by Tony Johnson
THE
STORY OF EVIL
Volume III: Three Visions
Tony Johnson
All characters and locations in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without written permission by its owner.
Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN-13: 978-1515209478
ISBN-10: 1515209474
Copyright © 2018 Anthony Johnson
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Characters
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Chapter 84
Chapter 85
Chapter 86
Chapter 87
Chapter 88
Chapter 89
Chapter 90
Chapter 91
Chapter 92
Chapter 93
Chapter 94
Chapter 95
Chapter 96
Chapter 97
Chapter 98
Chapter 99
Chapter 100
Chapter 101
Chapter 102
Chapter 103
Chapter 104
Chapter 105
Chapter 106
Chapter 107
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Three Visions is dedicated to my newlywed wife, Becca. I’m so glad we met and became best friends. I'm looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together. I love you so much.
Characters
Steve Brightflame - Human. 19 years old. 6’1” 180 lbs. Blue eyes. Medium-length black hair. Fights with a sword and shield. Wears red armor and a blue sash. Steve was abandoned at a watchtower before turning one year old. Titus Thatcher adopted him.
Tyrus Canard - Elf. 22 years old. 5’9” 145 lbs. Green eyes. Long, blonde hair. Fights with double swords which he keeps in a cross-sheath on his back. Wears silver armor. Trained as an aerial warrior. Ty and his brother, Darren, were adopted by Titus Thatcher after their parents, Caesar and Sarah, were killed. Murderer unknown.
Kari Quinn - Half-Elf, Half-Human. 23 years old. 5’8” 140 lbs. Blue eyes. Long, black hair. Fights with bow and arrows. Kari’s father, Quintis, was killed as a warrior. Kari’s mother died from depression shortly thereafter. Kari is searching for the details regarding her father’s mysterious death.
Grizz Grindstone - Dwarf. 28 years old. 5’4” 170 lbs. His brown eyes match his dark brown-skin. Bald with tattoos on scalp. Long, black beard. Fights with custom-built weapon that is half-axe, half-hammer. Wears brown-and-black armor. Can summon the element of earth. Determined to kill the Python, the monster who killed his family.
The Hooded Phantom/Malorek/The Faceless - Human. Wears a black, hooded cloak and a mask. Battles with double swords. Can summon the elements of fire, water, air, electricity, and earth. Abandoned at an orphanage as a newborn baby. Father of Silas Zoran. He is the leader of the army that took control of Celestial.
Silvanus Zoran - Human. Also called the Shadow Prince. Silas is the son of the Hooded Phantom and the grandson of the deceased King Zoran. Betrayed Celestial by teaming up with his father to attack the city with the Hooded Phantom’s army of monsters. Now the wielder of the Aurelian Sword. He wears Zoran's crown and, technically, is the king, although Celestial civilians refuse to recognize him as their leader.
Chapter 60
Ty awoke in darkness. Fluorite crystals dimly pulsed nearby, but the neon colors did little to illuminate the Elf’s surroundings. With limited visibility, his primary sense was based on what he could feel.
I’m paralyzed, he thought, unable to move his legs. The entire top half of my body feels fine, but I can’t feel anything below my waist.
Taking one of the two swords still in his hands, he reached down and nervously pricked the tip into his thigh. Good! I felt that. That must mean something’s pinning me down.
Although his head felt like it was full of cobwebs from being knocked unconscious for the second time in less than a day, Ty tried to think back to what happened that led him to this dark, underground confinement. I was climbing up and out of the Spider Queen’s collapsing lair when she violently pulled me back into the tunnel.
Lifting one of his swords, Ty stabbed into the darkness above. His blade pierced through a hard surface and then sunk into softness. Thick blood dripped onto his hair and face.
I must be under her. And she must be dead because she’s no longer covered in ice and didn’t flinch at the impalement of my sword.
Using his abs, Ty pulled himself into a sitting position. Again and again, he stabbed his swords upwards, carving into the part of the dead spider lying on top of his legs. When his muscles couldn’t take anymore, he collapsed back onto the ground until he built up enough stamina to start again.
As hours and hours passed with him sawing into the beast, the smell that filled his nostrils was atrocious. At times, the stench became so unbearable, Ty’s stomach would heave, causing him to throw up on himself.
Eventually, he was able to pull himself free and slide out from under the monster. Standing up and wincing at the annoying pain of blood circulating through his lower extremities for the first time in hours, Ty was uncomfortable, but managed to put his swords in the cross sheaths behind his back.
Rocks, trees, and dirt, he realized, discouraged, feeling around with his hands. It’s all hard surfaces. I’m going to be trapped in this underground pocket until I die. Either lack of food and water will kill me or I’ll run out of oxygen.
After circling the limited space he was in and finding no path to escape, he repeated the search a second time. On the third try, he decided to climb onto the top of the Spider Queen. He felt two rocks above the monster, resting against each other and forming an upside down “V.”
This is yet another reason I’m still alive, he could tell. These rocks caught one another and prevented the space I’m in from being filled. And if the Queen didn’t pull me under herself, I would have been crushed by some of these smaller stones that fell first.
Finding a tree root sticking down from the ceiling, Ty dug into the soft dirt around it. The soil is wet because of all the rain we’ve gotten over the past couple days, he remembered thankfully. He began digging into the cavern roof through worms, bugs, and mud. Carving a hole upward is my only route of escape, but this roof is unsecure, and I’m scared it’s going to give way any second, burying me alive.
With bloody fingers and painfully-throbbing forearms and biceps, he knew he was making progress when he heard the rushing of the Fluorite River somewhere above. Revitalized, he dug faster.
Finally, Ty broke through the surface. Bright sunlight blinded him, and it took several minutes before he stopped seeing spots. I’ve been down there all night, although it feels like it’s been weeks.
Scaling a couple of fallen trees to get back to ground level, th
e warrior made it out of the massive pit in the forest floor. He looked down, amazed at the destruction he had been under. Just like after he realized he had survived the fall on his gryphon, Wildwing, Ty couldn’t believe he wasn’t killed in the collapse of the Spider Queen’s lair.
Invigorated with energy, the blonde-haired Elf took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh forest air carried to him by a strong breeze.
“I’m alive!” he shouted at the top of his voice even though no one was around to hear him. Smiling wider than ever, Ty thanked Alazar for his life, thinking back to what Steve was telling Kari a couple days ago about everyone having a purpose and a reason to exist. I don’t know why you keep blessing me by allowing me to make it out of these close encounters with death, but the more it happens, the more I feel alive. The fact that I keep surviving makes me feel like you have something important for me to fulfill.
Whatever it is, I need to get to Serendale. I have to meet up with the others. I can’t imagine what Steve is going through, believing that I’m dead. If it was him who was killed in this lair, it would be soul-crushing for me. I know what it’s like to lose a loved one and I wouldn’t put that on anyone, Ty thought, thinking of his older brother Darren.
Covered in mud, sweat, strands of webs, and reeking of spider’s blood and vomit, Ty walked down to the Fluorite and plunged his head into the water before rinsing off the rest of his body. He washed his swords and filled his canteen after drinking its fill.
Too sore and too tired to run, the Elf walked at a brisk pace on the path to Serendale. When he caught the faint smell of smoke, still lingering from the smolders of burned buildings, he knew something was wrong.
“No!” he said aloud to himself, finding the strength to run up the hill and look over its precipice. Just like the other heroes, his heart sank as he saw the haunting remains of the destroyed city.
Chapter 61
“Steve, wake up,” Kari said softly.
The first thing that registered in Steve's mind before even opening his eyes was the immense soreness throughout his body. Even more painful was the the ache in his heart as he remembered the anguish of the past six days. Like a pit in his stomach, his grief sat, and the weight of it only seemed to grow as he was reminded of each moment of destruction and chaos.
“Wake up,” Kari repeated for a second time while gently shaking Steve’s shoulder.
The warrior opened his eyes but remained lying on the ground. He was in the same spot he had collapsed after his emotional meltdown in Uncle Zeke's bakery.
“It's a couple hours after sunrise. You slept through the whole night. I made you breakfast,” Kari smiled, knowing how much Steve enjoyed the meal.
“Thanks, but I don't think I feel up to eating anything,” he winced as he pulled himself into a sitting position. Anxiety and depression twisted his stomach into an uncomfortable knot.
“You’re saying ‘no’ to breakfast?” Kari stated in more of a shocked voice than a question. Then, more seriously, she asked, “I know yesterday was rough with losing Ty and everything, but is there anything I can do to help?”
“I don't know. I think I need time to process everything that's happened,” he said, glancing around the half-collapsed bakery.
“Willis already came and took Uncle Zeke’s body,” Kari explained, knowing what Steve was looking for. “He's been up all night digging graves and burying bodies.”
“How much sleep did you get?” Steve asked.
“Half the night maybe. I was worried about you and thinking about everything that's happened. But I’m glad you got a full night. Are you feeling better?”
“I'm still pretty sore. But at least I'm past the point where you guys have to worry if I'm going to die or not.”
“Yeah, that wasn’t fun.”
“How's Grizz doing?”
“I don't know, I haven't seen him or Copper since last night when they headed to the schoolhouse. I was waiting for you to wake up before I went to check on them.”
“I'm sure he’s mourning. It's probably best he was able to spend the night alone.”
“I feel so bad for him,” Kari shook her head. “He was so excited to introduce us to his family. And Willis must be suffering too, to have to arrive back to his home and see it destroyed. Now he’s burying the people he's known his entire life. It's terrible.”
“I know. I can't imagine.”
Seeing Steve trying to stand up but having trouble, Kari moved to offer him her hand. “I know you’re not hungry, but you should try and eat if you can. You'll need your strength for travel.”
“Travel? So we can go somewhere only to find that city's been overtaken too? No, I’m done with that.”
“I know you’re discouraged, but things are only going to get worse if we sit around and do nothing.”
“Only get worse? It's already as bad as it can be.”
“Nothing is ever as bad as it can be,” Kari stated argumentatively.
“I can't handle any more fighting or any more death. I've had enough.”
“What? Are you telling me you're not going to continue?”
“It's just going to result in more pain,” Steve lamented, to which Kari wanted to grab the warrior’s shoulders and shake him until he broke out of his spell of depression and found at least some shred of optimism.
“Steve, we’ve made it through so much so far. I know you have a strong faith. It might be shaken now, but you have to believe we're alive for a reason.” The Halfling woman gestured past the collapsed wall of the bakery to the destruction of Serendale. “We have to warn the kingdom about what's to come and prevent more of this from happening.”
Seeing he was barely listening to her, Kari spoke more sternly to get his attention. “Things never stay perfect and happy. History has taught us that for centuries. When things aren’t the way you want them, you have to fight for change. If you're refusing to do that, maybe you should’ve never been a warrior because you’re not devoted to doing what’s best for Celestial or this kingdom.”
“That’s not true!” Steve raised his voice in anger at the questioning of his commitment.
“If you were in love with someone who you knew had been poisoned, would you stop before you had found the andidote and saved them? The same goes for the kingdom. You took a vow to protect and serve its people. If the words you swore mean anything to you, you won't give up. I haven’t given up hope yet and neither should you. And I for one plan to fight until the end. I'm leaving at noon,” Kari stated, making her intentions known. “You have until then to decide if you're coming with me. Try to eat your breakfast,” she shoved the plate into Steve's stomach. “I'm going to get Grizz and Willis.”
“Please tell me there's enough left for another plate,” someone called out as footsteps crunched debris.
Kari drew her bow and stood, not recognizing the voice at first, and still on edge since they were in a city so recently destroyed by monsters. She dropped her bow to the ground and flung her arms around Ty as he walked through the crooked door and into the half-crumbled bakery.
Steve was slower to spin around. It sounded like Ty's voice, but he firmly believed his brother to be dead. I don't want to turn around and be disappointed, but Kari's reaction was nothing but excitement and surprise. Turning and rising from his seated position, Steve saw his brother standing before him.
No words came from his mouth, but Steve's eyes welled up with tears. He hugged Ty in the tightest embrace they’d ever shared.
“I thought you were dead!”
“You can't get rid of me that easily,” Ty joked, tears forming in his own eyes at seeing his brother’s emotions.
“How?” was all Steve asked, pulling away and staring Ty up and down, still believing a mirage stood before him.
“I don't know exactly. I assume the way the rocks fell and the fact that I got under the spider right before the collapse saved my life. That, plus the fact it's been raining so much lat
ely. I don't think I'd been able to dig myself out otherwise.”
“I don't believe this,” Kari said, “If we would've known, we would've gone back to find you. We were so sure...”
“I would've thought the same, the way it caved in like it did,” Ty said, letting Kari know he didn’t blame anyone. After seeing she understood, he said, “I see the lair wasn't the only thing that’s been recently destroyed.”
Ty didn't need to ask Steve and Kari about the details of the attack on Serendale. He could tell from the bodies that goblins were behind the attack. “Where are Grizz and Willis?” he questioned, worrying about the Dwarf especially because he had been so excited to introduce his family.
Kari shook her head, “Willis is digging graves up on the hill,” she pointed in the direction of where he was, “but Grizz, we’re not sure of his whereabouts. We left him alone so he could grieve.”
“His wife and kids?” Ty looked downcast.
“We're not sure, we can only assume they didn’t make it.”
“What about Uncle Zeke?” Ty asked, realizing they were standing in the bakery of his father’s childhood friend, a man who Ty knew was one of the last connections to Caesar Canard.
“He didn't make it either,” Steve answered. “We were able to be with him in his final hours though.”
“This is so horrible, all of this.”
“I know,” Kari agreed, “but I think we're going to try and get out of here soon. There's nothing we can do here except mourn.”
“Yeah, we've had enough of that in the past week to last a lifetime,” Ty nodded, ready to move on.
“I'll go find Willis and let him know our plans,” Kari offered. “Maybe you two can go find Grizz.”
“We can do that,” the two warriors agreed, watching Kari head off.
“I'm so glad you're alive,” Steve exclaimed, hugging Ty for a second time. He pulled back and checked his brother over, “You're not hurt, are you?”