The Staff of Power

by D E Boske

  His mind wandered over the course of events that had brought him here to this time and place. He missed Gayla’s charms. He knew she must be worried. He had not warned her that he might be absent for weeks at a time now. His tower would keep her safe. No Mage knew of the tower’s existence; let alone how to find it. It was heavily warded and enchanted and when things were used up, they automatically replenished.

  The last time he tried tutoring someone, they ended up dying in spite of everything. He was hesitant about repeating his past failures and mistakes. He drifted soundlessly through the darkest blackness.

  Images became clear to him. Goblins, orcs and Morphindinaetlus. They were coming… Coming here! He sat up, sweat dampening his brow. A soft knock on his door… He rose to see who beckoned. It was Kyler.

  “Are you alright? We missed you at supper,” he looked concerned.

  “I’m fine, just a bit tired. C’mon in, we need to talk.”

  “What is it?” asked Kyler worriedly.

  “They’re coming. We must go to Branson and prepare.”

  “What are you talking about? Who’s coming?”

  “Morphindinaetlus, with a host of goblins and orcs.” Kyler did not doubt it. They went to the dwarf king to prepare for battle.

  26

  “Are ye sure?” the king asked.

  “Aye,” the Mage responded. Branson called for Stryker, Dain and Kibblewolf to begin setting traps outside their mountain fortress while others began trapping the inside in case they broke through.

  The dwarf king never asked how they knew. He just accepted the news. He hoped they had enough warning to be able to complete their preparations.

  He admired the young Mage’s skill and composure and valued his battle tactics. He’d been watching how he commanded the magic and how the others struggled to help him. Who was this Mage? The Order must be very proud. There was definitely something about him… He had charisma. He was compelling, strong, decisive and extremely clever. Everything a Mage of The Order should be.

  They were secretive he knew, but he wondered what this one’s story was. He’d bet it was anything but bland. Branson bade Darian to go rest and prepare. For a moment, it seemed he might object, but finally he nodded, silently retreating.

  Once in his room, he did not lay down right away. He laid out the things he would need, his Shryvven, Mage ring and others. Only then did he retrieve his spellbook to study it. He

  replaced the gate spells with more appropriate ones for the days to come.

  He sighed heavily. This was entirely his fault. He put everyone in danger just by being here. He removed his shirt, hanging it on the bedpost. He was about to remove the rest when he heard a soft knock outside. When he opened the door, he was truly surprised at his visitor.

  “Nephraete, what are you doing here?”

  It took her a moment to respond as her eyes feasted on his glistening, half naked body. She imagined how it would feel to have his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Unbidden came the memory of their heated kiss and how his tongue danced with hers in perfect harmony. She noticed his breeches were undone, yet they managed to hug his hips in the most delicious way. She felt herself blush and when she looked up at him, he was smirking. Damn him! She thought with a vehemence she did not feel.

  “May I come in?” she asked softly.

  “Of course, sorry,” he replied, without a trace of remorse. “I wasn’t expecting to see you. What can I do for you?” he asked, as he seated himself at the table.

  “Darian, this is not your fault. I can feel your raw emotion… sometimes. Things happen every day that are out of our control. I just don’t want you going off on your own again. That’s not the answer.” She tried not to stare at his bare chest, but failed miserably. His body was finely chiseled and honed to perfection. Darian was a good-looking man and he knew it. She knew this amused him to no end.

  “Nephraete, what did you come here for, really?” he asked with a sly smile.

  “What are you implying?” she asked. “I am being sincere while you jest. No one here lays blame at your feet. The burden you carry is not yours alone. It is for all who call you friend.” The Mage’s visage softened at her words.

  “Thank you Nephraete. You have a soothing manner about you. Kyler is lucky to have one such as you.”

  “What about you?” she asked daringly.

  “What about me?” he asked cautiously.

  “What about your happiness? What about Tynuviel’s?” he blew an exasperated breath.

  “Nephraete.” By his tone, she knew she’d hit a nerve.

  “I don’t have time for this now. Besides, we’ve been over this more times than I care to remember. There is no room for Tynuviel in my life. It’s going against everything I am, everything… I must rest now to prepare my spells. That is, unless you had something more revealing in mind?” he said, his tone absent of humor.

  “Are you ever serious?” she asked as she left. He watched her walk away, admiring the alluring sway of her hips. He smiled to himself; she did not realize how serious he’d been.

  They attacked just before dawn when the night was deepest. Morphindinaetlus flew overhead, screeching to alert the horde following behind that he’d found their enemies. The dwarves were a cunning foe; their mountain home was a fortress. It would not be breeched without heavy bloodshed on both sides. Goblins and orcs were plentiful enough. Surely more plentiful than dwarves.

  Heedless of the impending danger, the orcs and goblins ran blindly into the first of many clever traps. A big brutish-looking orc tripped over a piece of wood wedged in the rock. The force of his fall knocked the wedge loose, causing rocks of all shapes and sizes to tumble down the sheer rock wall, burying whatever was in its way. Their screams were lost in the huge crash. On they came, their fear forgotten with their hated enemy so close.

  The dwarves were ready for them as both armies met with a terrible crash. The dwarves howled angrily, meeting the rush with a mighty chop of war hammer and double-bladed axe with bone-crunching force.

  The dragon brought many of the foul wretched beasts, but the dwarf line held through the initial onslaught. The dwarves fought with a light in their eye and a bounce in their step. They had a Mage of The Order on their side.

  Darian stood high above the battleground on a rock outcrop, choosing his targets carefully because his magic would spare his comrades no mercy. When it was safe to do so, he threw a lightning blast into the nearest group of orcs, scattering them. Several lay dead. The rest ran around trying desperately to cool their smoking hide. They snarled at the hated Mage, but he was beyond their reach for now.

  Lorin and Loganthar remained with Darian. Together they would be a force to be reckoned with, though their strength in the magical arts was nowhere near what Darian’s was. His composure and concentration had lethal results and they admired him for it.

  The Gor Li’ Khan blended into their enemies’ ranks, killing without compunction. Most times their targets never knew what happened. The look of surprise or confusion fueled the assassin’s desire for blood. It had been a long time since they had killed righteously. Bloodshed was in their very nature. What they trained for since birth. Killing was instinctual to them. They felt nothing for their victims. These creatures were evil, therefore deserving of death. They were happy to oblige.

  The forest elves stayed above the battleground as well, firing deadly waves of arrows that bit into the enemies’ flanks. They surrounded Kyler, keeping him near the back. The prince of Kiri A’ Nouell would not die this day. Not on Asa’s watch. He commanded the rest under authority of Kyler. Asa was strong and capable and Kyler was glad he was here.

  Krayven took out his special arrows, choosing his next very carefully. He saw a tight

  group pushing forward, trampling some of their own to get to the dwarves. He let the arrow fly straight into the middle of the group. It struck with a burst of flame, wiping them out completely.

  Calisha remained with Nephraete
inside where he could keep her safe. He knew she worried for Kyler’s safety, but she could do nothing for him. Although Kyler had been training her with a blade, she was not good enough to do battle yet.

  “Do not worry, Nephraete. Kyler will be alright. He has trained for battle since his birth. He is a fine warrior and he has many loyal elves with him. They will protect him with their very lives if necessary.”

  “I know. Thank you for remaining with me, Cal.”

  “It is my duty. I would never leave you.”

  “Still, your presence is comforting to me. At least I have someone to talk to. If I were alone right now, I’d be beside myself.” Calisha crossed the room, taking her into his arms. He held her close for long moments before releasing her. Suddenly, the walls shook from some force unbeknownst to them. Calisha had a good idea what it was.

  Outside, dawn came and went. The sun refused to shine, as if it too despised the dragon’s forces. They kept coming no matter what the dwarven army threw at them.

  The battlefield was littered with countless goblin and orc dead, but there were dwarves as well. Mordinian did his part by using his sneak attack on those who got to close. Torgyn stayed behind them playing his lute to bolster them during battle. The dwarves sang along as they chopped down their enemies. Torgyn seemed to be helping the best he could, he was not a fighter after all.

  Darian chose his targets carefully. He saw a tight knot of big orcs pressing forward and decided these would do nicely. He spoke the words to his next spell, releasing the magic with a practiced ease that comes from doing it so long. A huge fireball struck its target, burning them alive where they stood. The orcs behind them skidded to a halt. One spotted the Mage on the rock shelf and launched a heavy spear. The Mage did not even see the flying missile. His attention was elsewhere. The orc’s aim was true; it flew straight for Darian’s heart. Tynuviel cried out a warning, but he would not be able to react in time. The missile struck the shield surrounding the Mage and blue-white sparks lit the dull day. A cheer went up from the dwarven army. None of them had seen Morphindinaetlus since he led his army here. They knew their luck would not hold out much longer.

  The mages were weary, and only Darian masked it well. He pointed his left index finger at a group of goblins and his Mage ring came to life. The symbols lit up with purple light, shooting out to immolate the goblins instantly, transferring their life energy directly into Darian. He gasped, throwing his head back as he absorbed their life force.

  “Darian, are you alright?” asked Lorin.

  “Yes… I am,” he responded in an odd tone. Neither Lorin nor Loganthar had any idea how Darian could go for so long without growing tired. They both had been resting more frequently, but not Darian. His command of the magic was as strong and sure as when they first began. Never had they seen a Mage as strong as he.

  They both had been wondering exactly why he left Mogan Dar. That was a rarity in itself, then to befriend Kyler… His was a complex story they were sure, but they respected him, even more so recently.

  He pulled his staff free, commanding it to full height. He swept it before him, blue fire racing toward the goblin ranks, disintegrating them on contact. A frenzied howl broke from their lips, turning quickly to hatred, their eyes burning red. Darian only laughed, striking out with his staff once more, turning them to ash.

  The dragon appeared on the horizon, quickly growing in size. He howled angrily at the defenders on the battleground, freezing the blood in their veins. Spotting the elven archers, he circled once, breathing a fiery blast to make them all perish. But his most hated enemy thwarted him.

  Darian commanded his staff to protect the elves and it did so, blocking the wyrm’s flames with a sheer wall of ice. This gave Lorin the precious time he needed to cast a shield around them. Tynuviel watched Darian closely. It was plain to see she loved him, worry and affection battling for control in her eyes.

  Morphindinaetlus roared angrily, pretending not to notice the female elf watching his hated enemy. Interesting, he thought. He could use this against that rogue bastard. He was sure Darian had feelings for her as well even though Order law forbade it. He would be happy indeed to carry out their punishment.

  He swooped high into the air, folding his wings back, racing toward Darian. His hot breath enveloped the shield completely. Using his huge bulk, he rammed into the shield. Each time the shield held. Angrily the dragon flew off again, this time diving for the battlefield. The dwarves hit the ground, throwing up their shields for protection.

  Darian roared, aiming his staff for the dwarven army. Once again, the staff protected them. The wyrm screeched in rage, flying for his hated enemy. Darian pointed his staff at the dragon, uttering an arcane phrase that sent a powerful blast of energy at the dragon. It hit the beast in the chest, powerful enough that it knocked him off balance, sending the beast careening out of control to crash into the mountainside. Out of sorts, the dragon tumbled down the rocky slope, bumping and sliding painfully on the jagged rocks.

  Gathering its wits, the dragon launched itself into the air. Morphindinaetlus made one

  more pass over the battlefield, screeching in anger. He blew a gout of flame, torching many of his own army. He was so angry, he didn’t care. There were plenty more where they came from. He flew off to Ancient Mountain. That damn Mage hurt him more than he cared to admit. He needed to heal. He needed time to think.

  Soon after the dragon’s departure, his army went into full retreat. It seemed without Morphindinaetlus, his army would not hold. The dwarves bit deep into their retreating flanks. Elven arrows took out scores of them. The mages could do no more this day. The battle had seriously depleted their energy.

  The Gor Li’ Khan flowed through the enemy ranks, killing anything in their path. They enjoyed this kind of battle. These creatures were evil beyond doubt. They were doing Corillia a favor by eliminating them. They were grateful to Kyler, for he gave them a chance at redemption.

  They did their best to stay beyond the range of Darian and his lethal magic. They knew their comrades could not see them, so they started numerous fights amongst the enemy. It wasn’t long before they began turning on each other. The Gor Li’ Khan moved on deeper behind the enemy lines.

  Then the mighty dragon reappeared. They witnessed the deadly attack on the mages. They watched as Darian protected them, in awe of his power. They saw how he knocked the dragon off balance. Kryndale became concerned, ordering them to find cover before it was too late. Moments later, Morphindinaetlus flew over his own army, blasting them with unforgiving flames.

  The Gor Li’ Khan leader hoped they all got to safety. The enemy began a full retreat. He took out as many fleeing enemies as he could.

  “Gor Li’ Khan!” Kyler shouted. Everyone was worried about them. With the frenzied battle over, they realized they had not seen the elven assassins for some time.

  “Gor Li’ Khan, to me!” Kyler shouted again, scrambling down from his position. The dwarves already began building huge bonfires to burn the enemy dead. They gently lifted their kin, making a line back to the door, passing the dead to be interred. The elven prince was frantic, searching the battleground for any sign. Asa came up behind him.

  “Kyler, stop. If indeed they’re out there, we’ll find them. C’mon, let’s get inside.”

  “No! I have to find them. Gor Li’ Khan, to me!” he shouted, pulling away from Asa.

  “Kyler this is no way…” But the words died in his throat. Out of the dust and smoke, the Gor Li’ Khan reappeared. At first, it was as if they were transparent, maybe a trick of the light and smoke. Kyler ran to greet them.

  “We heard your call,” Kryndale said.

  “Thank Shenna you’re safe,” Kyler responded, embracing them. They were not used to such treatment. Thelarki never seemed to care whether they made it back alive or not. It only reinforced their decision to serve Kiri A’ Nouell.

  “Aye, we are safe thanks to Kryndale,” said Tryndil. “He sensed the dragon’s approach
and commanded us to find shelter. If not for his quick thinking, who can say.”

  “I must tell the Monarch what’s happened.” Kyler quickly sent the message, and then began helping the dwarves with the cleanup. This was new to the Gor Li’ Khan, Thelarki never got his hands dirty. He commanded others. He rarely did things for himself. Things were definitely better here.

  Lorin and Loganthar were simply exhausted. They just could not do anymore. Darian sent them inside to rest, then came to lend what aid he could. Kyler clasped his hand in thanks. All eyes were on them. Branson made his way to Darian, shaking his hand warmly.

  “Me n’ me kin’s thanks. I’m guessin’ things woulda’ turned out badly without ye. I won’t forget what ye done,” Branson said soberly.

  “My pleasure. I’m glad we were here to help.” The Mage neglected to mention that they attacked because of his presence.

  They worked past the sunset until Branson finally called for them to halt the work. It was just too dark and they were all tired.

  As they entered the halls, Nephraete ran into Kyler’s arms, hugging him tight. “Thank Shenna you’re safe. I was so worried,” she whispered into his ear. In answer, he kissed her softly.

  “I’m fine, Nephraete. Asa made sure I would be safe. It’s alright,” he said, kissing her again. After washing up, they met for supper in the large dining hall.

  “Well, I think we can all agree that we have not seen the last of that wicked beast,” said Darian.

  “He seems not to be likin’ ye much,” responded Stryker.

  “He went right fer ye coupla’ times,” added Kibblewolf.

  “Thanks to Delvishan, he did not succeed. We must be on our guard these next days, they may return. As for Morphindinaetlus, I think I hurt him more than he cared to admit,” said the Mage.

  “Let us hope so,” said Kyler. The rest of the conversation over supper concentrated on battle plans should the army return. Afterwards, they retired early. It had been a long day for them all.