Several torches were lit around them, mostly concentrated on the right side where a vanity mirror was stationed.

  Bookshelves lined one wall, filled with old dusty books. In the center sat a desk with a figure hunched over, quill at work. There were tables in the center of the cavern, filled with beakers, flasks, and other paraphernalia, reminding him of their scientist’s workshops back home. However, his eyes were drawn back to the mirror and the stunning woman reflected in its image.

  She looked to be about thirty, but he knew from experience he couldn’t trust looks alone. His pulse quickened at her beauty and he felt a twinge of guilt at his body’s reaction. She had brown curly hair that fell to her mid-back and he briefly wondered how she kept it so clean in such a damp cave. Facing away from them, her face was in full view, and her eyes were trained on the two men intruding upon her privacy. Her green eyes beckoned, and he felt lost within their depths.

  You are taken, a voice whispered within his mind. Then she frowned and turned to greet them.

  A flash of green light sliced by his head and he ducked, diving to the floor, not sure why she was attacking them. There was a hard thump as his shoulder hit the ground and pained flared in his temple when it struck the smooth stone flooring. Dazed, he groaned and watched Merlin’s hand send forth a blast of blue energy from his fingertips. The blue fire hit the mirror, spread across the surface in waves, then fizzled into nothing.

  The man to their right had stopped his writing and gained his feet. He had short black hair with gray streaks and was adorned in a set of black robes. His face was clean shaven, and his pale blue eyes watched the two magicians battling before them. He looked eager to join in; was this yet another magician he’d have to contend with? He got to his feet and drew his sword; the other man’s eyes met his.

  The woman brought her hands above her head and let loose another burst of green fire. It hit the wall where Merlin had been standing, but he had disappeared. Stunned, his eyes were drawn to the space Merlin had previously occupied, his mind racing as he realized he was the sole target of two magicians.

  Smiling, the brown-haired woman turned on him. A squeaking noise split the air and he watched as a mouse streaked across the floor at their attacker. Screaming, she leapt upon her chair and shot magic from her fingertips at the approaching rodent. The mouse dodged effortlessly, darting under the chair and placing its paws upon one of the legs.

  The chair toppled over from both her weight and antics to kill the mouse. In mid-fall, she shimmered and changed into a ferocious mountain lion, landing feet first and ready to pounce. With a roar, she charged after the fleeing mouse, who upon seeing the new antagonist, bolted before the swipe of her claws found purchase.

  There was another shimmer as the mouse shifted shape. A white furred goat with extremely long horns thrust his hooves on the floor and lowered its head. With a kick of his rear feet, he charged the oncoming lion. The cat leapt, barely clearing the goat’s horns and quickly darted into the far corner. The goat skated to a halt and turned to make another charge.

  The other magician watched all of this with fascination and the menace in his eyes had departed. He acted like this was for show and not a deadly contest to the death. As his was the only corner that hadn’t been invaded by the dueling mages, he moved to stand next to him while sheathing his sword.

  The black robed figure nodded and gave a slight smile.

  When he returned to watching the two animals attacking one another, he saw that the woman had shifted into a very large bear and had reared up on its hind legs as a white wolf barred teeth and prepared to attack. They circled, but it was clear neither was going to make the first move. Then before his eyes, the bear shrank, the long hair receding until it was once again shrouding the beautiful face he’d seen before all this had started. Her black dress shimmered into being, but not before he saw the full-figured woman bare and his blood pumped harder in response.

  She grinned at him and he knew that like Merlin, she was fully aware of everything he was thinking. “You have improved, young mage,” she told the shimmering figure before her.

  Merlin got to his feet as if nothing had happened and laughed. “Hah! You were lucky that last time, I had a bout of the flu!” he countered. Both chuckled as they met in the middle and embraced. “Tristan, this is Melissa.”

  Her green eyes were on him once again and he felt exposed under her stare. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she mocked.

  He didn’t care for the unspoken challenge; or getting thrown to the ground.

  “Oh, I hurt his pride,” she laughed teasingly. One side of her mouth drew into a sneer.

  “Know much about pride, do you?” he returned, eyes meeting hers with as much intensity as he could muster.

  They remained like that for a few tense seconds, then the young man next to him coughed and broke the tension in the room. “Oh yes, your spy would like your attention,” she cooed at Merlin.

  “Spy?” the black robed man at his side asked incredulously.

  Merlin laughed, “save the denials kid, she’s known all along.”

  “As you knew I would,” Melissa stated.

  He had found his eyes lowering towards her breasts and had to jerk them upward to keep his sanity. The guilt he felt over the raging hormones he was experiencing was encompassing every thought and he desperately fought to calm himself.

  “So why are you here yourself, when you already had a spy planted at my side?” she inquired hotly.

  Merlin glanced his way and he felt gratified by the mage’s intercession, it gave him something different to look at. “Would you mind laying off the glamour; my companion there is about to lose it.”

  Melissa chuckled. “Is that so bad? I’ve had little else to do and young boys are full of such vigor and energy.”

  Flushed, he looked away. Was this magic making him lust so fiercely?

  “Melissa—,” Merlin began.

  “Fine, ruin my fun,” the woman snorted, then the pressure on his mind lifted and he was once more in control of his body. His heart began to slow and his senses returned. He looked upon her once more, at the green eyes and beautiful smile, and felt relieved that he could do so without tearing off his clothes in the process.

  “And don’t flower me with pointless questions, you already know why I’m here,” Merlin stated casually.

  “Serix?” she asked the black robed figure watching the exchange.

  “It’s not here,” the man beside him offered.

  She had moved back to her vanity and sat down. With a flick of her fingers, three other chairs swept across the room and stopped beside her. She motioned for them to sit, but as the other two moved forward, he stayed rooted in place. Could he trust himself being that close to her? Was the attraction truly some magical pull and not a physical response?

  “I’m not going to bite,” Melissa answered his unspoken questions, “much.”

  The growl that issued from his throat made Merlin laugh. “He doesn’t like that,” the mage cut in, breaking off his prepared retort.

  “Then he needs to do a better job at hiding his thoughts,” she purred, a virtual slap across the face.

  “He’s had very little training in that regard, something that will have to be remedied if he’s going to be able to protect himself from the Phoenix’s influence,” Merlin returned, pointing at the chair and glaring at him.

  “So, you want me to take on another one of your apprentices? Seriously, this isn’t an academy for the weak and dimwitted,” she snarled.

  His’s anger rose, “fuck you.”

  “Ah, spoken like a true buffoon,” she smirked. He reached for his sword and she laughed in response. “Your spy has learned about all I can teach him. Maybe I do have room for another; this one could use some manners. Though,” her eyes fixed on him, “what he really needs taught, is
how to better use that pent-up passion of his.”

  He wanted to charge across the room and show her what his passion was really good for, but Merlin raised his hand and motioned for him to halt. “Enough. Quit goading the boy. We’ve had a long day and sacrificed much to get here. We need Excalibur; the time has come for it to return to the world of men.”

  “And women,” she corrected with a pause. “As your necromancer spy has told you, I do not have it,” she repeated sourly. The smile had left her face and as she looked in the mirror, her hand reached for a comb and began stroking her long brown locks. “But, I might know where you can find it.” She then reached across the desk and pulled a blank piece of parchment to her.

  He had inched closer, still not ready to allow himself within striking distance, but he watched her closely as she picked up a quill, dipped it in an inkwell, and began drawing quickly upon the parchment’s surface. The etching was taking the form of a map, with familiar landmarks rising into place. She started with Saspe’s Peak and Lancaster, then the pen continued on swiftly, guiding the woman’s hand. The magical quill had perfect strokes and provided a picture far more detailed than any his family possessed. To the west of the Drago Mountains there was a swamp surrounded by a dense forest known as Sherwood. No one lived there, and only the insane ventured anywhere near its borders.

  “That’s not good,” he moaned and received a curious glance from the witch.

  “She will not give it to you,” Melissa spoke to the mage directly. “Nimue has not yet forgiven you for abandoning her. If your plan was to send the boy, only the pure of heart will beckon her from hiding. This boy’s pride endangers your plans.”

  Merlin spared him a brief glance as he reached out and slid the map free of the table. “She has before and with a youth more ambitious than this one,” he muttered, not showing any interest in pursuing the conversation.

  Melissa laughed. “That was when you two were on speaking terms. Have you even tried to find her in the last thousand years since being freed? Has she spoken in your dreams and told you where to look? No? Well, either she’s finally passed from the world or she doesn’t want to see you. Either way, it’s a fool’s errand, and judging by the drums of war echoing across the countryside, there doesn’t seem to be much time for foolishness.”