“Fizzle see small fight,” the drite answers, pointing towards a ruined patch of stores with his tail. Licking the breeze, the tiny dragon tries to locate the champions, but all he can taste is the powerful magic being hurled around Gaia. “Fizzle no find. Aura seeing too risky. Use signal no good too. All Fizzle know Nyx blow up there first.”
Feeling the building shake, Luke takes Kira by the hand and leads her in jumping to a more stable rooftop. “The others must be heading here to find me because chasing the fight will have them running back and forth. So, I’m going to make my way to where Fizzle said he last saw them. You two are going to head south and-”
“That’s out of the city!” Kira shouts while holding her arm out for Fizzle. The drite lands like an eagle and snorts rainbow mist that she waves away from her nostrils. “You are not sending me away from this fight. I don’t care if it’s your destiny and not mine. I’ve been repeatedly dragged into this stupid prophecy, so I’m seeing it through to the end. Betting Aedyn, Daniel, Wendi, and everyone else over there would agree. I can’t believe you would try to do this. What do you have to say for yourself, Luke Callindor?”
“It was worth a shot?”
“Don’t be cute with me.”
“Again, worth a shot.”
“I’ll stay near the armies and fight the undead if that will make you happy.”
“That really shouldn’t sound better, but it does.”
With a happy flip in the air, Fizzle darts away and leaves a faint trail of rainbow mist behind him. Luke and Kira race across the rooftops in pursuit, but have trouble since many of the buildings are falling apart. Sprouting wings from his back, the forest tracker takes the heiress in his arms and soars after the drite. He feels one of her hands touch the feathers and the other stroke his cheek, the tender caress making him smile. He can barely feel her fingers on the feathers, which possess a strange numbness regardless of how much control he has over the new parts. Not wanting to fully transform, he constantly fights against the griffin, which causes patches of fur to constantly sprout and fall off his body. Spotting Fizzle on a crooked lamppost, Luke dives and retracts his wings before landing in front of their friends. The other champions can only stare at him while Kira sheepishly slips out of his arms.
“When did you learn to do that?” Sari asks while she circles Luke. Noticing him gawking at Dariana, the gypsy flicks his ear and snaps her fingers in front of his eyes. “It isn’t nice to stare and ignore a lady’s question. Although, I guess I should catch you up, hero. Dariana lost her arms, but she claims it isn’t a big deal because she still has her legs. Delvin took a magic arrow to the eye and is trying to heal it without tearing his brain out of his skull. The Baron did it after Timoran shattered his armor and now Nyxie is trying to feed the man his own teeth. Now, where did the wings come from?”
“Figured that if I could borrow only the senses of Stiletto and Pike then I could do the same with Lucy’s wings,” the half-elf replies in a dull voice. Snapping out of his trance, he draws his sabers and flexes his tingling back. “It does feel funny afterwards, but I’m sure it will pass. Do we have a plan or are we waiting to see how Nyx does? Personally, I want to get back into that fight or at least help the armies.”
Timoran whirls around to knock an errant lightning bolt away, the spell pulverizing a nearby door. “Dariana is tracking Nyx and her father enough that we know where they are going, but we will have difficulty keeping up. It will depend on how and where their battle ends. Nyx is drawing energy from all around her, but she is only using brute force. The Baron is shrugging off every injury and seems to be waiting for her to burn out. How fast can Lucy fly with the three of us on her back? If need be, I can run on the ground and arrive late.”
“Delvin says for you and Sari to use the streets while Luke and I take to the air,” Dariana reports, her body twitching from the urge to rub her temples. Bending down, she uses her toes to satisfy the maddening desire and ease the pressure in her skull. “Speed is more important than all of us getting there at the same time. I’m sorry, but Delvin wants Fizzle and Kira to return to the army. The Baron is our enemy, so you two should focus entirely on whatever is helping him. I just lost contact, which means he has either passed out or healed enough to join us. I’m sorry, but I refuse to believe there is a third option. Are you ready to go, Luke?”
“Give me a minute.”
The half-elf steps into an alley with Kira behind him, the pair going far enough away to get a little privacy. Holding her hands, he finds they are shivering as much as his own, so he does his best to massage her wrists. Staring into the raven-haired woman’s eyes, Luke gives her a kiss that presses her against the cracked wall. They stop when another explosion shakes the city and billowing dust envelopes them. Using the griffin’s powers, the forest tracker keeps them safe from the chocking cloud by creating a bubble of clean air. The temptation to steal another kiss is strong enough that their lips almost touch, but a distant battle cry gives them pause.
“That isn’t going to be our last kiss, Luke Callindor,” Kira says in a voice that is barely above a whisper. She gives him a hug that lasts until the dust settles and the end of the alley is visible. “Getting very tired of saying good-bye to you. Promise me that this is the last time I have to do this.”
“You have my word as a Callindor and champion that I won’t leave your side after this is all over,” Luke replies while holding onto her arm. He refuses to move even when he spots Sari peeking around the corner. “Do you know why a griffin is one of the fastest flying animals? It isn’t because of its muscles or feathers. They can control the wind around them. This allows griffins to take off at amazing speeds, immediately recover momentum after turns, and always find an extra boost when they need one.”
“What does that have to do with us?”
“It means I will be back before you know it.”
Luke follows Kira into the street where Sari sneaks up behind them to playfully slap the couple on the back. The gypsy spins and flips over to Timoran, her last leap placing her on his shoulder like a colorful parrot. Seeing that everyone is ready, the forest tracker takes another look at the sky, which is devoid of clouds. He watches Nyx get flung towards the ground and notices that she returns after a few seconds instead of right away. Holding back the griffin’s usual roaring shriek, the half-elf transforms and gallops towards Dariana. Catching her friend in her beak, the beast flips the telepath onto her back and silently soars in the direction of a rising pillar of crimson and black magic.
17
Having lost contact with his friends, Delvin struggles to crawl through the rubble and reach the last place he sensed them. The magical arrow is still protruding from his eye and the infectious tendrils continue to push against his powers. His vision is a blurry mess due to the injury and his rising exhaustion, which make every movement pure agony. With his fount powers focused entirely on healing, the warrior feels as defenseless as an infant and worries that he might get killed before he can face the Baron again. For the countless time, he stops to grip the arrow’s shaft and gives a small tug to see if it can be removed. The painful headache that rockets through his skull causes Delvin to collapse and slide down the smoky remains of a house, which he unknowingly scaled. Rolling over the eave, he hits the cobblestones with his face and screams when the projectile is driven a bit further into his eye socket. Unable to continue moving, he gets onto his back and watches the sky for signs of his friends. Putting his shield on his chest and drawing his sword, the warrior is unsure if he is trying to appear ready for battle or pose for his funeral.
The shattering of stone causes Delvin to turn his head and he quickly realizes that he is surrounded by enemies. Enraged and scared due to their solid state, the ghosts sniff and snort in search of the powerful magic that drew them away from the battle. Hoping that the fallen champion’s energy will return them to normal, the creatures sprint across the broken street. The small swarm is nearly upon their helpless prey when t
wo of them are beheaded from behind and half of the phantoms are tackled by a laughing, heavily armored figure. Mayor Highrider bashes and shatters his enemies while Daniel Skyblade calmly dispatches those around him. A halfling ghost attempts to sneak over to Delvin for a bite, but it is quickly skewered through the back and flipped into the air. The shrieking creature is batted over the nearest house, which is a sight that causes the two remaining monsters to escape into the sewers.
“You do not look good,” Highrider says while he feeds Delvin a healing potion. Holding up the champion’s head, he frowns at how the man’s hair comes out in his meaty hand. “I heard you developed some healing powers, so why not use them? Sorry if that sounds blunt, but we could really use you right now. The ghosts are easier to kill, but they outnumber us. Our forces have been divided around the city too.”
“I don’t think we need to worry him about all of that,” Lord Skyblade replies, nudging the half-orc in the ribs. Handing him another potion, the Grand Counselor watches for signs of the phantoms regrouping. “We saw Nyx fighting the Baron, but she doesn’t look to be doing very well. Sloppy casting and she’s not taking the time to defend herself. Is there anything we can do to help? I assume there’s a reason you haven’t pulled the arrow out.”
“It’s coiled around my brain, but I’m using my powers to dissolve the hooks,” Delvin explains as he tries to sit up. He slumps onto his side and coughs, bits of black bile splattering across the ground. “This magic arrow is fighting back a lot harder than I expected. I’m not really sure I can get back in the fight, so I’m only trying to keep myself alive. If I die then Nyx is in trouble. We always knew our bond would be a liability, but neither of us thought the Baron would take full advantage of it. So much for all of the champions joining in the battle. This is probably why Gabriel made six of us instead of one.”
“I have plenty of healing potions if you need more,” the grinning half-orc declares, opening a padded compartment in his platemail. He pauses when he sees a griffin fly overhead with Dariana carefully sitting on its back. “I’m sure all of you are needed to win this. Even if the final blow is done by a single champion, the other five must work to weaken the Baron and create opportunities. One never knows who it will be, so don’t give up yet. No spell is truly unbeatable as long as it doesn’t kill you immediately.”
Wiping the sweat from the top of his head, Daniel leans in closer to get a better look at the arrow. “This thing is fairly solid even though it’s magical. I admit that I don’t know much about your magic, but I’ve heard it enhances things. Maybe you can boost your own resistance to reject the thing. Although, I’m rather confused as to why you’re keeping it intact. Having a long arrow sticking out of your face is dangerous.”
“It isn’t like he can snap it off and leave it there.”
“True, it’s in his brain and the shaft is probably preventing it from getting deeper.”
“Too bad it didn’t hit a less vital spot or we could push it through.”
“Neither of us are very good at battlefield healing, so I wouldn’t risk that.”
“If only we knew where Lord Karwyn went.”
Holding two open bottles in one hand, Delvin gets to his feet and tightly grips the arrow’s shaft. Focusing his aura on the healing potions, he does his best to enhance their potency until they turn from red to gold. Bracing himself, the champion starts drinking while extracting the projectile from his eye. He feels his brain getting pulled, but the bulk of his magic fights to erase the tendrils as quickly as they appear. Blood seeping from his nose and ears, Delvin continues chugging the potions that steadily regenerate the internal damage. With a surge of power, he severs all of the connections and yanks the arrow free. Tossing the splintering spell to the side, the warrior finishes the potions and accepts a third, which he enhances to make sure the infection is completely gone.
Delvin relaxes a bit now that his skull no longer feels like it is about to explode, but he sees that everything is hazy beyond his own hand. He touches his face to find that his missing eye is not growing back regardless of the makeshift regeneration potions. Using a nearby window, the champion finds that the socket is charred around the edges and there are still two large cuts left by the arrowhead. He sighs at how the area has been burned clean, the only things left being the nerves that his power instinctively protected. Seeing his friends’ reflection in the glass, Delvin finds it hard to face their worried expressions. A distant explosion snaps him back to the reality that his friends are fighting and he is no longer suffering under the Baron’s spell.
“Where did you last see Nyx?” Delvin asks, turning around. He freezes at the open-mouthed stares that he receives from the other warriors. “That’s rather rude, guys. We’ve all see a lot worse than a missing eye. It might not be pretty and my swordsmanship skills are going to take a hit, but I can still fight. The empty socket might be a bit too unsightly though. Anybody have a clean rag that I can turn into a temporary patch?”
“You have a glowing eye in there,” Skyblade answers, holding up his polished sword. The flawless surface reveals that a white orb has grown in the damaged socket, the edges flickering with energy. “Does that do anything? Aside from being fairly unsettling to look directly into. I keep expecting it to fire some type of spell.”
“Now that you mention it, my vision is back to normal,” the champion whispers, reaching up to tap at the eye. He is impressed to find that he blinks to avoid contact, a positive sign that the new part will work much like the original. “I already have a few ideas for this. No time to waste testing them out here. Judging by the aura trails, the others should be north of here. I see a lot of magic to the east too. That must be Queen Trinity, who is fighting some of the larger ghosts. Okay, so I couldn’t resist seeing if I could track auras by sight. Stay safe and thanks for the potions!”
The three warriors salute each other as they run in opposite directions, Delvin sprinting towards the sound of distant explosions. His strength returns with every step and his senses become keener, all of them tapping into the orb that develops an icy blue core. An orc phantom lumbers into the street, but is felled by a slash that does not slow the champion down. One of the shards nearly hits Delvin in the eye, his blinking a little slower than normal due to him focusing on the action instead of letting it be natural. Realizing that he needs to trust his aura and body to adapt and work together, he does his best to ignore the changes. The problem becomes more evident when he passes a group of chaos elves, all of them gawking at his face before they slink back into the shadows. Fearing that he will be a distraction to his friends, he slows down enough so that he can still make progress while fine-tuning his new part.
Delvin is so busy following his instincts and trying to make his magical eye look real that he barely notices a swarm of sparks in his path. A wave of heat catches his attention and he comes to a stop before crashing into Nyx, the channeler appearing out of nowhere. Her body is heavily bruised and cut, but she has no fatal injuries thanks to a protective layer of magic that gives her skin an orange shimmer. Alternating between gasping and grinding her teeth, the channeler is still suffering from her erupting temper and the fear that her fiancée is dead. Delvin clears his throat to get Nyx’s attention, but she yells at the same time and drowns out his voice. The half-elf crouches and is about to launch herself back into the fight when the warrior leans down to caress her cheek. Surprised by the gentle contact, she whirls around and delivers a punch that clangs off Delvin’s shield.
“So . . . I’m not dead,” he says, smiling at the borderline feral channeler. He catches her outstretched fingers, which reach for his new eye. “Hope this isn’t too horrifying for you. I’m still working on the details, but I think I can make it look normal. Might not happen until later since we have bigger things to worry about. How did you end up here anyway?”
“Bastard got bored and teleported me away, but I stopped him from sending me to a different continent,” Nyx growls, her voice softening
with every word. Her knees buckle and her hands shake while she lets the relief of Delvin being alive wash over her. “I really thought he killed you. Unless he killed me and-”
The warrior chuckles and gives her a quick kiss on the nose, which leaves dirt and ash on his lips. “Nope. We’re still in this fight. The afterlife will have to wait until we’re done. Do you need to rest before we find the others?”
“I don’t want to waste a second.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m back at full strength.”
Nyx grabs Delvin by the sides of his face and pulls him in for a kiss, their auras dancing along their lips. Her hair becomes untangled and shiny while the dirt that covers her body liquifies and sloughs to the ground. A pulsing glow runs along her limbs and sinks into her skin, the energy massaging her aching muscles. With a pop, the channeler breaks contact and cracks her knuckles, each one releasing a tiny flame that circles her body.
“Sorry. I should have asked for a taste before using you like a free meal,” Nyx says, her senses returning to normal. Seeing her fiancée wavering on his feet, she catches him by the arms to prevent him from falling. “I didn’t realize I took so much. You said you were at full strength and I did my best to hold back. I swear it shouldn’t have wiped you out this much.”
“What? My energy is fine,” Delvin replies while shaking his head clear. Blinking rapidly, he finds that he can examine Nyx’s aura paths and watches his power get absorbed into her fiery veins. “You kissed me while I was breathing out, so I didn’t have much air to work with. Timing is everything. We should really get back to that battle.”
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 32