Driven back by Sari repeatedly stabbing his face and shoulders, the Baron flails in an attempt to catch her by the neck. Grabbing her hair instead, the immortal manages to slam her into Kira’s head, which stuns the gypsy enough to get a better hold. She spits in his eye and locks her body, preventing him from lifting her off the ground. It is not until he nearly pulls the blue-haired woman’s head off that she frees herself and uses the momentum to slice the warlord up the middle of his face. The shock causes him to release the champion, who grabs his shirt and returns to rapidly stabbing him. Ice forms on the stiletto to create a blade that numbs every wound and shatters bone, the freezing crystals slowing his healing until they melt. Using Kira like a club that has begun kicking him in the ribs, the Baron knocks Sari to the side and gets a hold of her neck. He considers making Luke choose between the two women, but the constant slashing at his wrist warns him that the gypsy will get loose within a minute.
“You could have stopped this, Callindor,” the Baron declares with a grin. A charge of magic rockets into Kira and Sari, the spell exploding both of them into a wave of gore and ice. “Well, that was surprising. It would appear the beautiful gypsy had one more trick. Very impressive to the bitter end. Now, what will you do now?”
Sabers spinning at his sides, Luke rushes the immortal only to have his weapons shattered by a single strike. Left with nothing more than the hilts, the forest tracker tries to throw a punch, but he is knocked across the arena and slammed into the wall. Looking down at his bleeding hands, he realizes that the Ring of Uli is cracked and leaking pink energy. A numbness comes over the half-elf as he starts to slide down to the ground, his chest aching from the blow and his looming grief. The Baron’s laugh drives Luke to remain standing and take a step forward, regardless of his injuries and lack of weapons.
*****
“You cannot beat him as you are!” the griffin yells, drawing Luke into his own mind. The beast stands at the edge of a halo of light that sits within a shadowy void. “I know you rejected me once before, but we need to bond as one. That is the only way you can avenge them and not get yourself killed. Stiletto and Pike are too weak, so I am your only choice.”
“Don’t waste my time and get out of my head!” Luke screams, shocking the spirit. He paces like a caged animal, his eyes searching for a way out. “The Baron just killed Kira and Sari. I got them killed! I wasn’t strong enough to save anyone! Don’t drag me into my own mind when I need to be out there. He could be murdering the rest of my friends while I’m standing there like a brainless zombie.”
“You can relax. Minutes here are barely a second out there,” Lucy whispers, extending a wing to touch her friend’s shoulder. A cool breeze runs around the light, which helps to calm the forest tracker’s nerves. “I am well aware of what happened. We loved them too and wish to help you get revenge. The others can still lend you their abilities, but one of us needs to commit to a full bond for you to have a chance at victory. The one you choose will cease to exist, but you will have all of their abilities within your natural form. You already possess many of mine since I was the first one, so this is not a big step for us. Would Kira and Sari be happy with you rushing to your death? We both know they wouldn’t, so please calm down and let me help you. Together we will have the-”
The griffin’s words are cut off by a deafening roar from the other side of the light. Flame dripping from its mouth, the Sword Dragon’s head looms out of the shadows and lowers until it is a few inches from Luke. The metallic shine to its body has been dulled and two fist-sized spots having fallen away to reveal rotting scales. Sniffing at the forest tracker, the construct nods and slams its tail in the darkness, which is driven away by the monster’s fury. Exposed to what they thought would be a private conversation, Pike burrows underground while Stiletto hurries to stand by Luke’s side. The dog growls at the Weapon Dragon, which snorts in amusement at the small animal’s bravery.
“He will reject you again because of friendship,” the beast says, turning to the griffin. A flap of its wings fills the void with the creak of hinges and grinding of rusting gears. “He has accepted that you are not the one who will help me. You can tell by his eyes that he has doubts about that. He needs strength and viciousness and power that only I can give him. He has tasted only a fraction of what I have to offer, so imagine what he can do with all of it. Besides, I have grown tired of this place and wish to move on.”
“You’re offering to sacrifice yourself for me?” Luke asks in disbelief. He reaches out to touch the creature’s snout and is shocked that it does not move away or try to bite him. “Why can’t I become a chimera and use parts of all of you? It’s worked in the past.”
Lucy cautiously approaches and sits on her haunches, her eyes never straying from the Sword Dragon. “The Baron will be able to undo your form because the bond will not be as deep as a true one. I will agree that this one has more power than me, but it is not a real creature. We do not know what will happen. Taking its form is one thing, but this act will go down to its core instead of its consciousness. It will cease to exist and you receive most, if not all, of its powers. That is for good and bad.”
“I need to destroy the Baron before he kills again,” the champion bluntly states, barely aware of his real body starting to run. He can hear his own voice roaring in anger and the distance closing between himself and his enemy. “Will I have a breath attack or be able to fly with metal wings?”
“I have no idea,” the Sword Dragon admits with a grin. Bowing its head, the construct shakes more of its metal body off to reveal the flesh beneath. “For what it is worth, I find you to be stronger and braver than I gave you credit for. Perhaps it has been an honor to be trapped inside one like you. If I may ask, what made you agree so quickly?”
“I can’t afford to lose.”
“Then, I promise that you won’t as long as you have my power.”
“I think I’m actually going to miss you.”
“Interesting. That actually makes me happy.”
*****
The Baron is curiously examining his hands while Luke attacks, the unarmed half-elf no longer seen as a threat to him. It is only when the sound of shifting metal rolls across the arena that the immortal bothers to face the champion. Saber shards fly off the ground and recombine into the keen blades, which now have golden edges. With a roar heard for miles around, Luke sprints ahead and becomes nothing more than an approaching blur. He meets the Baron’s sword with one of his own, the other saber slicing up the man’s face to imitate one of Sari’s attacks. A solid kick sends the immortal tumbling back, his stomach left with the imprint of his enemy’s boot. Luke leaps and comes down with both blades, which are met with a protective shield. Pink energy explodes from his weapons to dissolve the barrier, but the Baron slides away and is back on his feet before he is struck again. The ground cracks from the blow and the forest tracker stares at the man like a hungry, injured predator.
“Very sloppy,” the warlord declares, touching the blood on his face. Seeing that the other champions are stirring, he creates a black fireball in his hand. “I don’t know how your swords came back, but it doesn’t mean you can finish the job. A real warrior would have finished me off with the first blow.”
“I was still waking up,” Luke says, his voice rumbling like thunder. A metallic sheen runs down his hair and dribbles of lightning fall from his lips. “That spell better kill me because I’m ending this now. Give me your best shot, Forgotten One.”
The fireball explodes against the champion’s chest and burns away his shirt, but he remains standing. Charging forward, every step shakes the city while the Baron creates a shield that fails to slow Luke down. The immortal is about to cast another spell when the forest tracker sprints by and takes one of the man’s arms with him. Limb dangling from his mouth, the half-elf disintegrates it with a single stab and rushes in for another attack. With the griffin’s speed and the Sword Dragon’s strength, Luke darts around the Baron to deliver blows
that pulverize bone and leave trails of glistening blood flying in his wake. Any spells that hit the half-elf are shrugged off, his skin having the ability to resist magic like dragon scales. Spinning around the immortal, he slashes along the existing facial wound as a surge of pink energy causes an explosion. Face destroyed and skull exposed, the Baron staggers back and flails with a whip that leaves bleeding welts on the half-elf’s body. Catching the lash in his sharp teeth, Luke yanks his enemy towards him and watches a shadowy spell start to appear above them. Not wanting the magic to go off, the champion leaps and plunges his sabers into the warlord’s chest. With another deafening roar, he pushes his blades up and across to cut off the Baron’s head, which he smashes beneath his boot. Snorting like the Sword Dragon, Luke eyes the wavering body before punching it with the Ring of Uli and turning it to dust.
“Thanks for the help,” the half-elf mutters, feeling the last of the dragon’s spirit diffuse into his own body. A stabbing pain strikes his chest and drives him to his knees while every breath becomes a quick gasp. “Guess I wasn’t ready for so much power. At least I won the fight and ended it all. Wonder which god will claim me now.”
“The fun part about shamans is that they are open to possession when weak,” the Baron says, his voice in Luke’s head. Visions of murdering the remaining champions runs through the warrior’s mind while his disembodied enemy laughs. “I never expected you to be the one who killed me, but I knew it was a possibility. You were my contingency plan, Luke Callindor. I left just enough of me inside you, so that I could hop over the instant my body died. Necrocasting has always been a favorite of mine and I rarely get the chance to use it for more than undead creation. Are you still trying to fight me? Not possible since you have weakened yourself in defeating me. Now, which friend should I kill next?”
Luke tries to scream a warning to the others, but finds that he can no longer talk. He watches his arms raise while he approaches Nyx, the channeler still staring blankly at where she had last seen Sari. A twisting agony in his brain stops the attack and turns him around to face Dariana, the telepath using the last of her strength to fight against her father. Luke hurls one of his sabers at his friend, lines of energy returning to the Ring of Uli. The weapon is pushed lower by a gust of wind, which causes it to pierce her knee instead of her head. It is enough to break her focus, which allows the Baron to lash out with his own psychic attack. Lacking his previous finesse, the mental blast is nothing more than explosion that barrels across the astral plane. Unable to escape the attack, his daughter’s mind is jolted and she crashes to the ground, blood seeping from her nose and ears.
“Can you revive him, my friend?” Timoran asks as he tackles Luke. The barbarian locks the half-elf in a bear hug and drags him toward Delvin, who is trying to stand. “I have destroyed spirits before. Get the Baron out of Luke and I will do the rest. As long as I draw breath, we will not lose any more friends today.”
“If that is the case then I have to kill you to get to the others,” Luke says in the Baron’s voice. Crackling aura billows out of his body to create a bubble around the other champion, who is constantly battered by lightning. “How long can you hold out before your flesh is gone? Even a barbarian has his limits. Do you think the fount can save you? Not if I give him something else to worry about.”
Slipping out of Timoran’s grasp, the Baron calmly draws his remaining saber and has the other blade fly to his hand. He makes sure to twist the returning weapon, which causes more damage to Dariana’s leg and stirs her back to consciousness. Playfully spinning his blades, the possessed half-elf gives a final look at Nyx before heading for Delvin. Every few steps, his body stops and he shakes his head until the Baron regains control from his struggling host. Seeing that the other warrior is about to charge, the immortal swings his sabers to unleash a razor sharp blade of wind. The spell neatly slices off Delvin’s lower left leg and sends him crashing onto his face. Kicking over his suffering friend, the warlord drives his weapons into the swordsman’s hands to pin him to the ground.
“You have no idea how much Luke is yelling in here,” the Baron whispers before stomping on Delvin’s chest. He whistles at the feeling of breaking ribs while the warrior grits his teeth in amusing defiance. “All he wants is for me to stop or one of you to kill him. I doubt any of you have what it takes to murder a friend. That is why Dariana didn’t turn our mind off and Timoran failed to kill us when he had the element of surprise. Too bad Sari is gone because I would have liked to see her suffer with this decision. Unlike the rest of you, she actually accomplished something before I sent her parts flying across the-”
Nyx’s fiery hand bursts from Luke’s chest, the blade-like extremity narrowly missing his lungs and heart. “You murdered my little sister. Now you’re trying to kill my husband with my little brother’s body. This ends right now, you cowardly piece of bile. My family will never be hurt by you again.”
With a scream, Nyx rips the Baron’s spirit from Luke’s body and slams the ethereal form into the ground. The forest tracker collapses on top of Delvin, who immediately begins healing the bleeding wound left by the channeler. As she repeatedly hits the shimmering spirit, the lightning bubble around Timoran pops and he falls to his knees. Those who are conscious can only watch and stare as Nyx batters the defenseless immortal with magic-infused punches and the occasional headbutt. When the stone-faced channeler’s fist is dripping with spiritual ichor, she switches hands to continue the assault, which prevents her disoriented enemy from getting his bearings. Satisfied with the beating, she lifts the Baron over her head before opening her mouth and inhaling with the force of a tornado. The ancient warlord laughs and applauds while he is ingested by the ebony-haired half-elf, whose body glows like a star.
For a terrifying moment, Nyx chuckles with the Baron’s voice and her eyes turn into abyssal orbs. The other champions fear that she is about to be taken over when she clears her throat and returns to her normal state. Soaring into the sky, the channeler focuses on the potent magic roiling within her body and waits for her enemy to realize what is about to happen. Feeling the immortal surrender to the inevitable, Nyx uses all of the evil energy to create a rainbow wave that rolls over the entire globe. She catches the Baron’s final thought about being impressed by her power as the last bit of his spirit is transformed into raw energy and added to the enormous spell. With her aura and mind exposed to the world, the channeler is struck by the emotions of every sentient being on the planet. A mixture of relief, happiness, and sadness envelope her heart as she passes out and plummets back to the arena.
19
With a raspy groan, Nyx awakens to warm sun on her face and the smell of freshly cleaned sheets. Her mouth is filled with a bitterness that makes her want to vomit, the thought of ruining her perfect bed the only thing holding the urge back. Lifting a hand into direct sunlight, she finds that her skin has a prismatic hue and veins of gold are running beneath the surface. The effect fades away to be replaced by a sense of longing for the intoxicating sensation that came with the colorful display. Nyx is struck by strong desires and doing whatever it takes to regain the incredible magic she tasted for the briefest of moments. Sitting upright, the terrified half-elf slaps herself across the face until the dream of becoming a new Baron disappears. Gasping for air, she grabs a cup that floats to her hand and gulps down the water, which becomes sour thanks to the foul taste in her mouth.
“Dariana said those thoughts will fade away eventually,” Delvin says while he enters the room with breakfast. The warrior limps to the bed, his missing leg having been replaced by a wooden prosthetic. “You also have me to keep you in line and watch for trouble. Still, Dariana wanted you to know that she will always be there for us. One mental call and she’ll reach out to help. So . . . you’ve been out for a week and the Gaians have been staying in Spellstream while their city is repaired. They thank you for your generosity and don’t hold you or Queen Trinity responsible for the destruction. It helps that her people are working
with the gnomes and dwarves to rebuild Gaia. A fleet is being put together to bring the chaos elves back to Shayd, but there are treaties to be made and all of that nonsense. All of those left behind have been brought over too, so they can enjoy the sun.”
“What happened to the others?” Nyx asks as she slides out of bed. Walking into the light, she watches for the veins and shimmering hue, but nothing happens. “I feel like something is missing even though I look whole. It’s like I have the energy to do whatever I want, but there’s a piece that I can’t find. The Baron must have done something to me before I turned him into a spell. He took a part of me with him. Wait, I remember now. He . . . Please tell me what happened to the others.”
“I don’t know if now is a good time since you haven’t eaten,” the warrior replies in an attempt to stall. The food erupts into flames and the ashes fly into Nyx’s mouth, the channeler cringing as she swallows the remains. “That was rather unnerving, but I get your point. Let’s get the worst news out of the way. Aedyn and the other priests managed to put Sari’s body back together for a burial. She’s in the room you set aside for her because we didn’t want to have her funeral without you and Luke. He’s still in a coma even though they finished healing his injuries yesterday. Took a while because his body fights every spell now, including those that are good for him. He belched up orbs of lightning once or twice too. To be honest, we aren’t sure if he’ll wake up considering the mental damage caused by having the Baron inside him. Dariana . . . Can we please save the rest for later?”
The channeler glides over to her fiancée and hugs him tightly, her tears flowing the moment he returns the gesture. “I dreamed about all of you getting killed. Not only by the Baron, but by Luke or myself. The nightmares never stopped. Please tell me everything because I need to hear it all now. I want the champion part of my life to be over. No more adventuring or destiny or temples or ancient evils. From now on, I’m Queen Nyx of Spellstream. The only thing left is to know what I’m carrying over to start this new life. How much of my family is left? So far, I’ve lost my little sister and possibly my little brother.”
Warlord of the Forgotten Age Page 35