by Erik Weir
Victor spotted the stairs leading down and bolted for the doorway just as the door swung closed. The mouse jumped at the last moment, his tail just in when the door locked behind him. The mouse high-fived himself with pink hands before jumping down a step at a time as lantern light illuminated the musty basement. When he reached the bottom, red eyes caught several wooden pillars dotting the basement and a body slumped against one. Food and water lay on the ground next to the figure.
Victor skittered closer, seeing Dawn’s pointed ears, glasses and dark blonde hair. The elf moaned, rune clasps on her wrists and ankles. The mouse made his way closer, looking up into Dawn’s dazed expression, salvia dripping from her partially open mouth. Letting go of his form, the mouse pulsated, grew larger and shifted. Dawn didn’t move as the small mouse turned back into Victor.
The Blade knelt at her side, delicately lifting her face up by the chin. Dawn stared into nothing as she didn’t react to Victor’s touch.
“What did they do to you,” Victor whispered as he grabbed a rune binding and tried to unlock it.
***
The shopkeeper grabbed a few potions from the wall behind her. Lily looked on until a woman with silver hair and a long, thick blue robe walked up to the counter and placed the empty silver tray on it. The succubus gave the silver-haired woman a pleasant smile. The woman smiled back, eyes darting from the demoness to the redhead and back again.
Lily noticed a strange tension when the silver-haired woman’s gaze fell on the succubus’s firm chest. The redhead turned around, witnessing the exchange. A fire slipped into her eyes before it was quickly extinguished. The woman placed several potions on the counter a little too hard. Lily kept her expression pleasant as she noticed something odd was going on.
“Are you finished restocking the shelves,” the woman asked the silver-haired one.
She nodded. “The shelves are fine,” the woman said awkwardly.
Lily could see them speaking without actual words and decided to stir the pot. “I’m obviously not from around here. Is there any…places one can get a drink?”
The silvered-hair woman’s smile brightened along her thin face, but the redhead was the one to speak.
“There are several taverns here in Runon. Take your pick, they are all same,” the redhead said abruptly.
Lily looked to each one in turn. Leaning over the edge of the counter, she was sure to give them an eyeful of her deep, light purple cleavage.
“The road can get lonely. I could use some company…maybe this evening?”
“You will find plenty of company at the local places,” the redhead said sternly.
Lily gave them a sickly-sweet smile. “I must apologize, I’m being rude. My name is Lily.”
The redhead gave Lily a sharp look before giving her best fake smile. “My name is Skye and my partner is Kira. We are the owners of this shop. Is there anything else we can help you with?”
Lily watched them, something needling her senses. The energy in the room was guarded, but the succubus noticed there was something there. She couldn’t put her finger on it. It went beyond knowing Dawn was in the basement. The warm energy seemed to glow brighter, even if they were trying to hide what they were doing. Lily’s eyes narrowed as Skye kept her steely gaze. Kira looked away, almost fighting a need to talk. The air took on a charge before a realization struck the succubus and the silver-haired woman.
“Skye…I think…,” Kira began before the door to the shop opened.
All eyes turned to the entrance as a man and woman stepped in. The pair wore leather armor over their travelling clothes. Black boots thudded against the wooden floor. The man’s face was hawkish with a pointed nose. His hair was shaved along the sides while the top was long and pulled back tightly into a small, dangling ponytail. The woman at his side was unremarkable except for her pinched face, hard eyes and brown hair tied in a ponytail.
Lily gave them the once over, seeing that they had no weapons. Runes were burned into their leather armor, symbols she didn’t recognize. Skye and Kira stayed their ground behind the counter, but it was Sky’s expression that hardened in anger.
The man’s eyes were that of bird bearing down on its prey. The pair stopped about ten feet away, the man turning his eyes on Skye while the woman kept her gaze on Lily. The electric energy in the shop glowed hotter as a second of silence seemed to last a lifetime.
Skye broke the silence, “We have nothing to offer to your people. Leave our shop.”
The man’s expression didn’t change as he spoke, “Where is the elf and the man that changed into a mouse?”
Lily’s body tensed as Kira’s eyes widened.
Skye remained unfazed. “We have no idea what…”
The man raised his voice, cutting off the redhead. “Where is Dawn Dreamweaver and Victor Hobbs? We know you have the elf here. We have been watching your establishment for weeks. The demon here entered with another fugitive. He changed into a mouse.”
The man turned his hard gaze to Lily, “We know who you are. The Authority has a bounty for your capture, dead or alive.”
“There must be some mistake,” Skye said as she moved closer to the counter.
The man’s eyes closed, “There is no mistake. The Authority knows about your worship of Vala.”
Skye’s brow formed a hard V. “The Authority has no power over Vala, Spell Sword!”
The man’s eyes opened and a wicked gleam filled his eyes. “The Authority is the ultimate power here in Eddor. They control everything. You have been allowed to worship your dead goddess because it was harmless.”
The man took a step closer, hands out and his hard gaze softening. “I’m not a greedy man. Hand over the elf, demon and Victor Hobbs and we will not speak of your involvement. You get to go on with your lives in this beautiful shop.”
Kira stepped behind Skye, eyes on Lily. “We can’t. She is from my dreams.”
Skye turned her gaze to Lily. The succubus stood; limbs loose and red eyes on the Spell Swords. The redhead grinded her teeth as she turned her head just enough to see Kira’s pleading gaze.
Skye turned her attention to Lily, “Did she send you?”
Lily kept her gaze on the man and woman, lips parting, “Vala protects.”
The man’s hands dropped to his sides. “By order of the Authority, you’re all under arrest!”
“Fuck the Authority,” Lily said with a razor leer, hand open and her staff extending from her palm.
The man and woman stood shoulder to shoulder, hands out and energy blazing to life. Lily, Skye, and Kira watched as mana poured into their hands and formed into blades of blue-white light. The female Spell sword moved off to the side while the male took a swordsman’s stance.
“Death will take you just as it took your goddess,” the man said with an evil smirk.
Skye pulled two vials from under the counter and held them up, “Not if we have anything to say about it,” and threw one of the vials.
***
Victor tried to open the wrist bindings, but the runes along it only glowed with each attempt. Dawn remained a zombie as Victor tried again. When the metal cuffs didn’t budge, Victor spent two points of Strength. Power flowed into his body as he felt stronger, faster and a dash more agile. Taking hold of the rune covered cuffs, he attempted to pull them apart. The metal groaned as the runes glowed brighter. Victor grunted as he strained against the metal. A crack formed and a second later, the metal bindings snapped in half.
Victor smiled as he pulled the other metal cuff apart and then worked on the ankle cuffs. When the final one snapped in half, Dawn sat up, eyes wide and taking in a deep breath. Victor grabbed her and smiled. The elf looked into Victor’s green eyes, gasping for breath as she began to calm down.
“The cuffs barely kept me alive…letting me breath just enough… so I wouldn’t die,” Dawn gasped with every inhale.
“It’s okay, we’re here to rescue you,” Victor said as he took hold of the elf and helped her to her
feet.
The moment Victor and Dawn were standing, a muffled explosion caused the wood above them to shake, pockets of dusts raining down.
“What was that,” Dawn said with wide eyes.
“Trouble,” Victor answered as his gun blade slipped into his hand.
Spending a point of Constitution, the six holes along the hilt of the blade glowed.
“Stay here…” Victor began.
“I’m not leaving your side,” Dawn shouted back as the room above them rattled in chaos.
Victor let out an exhale as he darted to the stairs, Dawn right behind him. The Blade charged up the stairs and when he reached the top, he rammed his shoulder into the door. The door blasted open as Victor barreled into the shop. Eyes drank in the bedlam as it unfolded right before his gaze.
Lily’s staff whipped through the air, clashing against a man with a glowing blue blade, sparks jumped from each clash. A woman with a similar blade charged into the fray, blade slicing down as Lily turned her body, staff parrying the incoming blow. Skye threw a vial at the floor. The glass shattered and energy arced up, stabbing at the two people in leather armor. Runes glowed as the energy struck shields covering their bodies. Lily didn’t slow down as she held the two spell swords at bay, her staff knocking away incoming strikes. The woman with silver hair darted behind a curtain while the redhead lifted up another vial and threw it. The vial hurtled toward the man with the glowing blade. He turned and smacked the vial aside with the flat side of his energy blade. The vial shattered and darkness jumped up, wrapping around his body and tightening. The man grunted as he brought his blade to the darkness coiling around him, the energy of the blade burning it open and the darkness vanished into a puff of smoke.
Victor didn’t know what was going on, but it didn’t stop him from lifting his gun blade, aiming at the female Spell sword as she rained down attacks on Lily’s staff. Pulling the trigger, an energy bolt blasted out. The Spell sword’s blade whipped up, parrying the energy bolt and smoldering eyes centering on Victor.
Energy fueling Victor’s muscles, he bolted forward in a blink, gun blade up and coming down. The female Spell sword parried the incoming blade with her own, arms struggling against Victor’s strength. The male spell sword came at Lily with a flurry of attacks. She parried the strikes until the sword shifted against her staff, clamping on and moving it to the side. Lily watched with wide eyes as the Spell sword’s free hand opened and he whispered an arcane word. Lightning blasted out; Lily shifted her body but still took a direct hit to her shoulder. The succubus spun in the air sideways and crashed into the corner of the counter.
Victor saw everything from the corner of his eye, leg up, he brought it down on the Spell sword’s knee. The woman grunted as her entire body shifted to the side and Victor drove his boot into her ribs. The female Spell sword was rocked to the ground as Victor turned his attention to the male Spell sword. Light flashed and swords sparked as the man was on him, pushing his blue energy sword against Victor’s gun blade.
Skye lifted up another vial and threw it at the spell sword on the ground. The female Spell sword managed to make it to her feet when a vial shattered at her side and darkness wrapped around her. Letting out a grunt, she fell sideways onto the floor. Energy glowed from her eyes as she whispered arcane words. Fire blasted out from her eyes and slammed against the darkness coiled around her body.
Lily tried to stand on her own power, pain dazzling her senses as Victor and the Spell sword went blow for blow. Blades clashed again and again as Victor tried to gain the edge. The man was skilled, his body moving like a powerful dancer against Victor’s clumsily sword play. The Blade figured his increased strength, speed and reflexes were the only thing helping him to keep up with the spell sword. Sparks flew in all directions as blades whipped at each other in small arcs. Victor took a stab and the Spell sword’s blade crashed down against it, forcing it into a nearby shelf. Victor pulled back, a book run through and stuck on his sword. Pulling the trigger, the book was blasted away as Victor spun around and barely parried an incoming strike.
The Spell sword on the floor burned away the darkness binding her. Jumping to her feet, she didn’t let the flames in her eyes die away. Instead, she turned them toward Skye. The redhead ducked down as flames blasted out, burning against the wood counter. Skye huddled behind it, hand reaching for potions stored there and taking hold of two. She braced herself for a moment, gathering her courage. When the flames and heat seemed to ease up, she jumped up and threw the vials from her hands. The world moved in slow motion as the Spell sword screamed, fire pouring from her eyes and shattering the vials in midair. Skye was about to duck down and grab more when a staff shot through the shop and struck the Spell sword in the side of her head. Body spinning, streams of fire blasted along curtains, wood walls, and shelves full of books.
Skye looked over to Lily as she stood, hand out. The staff flew back into her hand as she grunted from the blast mark against her shoulder. The Spell sword landed on the ground, clutching her face for a moment as the fire died in her eyes. Flames began to eat parts of the shop and smoke billowed. Skye looked on with wide eyes as she scrambled for more potions.
Victor and the Spell sword clashed like two titans among the growing flames. The sounds of metal against energy rang out in strange harmonic ripples. Victor took in the scene as the mad Spell sword continued his skilled attacks. The female Spell sword was crouched down, a new blade forming in her hand. Skye and Lily were backing up as the smoke and flames grew. A savage shriek filled the burning shop as the female Spell sword launched herself into the air and landed on the wooden counter. Eyes focused on Skye as the Spell sword raised her blade.
“Vala’s hope dies today,” the male Spell sword shouted in Victor’s face.
Anger flared as Victor spent another point of Strength. The Spell sword’s blade clashed against Victor’s gun blade again, but this time, Victor pushed back hard. The Spell sword’s eyes widened as pure power sent him flying backwards. Victor glanced to the female Spell sword rearing back her blade to stab Skye. Lily reached over the counter, grabbing Skye and pulling her away. A look of murderous intent filled the female Spell sword’s face as she drove her blade toward the shopkeeper. Victor turned his blade, aimed and pulled the trigger twice.
The female Spell sword roared until a blast struck her side and another hit the side of her head. The roar died as her body spun, a thin stream of blood spiraling around her body before she crashed into the wall, bounced and landed half on the counter. Body slumping down, the Spell sword’s eyes were lifeless as she fell behind the counter.
“Amber,” the male Spell sword wailed as he struggled to his feet.
Victor aimed at the Spell sword and pulled the trigger twice. Energy bolts blasted toward the man. Blue energy sword up, he parried one energy bolt but took the second one to the shoulder. Body whirling, he crashed into flames and screamed. Limbs flailed as fire consumed him. A pang of regret filled Victor as he spent another Constitution point and recharged his gun blade. Flames roared and black smoke billowed. Victor aimed at the flailing spell sword and pulled the trigger again and again.
Energy bolts struck the burning man, each one in turn until he fell in the flames, his body burning black. Victor hoped he ended his suffering when smoke filled his lungs. Coughing, he searched the black fog for his friends. A hand grabbed him from the smoke and pulled him. Victor followed, coughing and hacking. The fire was a full blaze, engulfing the shop in flames. Victor tried to fight off the stifling confusion. When it had become its darkest, shafts of sunlight lit the way.
Victor stumbled out to into the main street. A large crowd had gathered but Lily, a redhead, and a silver-haired woman stood there coughing. Victor turned his attention to Dawn as she pulled him out, ash coloring her pale cheeks. The Blade turned his head to see the shop going up in flames.
“We have to get out of here before others arrive,” Dawn hissed.
The elf pulled Victor with her toward t
he small group of women. Taking hold of Lily’s arm, the succubus simply coughed as Dawn pulled her and Victor away. Skye and Kira watched as the elf led Victor and Lily through the crowd. They quickly followed as several mages in the crowd held up hands and blasted the fire with streams of ice magic, black smoke curling into the clear blue sky.
Six
The forest spun as Victor coughed. Lungs ached as he tried to get a breath in. Lily pressed a hand to her partner, glowing energy flowing into his stumbling form. The coughing began to die down and Victor took the deepest breath of his life.
Dawn pressed on, Lily and Victor in tow. Behind them, two women followed, coughing and hacking. The elf with glasses glanced back to the women, her brow hardening and dragging her friends along. Victor took another deep breath before he regained his balance and pulled against Dawn’s grip. The elf slowed down with concern in her oval eyes. Letting go, she continued to walk, pillars of black smoke filling the sky behind them.
“…Wait…,” the redhead managed before her throat croaked.
Victor and Lily slowed to a stop while Dawn continued to march along the sparse forest.
“Wait…,” Skye said again before slowing down and falling into a coughing fit.
The silver-haired woman at her side patted her back, struggling against her own coughing.
Victor looked to the two women and then turned to Dawn, “Hold up, Dawn.”
The elf slowed her march and stopped, not turning around. “We need to keep moving and get as far away as we can before more Spell Swords arrive.”
“I think it’s okay to take a breather,” Victor said as his body began to feel better.
Lily moved to the two women, her hands glowing. The succubus touched their shoulders, healing their lungs and bodies. Skye and Kira looked to the succubus with thankful eyes before their coughing subsided and stopped completely.
“Thank you,” Skye said as she stood straighter.