by Jay Lynn
Rounding the swordsman, the large ice feline charged at the hounds, throwing them backwards as he blocked their path to Nathan. As the right howler tried to get back on his feet, Taj wrapped his jaw around the back of the creature’s neck. Clamping down, a deep growl sounded in his throat as the tiger snapped the hell hound’s spine. The two survivors raced in for an attack. One jumped onto the ice beast’s back, clawing deeply as he summoned a mouthful of fire.
His injured arm tucked against his chest, Nathan drove his blade into the howler’s ribs.
“No, you don’t,” he muttered pulling the sword free.
Twisting around, Taj sank his teeth into the hound’s shoulder, ripping open the toughened skin. The final fire beast unleashed a boiling strike on Taj’s side. A puddle of water leaked onto the ground from the large melted hole in the tiger’s rib cage. Baring his fangs, Taj rushed to meet the malevolent dog. They collided with a crash as the two fierce creatures became a tangled, snapping mess of teeth and claws.
Slipping out from beneath the feline’s powerful grip, the howler leapt back to face his enemy once more.
Hands held out in front of her, Isabelle focused her magical energy upon her ally. The hole in Taj’s side refroze as he was briefly shrouded in a glowing light. Filled with a new vigor, the ice tiger countered another fire ball with an ice blast. Steam filled the space as Taj charged forward. Swatting the temporary cloud, his massive paws hit nothing but empty air. Steam clearing, all that remained were two corpses upon the melting ice. The third howler had vanished.
“It looks like he escaped,” Nathan said to no one in particular.
Taj made a noise in the back of his throat as if in agreement. Turning around, he started back towards his master. Pausing beside Nathan, the tiger lowered his head. Blue diamond-like eyes sparkled with a cunning respect. Then, to the warrior’s surprise, an icy head nudged his shoulder prior to continuing on.
Smiling brightly, Isabelle greeted the tiger like an old friend. “Well done, Taj. I could not have fought this battle without you.”
Purring, the tiger circled around the sage as she ran a hand over his side. Isabelle called forth another spell.
The large blue magic circle appeared in the middle of the floor. Taj went to stand within the seal. Spinning around, he faced his mistress.
“Thank you,” the sorceress said once again. “Altor reditus.”
In the next instant, the tiger disappeared into a swirl of snowflakes. Isabelle dropped to her knees, breathing heavily.
Nathan rushed to her side. “Are you injured?”
She shook her head. “No. Such a spell is quite draining.” Isabelle eyed the blood-soaked sleeve of his arm along with Nathan’s pale face. He had fought well despite his injury. She couldn’t heal wounds like Alec, but at least she would be able to stop the flow of blood. Lifting a hand, the sage didn’t even bother requesting the warrior’s permission. He would be the one protecting them from this point onward.
“Surgeon, restore.”
Gaze jerking to his arm, Nathan felt a warm tingle spread across his skin. He ripped off the tattered remnants of his sleeve. The pain from the slashes ceased, as did the bleeding, and the injured flesh was also partially healed.
“I’m afraid that is all my level of skill can do.”
“You have my thanks.” He knew, just as she did, that not all sages were gifted with the ability to heal. Like the color of a person’s hair or eyes, magical abilities varied.
Tearing off a piece of her tunic, Isabelle gently wrapped his forearm.
Nathan watched her without a word. Once she completed her task, the swordsman rose to his feet while still examining the bandage.
“You’re quite special, aren’t you?” he whispered to himself.
“Did you say something?” the sage asked, gazing up at him.
Nathan shook his head, reaching down to aid her. “We should leave here without delay. I doubt those howlers will be the last enemy we encounter.”
Sebastian and Derek both glanced at Ashton. His expression still unreadable, he slowly stepped forward.
“Thank you for your assistance. I believe our alliance will prove most enlightening.”
Chapter 17
Watching Isabelle and Nathan disappear down the corridor, Alec held his position even after his friends had vanished from sight. Fingers tapping the side of his leg, he warded off a frown. Alec’s gaze shifted towards the heap of rubble blocking their previous battle grounds. No matter what anyone said, he would hold on to the belief that Malcolm was still alive. Alec couldn’t explain it, but it was almost as if he could sense him.
We will meet again, teacher.
Straightening his shoulders, the warrior’s eyes met Garth’s. The swordsman dipped his head with a firm nod. There was no going back now. All they could do was fight on. Moving in the opposite direction from their friends, the two warriors traveled up a set of twisting stone stairs. The element of surprise was not available to them. Therefore, Alec and Garth readied themselves for anything as they appeared on the next level of the Imperial Tower itself.
The rowdy noise of the semi-open chamber before them suddenly took on a moment of stunned silence. While the space was teeming with soldiers, it wasn’t the armed guards Alec expected to face. The warriors had, in fact, entered the military commissary hall. Three rows of tables scattered with guards took up the center of the space. At the rear was a large pass through to the kitchen. A wide doorway to the hall was positioned near the kitchen with two other doors on either side of the chamber. To pass, they would have to defeat the entire room of soldiers.
It seemed they now knew the reason behind the lack of staff in the corridors below. In the midst of their meal, these fighters either must have believed Jerric would put a stop to their guests, or hadn’t been informed that Alec and his companions arrived. None of that mattered, for the guards had quickly recovered from their frozen state and were charging at their foes.
Splitting up to meet the incoming hoard, Alec went up the center left while Garth dashed to the right. He clashed with the first fighter, their blades locking together. Overpowering the soldier Garth pressed downward, forcing his foe’s sword to the side. Briefly releasing his grip with his support hand, the warrior jabbed the man in the face. As his enemy stumbled back, Garth twisted around, slashing through the next man rushing at him. Thrusting his weapon forward, he planted it in the gut of the following warrior. With a roar, Garth charged forward, using his victim as a shield to push through the massive buildup of guards. Jerking the blade free, Garth tucked his shoulder beneath the edge of the closest wooden table. Using all his might, he hurled the object into the line of soldiers now zeroing in behind him.
Charging forward like an angry storm, several enemies attacked Alec at once. The clash of his blade connecting with the opposing metal rang out like thunder. Alec whirled his sword in a flurry of movements. As he swept his left arm back, a blade of ice materialized in his grasp. Twisting the hilt, Alec simultaneously blocked attacks at both his front and back. Spinning in a circle, he sent his adversaries flying back. Another wave dashed towards him. Kicking a man in the chest to clear his path, the warrior dissolved his ice blade and rolled onto the top of the table.
Jumping up, Alec avoided the sweep of multiple weapons aimed at his legs. Eyeing the plates lying abandoned on the table, the right corner of his mouth twitched with the shadow of a smirk. Using the tip of his blade to stop a strike, Alec swiftly launched the closest plate at one of the soldiers.
The metal discus landed right on his face.
Alec’s movements were a rapid blur as he used both his sword and feet to hurl whatever objects were sitting about at his enemies. Food littered the floor, causing some of the guards to slip on the newly slick surface.
Pausing his attack, Alec focused on the soldier coming straight at him. Kicking the man in the side of the head, Alec leapt into the air. Somersaulting over his foe, Alec took the man’s sword out of his hand
as he passed by before landing on the parallel table. Purposely gripping the dual blades, Alec firmly planted his feet on the scarred wooden surface.
“Airanlor, cyclone,” the sorcerer, said summoning an enchantment.
As he once more jumped into the air to avoid being slashed, Alec spun a full seven hundred and twenty degrees, sweeping his swords along the aisle one after another. A gust of wind propelled from each blade, thundering down the length of the room as it threw anyone or anything out of its path. Seeing the mass of soldiers surrounding his friend, Alec swept his one blade up with a diagonal slash.
A blast of wind stormed across the room. Tables were destroyed and guards were tossed about like dolls as the magical attack slammed into their enemy. Unleashing an assault on Garth’s other side, the remaining fighters were cleared from the exit.
“Thanks,” the gruff warrior hollered, glancing over his shoulders at his friend.
Alec bobbed his head. “Let’s get moving before they regroup.”
Swiftly crossing the space, they headed towards the doorway with Garth in the lead. Twenty feet from their destination the swordsmen skidded to a stop as reinforcements charged into the hall. Likewise, those caught up in his wind storm were recovering their lost weapons.
Damn it, Alec mentally cursed.
Gripping his weapons, Alec shifted his attention to their flank. Simultaneously slashing his blades to the side, he cut a guard across the chest and abdomen. Turning his wrist, Alec swept his left hand back in the other direction, leaving a trail of blood down the man’s front while blocking a different attack. With more soldiers quickly approaching, the warrior couldn’t afford to be locked in combat with a single fighter. Kicking the man in the knee, he slid in close and rammed his elbow in the man’s face. In the blink of an eye, Alec’s second weapon was implanted in the guard’s stomach.
“Alec, use another one of those wind blasts.”
The soldiers were too close by to risk such an unpredictable attack. Once he unleashed the powerful bursts of air, Alec no longer had control over it. Garth could easily become a casualty of friendly fire. A different spell would be required.
Summoning a field of energy around his body, Alec activated a speed spell. To those around him, he was little more than a blur of motion as the sage cut through their enemies’ ranks. While his two blades were engaged with other soldiers, Alec leapt up, spinning as he kicked a third foe with such force he slid across a table and fell off the other side. Wielding the duel swords with a fluid grace, Alec cleared away the men surrounding Garth. Working together the warriors defeated the rest of their attackers. With their backs towards the kitchen, Alec and Garth studied the outlying destruction.
“For a moment there I didn’t think there would be an end to them,” Garth huffed, trying to catch his breath.
“Yeah,” Alec answered with a humorless laugh.
Appearing unexpectedly, two cooks grabbed each of the swordsmen, dragging them over the counter and into the kitchen. Grunting, Alec struggled to free himself from the iron-like fingers holding him in place. His sword was pried from his hand as another man came at him with a butcher knife. Unable to throw off his oppressors, Alec rammed the heel of his foot into the closest man’s knee and pressed downward, dislocating the man’s kneecap.
Crying out, the man unconsciously loosened his grip.
Alec pulled his right arm free, twisting so that his enemy was in front of him as the blade slashed downward. Removing a knife from his belt, the sage planted the blade in his other enemy’s stomach. Breaking out of his hold, Alec dodged a few strikes from the armed cook prior to finishing him off.
Seeking out Garth, he watched as the gruff warrior jerked a knife out of his shoulder and used the weapon to stab his remaining adversary. Turning towards the sorcerer, he spit a wad of blood on the stone floor.
“Damn it, even their servants are a threat.”
“Hold still,” Alec told Garth, coming to his friend’s side.
Placing a hand lightly over the wound on Garth’s shoulder, he called up a spell. When the sorcerer removed his palm, the injury was completely healed.
Brows lifting, the warrior slowly shook his head. “I don’t believe I’ll ever get used to that. Your gift sure does come in handy though.”
“Sometimes, I suppose,” Alec replied with a faint smirk.
Hopping back over the counter, the two companions left the dining hall and entered a short corridor. Taking the first set of stone steps that they encountered, Alec and Garth proceeded to the next floor. Half way up the stairs everything began to shake. Bracing himself against the wall, Alec could feel a strange shift in the stone. Suddenly, the entire stairwell moved. Extending upwards, it changed direction and curved towards a different level all together.
“For a people obsessed with destroying magic, they sure have a lot of blasted mages in their keep,” Garth grumbled as the spell came to an end.
“One of the soldiers must have alerted someone to the fact that we made it past Jerric.”
“Care to guess what trap awaits?”
“I will pass.” You never know what demons might appear with these people, Alec added privately. He had more than enough first-hand experience with the strange creatures that Zerrok could produce.
Gradually stalking up towards the awaiting door, Alec’s body tensed. Hand tightening around the hilt of his blade, he leaned in slightly, listening for any sound which might offer some clue to the contents of the chamber beyond. Silence greeted his ears. Glancing back at Garth the two warriors nodded to each other. Disengaging the latch, Alec pushed the door open with his foot.
A figure lurking in the darkness had a dagger automatically flying from Alec’s fingers. The sound of shattering glass echoed in the abyss. Brows furrowing, the warrior pushed the door open wider still. Neither swordsman cared for the images greeting their eyes. On every wall, and from what felt like every angle, were countless reflections of the two Malyndorian fighters.
This does not bode well, Garth thought sourly.
Three dark unlit passages stood before them. Garth’s eyes shifted between the portals. No clue was offered as to which path through the maze of mirrors they should take. Lips pressed into a line, the warrior studied them for a moment longer.
“Brace yourself,” Alec began raising a hand. “I’m going to rid ourselves of these pesky mirrors.”
Garth smiled grimly. “I had the same thought.”
The sorcerer’s energy swirled around him as he called upon a wind spell.
“Airanlor, blast.”
The forceful gust slammed into the mirrors directly in front of them. Yellow magic defense circles immediately appeared, deflecting the spell and absorbing the residual power to refuel the shield. Only a powerful master sage could have put such a backup in place.
This must be Jerric’s doing.
Unless The Pure had swayed another master to their side, Jerric was the logical perpetrator. Alec glanced at the broken shards beside his dagger. Bending down to retrieve his weapon, he once more studied the surrounding glass. They were impervious to magic, yet against physical attacks remained unguarded. They could slash their way through the maze one by one, however, to do so would be not only time consuming, it could prove dangerous as well. If Jerric had the foresight to have barriers in place, then he just might have other unwanted surprises in store.
“It would seem that we’re going to have to play along for now.”
“Yeah,” Garth agreed with a nod. “Which path should we venture down?”
Alec shrugged. The single torch on the wall behind them served as more of a distraction than a source of light. The center hallway appeared to go straight until it disappeared into the darkness. Meanwhile, the neighboring paths traveled down short corridors before twisting around a corner. No matter their choice, it would be a gamble.
“How about the middle one?”
Garth stuck out his lip while he lifted his shoulders. “Why not?”
&nb
sp; Grasping the torch from the wall, Garth started down the maze as Alec used his power to coil a line of flames around his blade. The countless reflections made it difficult to focus. Cautiously, the two warriors strode down their chosen path. The single corridor took them deeper into the maze before twisting around corners and bringing them to a junction one after another. Knife still in one hand, Alec marked a mirror at every intersection. Coming upon one of his inscriptions, his eyes narrowed.
“We’re going in circles.”
Garth exhaled with a distinct hiss. “Why does that not surprise me?”
“If their plan is simply to get us lost inside this dark tomb then they’ve greatly underestimated us.”
Head arching back, the sorcerer shifted his attention to the ceiling. Lifting his fire higher he noticed the blaze didn’t penetrate the darkness enough to reveal anything above. Returning his knife to his belt, Alec summoned a ball of light in his left palm. Without a word, he flung it up into the air where it burst and illuminated the space. The ceiling was high above them, reaching far beyond the tall rim of the mirrors. The lingering glow offered the two fighters their first true glimpse of the maze they were trapped within. It also revealed a thick yellow smoke which was beginning to swirl around their feet.
“Poison!” Garth spat as he and Alec covered their mouths.
Holding his breath, Alec’s eyes darted about the space. Gazing upwards he knew what he had to do in order to free them from the poisonous cloud.
“Rokon, rise.”
The stone beneath their feet quickly rose into the air until it was even with the top of the mirrors. Coughing slightly, the sage then expanded his power outward, using his spell to create a straight path across the room. I wish I had thought of this sooner, the sage silently mused. He might not be able to move the mirrors out of their way, but he could still manipulate everything else. If he couldn’t go through them, then he would go over.