Only Stones Remain (Ballad of Frindoth Book 4)

by Rob Donovan

  Clarabelle approached, sprinting onto the battlefield. The panther weaved in and out of the bodies, sniffing the air to detect Norva's scent.

  Please, leave my friend. But the panther ignored her pleas.

  Frindoth shook then, from an explosion ignited by either the warlock or the witch. The air was filled with green smoke. Xandemon towered in the distance and with one movement sent a couple of men flying.

  Ammar attacked again and this time Norva was forced to block his strike with one of her blades. The weight of the blow was too much and she lost control of the weapon. She frantically reached inside her tunic for a replacement but Ammar was too quick, his backward slash sliced across her collarbone and down one of her breasts. Norva screamed as agonising pain shot through her. Her tunic became damp with blood and every breath hurt.

  "Next time it will be your throat," Ammar gloated.

  Norva tried to think of a retort, something to demonstrate that she was not scared or perturbed by the wound, but she was unable to think past the pain. It hurt to raise the wounded arm. The only positive thing was that it was not her strong arm. She could still fight - but for how long? She unsheathed her short sword, the largest of the Sisters and held it shakily in front of her. Ammar merely smiled.

  To her left Atikass had regained his footing and had managed to force Raoul Seth backwards. The outcast Prince roared with each attack, exerting every ounce of energy he had behind the blows. His face was contorted with utter rage, so much so that even Norva had to remind herself not to be afraid. The King across the water faced away from her but only seemed mildly concerned as he fended off the ferocious attacks. He stepped backwards again bringing him that bit closer so that he was level with his son.

  Ammar registered this and quickly stepped away in fear of accidentally stumbling into the path of the fight.

  Suddenly Norva saw it all. She saw the pattern of the fight and she knew what must be done and what she must do. Ammar charged at her and she raised her short sword to block the attack. At the same time Atikass shoved Raoul Seth in an effort to dislodge his balance. Time seemed to slow down as Ammar swung his sword arm low towards Norva's head. The Ghost Assassin rolled underneath the sword's trajectory and passed Ammar; she heard his grunt of frustration and the whoosh of air as his blade narrowly missed her skull. She was not worried about Ammar however; as she rolled forward she launched herself towards the exposed back of Raoul Seth, angling her sword so that it targeted the base of his spine. The strike was accurate and the blade penetrated his flesh causing him to scream out and arch his back. It was the opening Atikass needed and he hacked at Raoul Seth's neck severing it on the second attempt, before the King across the water fell.

  Norva fell backwards, the jarring resistance from the death strike widening the wound across her collarbone and chest. She saw spots before her eyes as her vision darkened. Behind her Ammar let out a strangled scream of incredulity and grief. She turned just in time to see the last remaining son of Raoul Seth charge at her with weapon raised. She knew she did not have the energy or time to defend herself. A quick glance at Atikass told her that the outcast Prince could not reach her in time either.

  She gritted her teeth and waited for the end. It never came. Before Ammar could reach her, there was a snarl and a purple blur as Clarabelle sprang through the air; all teeth and fur. Ammar was flung sideways by the impact and there was just time for him to emit a petrified scream before his throat was torn out by the cat.

  Norva collapsed onto her back, having no desire to see the grotesque sight of her friend feasting on her foe. She realised she had done it; she had avenged Scamp. Regardless of who Scamp really was, at some point she must have been an innocent child and she had killed the man who had collaborated with the warlock to warp Scamp's mind.

  Norva had vowed to change her ways since being in the Pit. Years in the Pit would do that to someone and now she would only kill those that deserved it. She was the Ghost Assassin but now she had a purpose. The battle was far from over but she allowed herself a smile as she closed her eyes. The sounds of battle were far more muted now. The Lakisdoreans had fled, only the most ardent still fought. The drone from the Glooms above still dominated the sky but that was out of her control.

  She opened her eyes to look at them but instantly the smile disappeared from her face. The shadow loomed large in front of her, increasing in size as the boulder fell. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she watched the rock fall at frightening speed. She sat up and shouted a warning as fast as she could but even as the words escaped her mouth she knew it would be too late.

  "Clarabelle!"

  Sensing her sudden panic, Clarabelle looked up from her feast. Her purple fur was matted with blood. Her pale green eyes, so tender meeting Norva's for the final time, and then the panther was crushed under the falling boulder to disappear forever.

  Chapter 31

  Whilst Marybeth had joined the Prince and others in spear heading an attack against Cordane, Cody had been deposited on the edge of the battlefield. The Custodian that had carried him so far had received another injury to its wing; further tearing the membrane to reveal a large gap. The sentinel could no longer fly and was forced to land.

  It had put Cody down carefully over one hundred yards from the action and then examined its wing. Cody had stood there awkwardly for a moment, not knowing what to do. The Custodian flapped the torn limb a couple of times before folding it behind its body and stumbling away from the battlefield. It was a peculiar sight and Cody did not know whether to pursue the creature to ensure its protection or turn and enter the battlefield.

  The explosion of energy as spell met spell between Marybeth and Cordane made up his mind. The witch had already endured one magical battle and Cody doubted she had the energy for another, especially against one so powerful as Cordane. The witch would need his help.

  With a final look at the lumbering Custodian, Cody drew his sword and trotted towards the fray. As he neared the battle several thoughts ran through his mind. The primary thought was the wisdom in his decision. This was his chance to leave. Whilst fighting alongside Marybeth he had felt an obligation to be a part of the war, but now he had experienced first-hand the destruction the Glooms could cause and witnessed the Custodians in action he realised he could not really have that much of an impact. He had told Marybeth that after she and Cordane had exhausted their magical strength it would be the men that would decide the outcome of this war. However, now he was not so sure.

  His daughter was out there somewhere. She needed her father and yet here he was fighting for people he did not really know. He had struck up an initial friendship with the prince based on circumstance but so what? He had also spent weeks in the realm of the Glooms with a fellowship who had mostly perished. So, what was this incessant need to be part of the battle?

  The answer was on his lips even as he thought of the question: Marybeth. She was his first thought every waking moment. He had loved his wife more than he thought it was possible to love another person, but that life had seemed so long ago. Seeing the false images of her in the Stones of Sorrow and then her apparition or whatever it was in the Realm of the Glooms had brought back those memories, but both times part of him had known the encounters were fleeting and Marybeth had also been on his mind.

  He had to make sure the witch was alright as well as finding his daughter. Marybeth was not the priority between the two, but she was here and he could do something to assist her. Finding Evelyn would see him wandering aimlessly through Frindoth. That was futile at best and suicidal if the Glooms were victorious in the battle.

  He crested a small mound and surveyed the battlefield. Something was different and at first he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Men still fought men and the sounds of war drifted across the afternoon air. A small layer of dust blew across the field which blurred the feet and ankles of the warriors. Cody did not know whether this was dust kicked up from the ground or the remains of those warriors turned to stone an
d smashed to smithereens. He chose not to dwell on the answer.

  It then struck him. There were pockets of warriors no longer fighting; they were watching the destruction that the Glooms wrought and were backing away.

  Cody watched as one Snowlander charged at a canine-looking Gloom that had hoisted an Aselinian warrior above its head. The man hacked at the creature’s claws and freed the Aselinian warrior. A huge cheer went up and the Snowlander’s example of desertion was replicated by his fellow soldiers.

  The act served as a catalyst as more and more of the western usurpers shifted sides and fought against Glooms and Lakisdoreans alike. The Truth Knight continued to walk forward but was now unsure where to enter the action. The previously evenly contested battle was now decidedly uneven, with men swarming over the Glooms as Lakisdoreans retreated.

  A burst of white light shot to the sky blinding those around it temporarily and causing them to shift away from its source. Cody grunted and headed towards it. The Custodians had prevented him from intervening in the contest between Marybeth and the Desolate King, but he doubted they would have any such reservations now.

  He did not know how useful he could be but that was not going to stop him from trying. He reached the battlefield and shoved his way towards the centre. Warriors gave him a few wary looks and he realised that not all of them could fully trust the change in alliance just yet. Men fought but were cautious and had one eye on the enemy they had just been fighting.

  Cody ignored them. He had to get to Marybeth as quickly as possible. The collision with Cordane had looked brutal and Cody had seen how drained Marybeth had been before the battle had commenced, let alone the energy it must have taken to reverse Cordane’s spell of stone. He doubted his friend could hold out too much longer.

  For a brief moment the traffic in front of him cleared and he caught a glimpse of Marybeth on all fours. She was breathing heavily, her blond hair was matted with blood and her cloak and tunic were ripped to reveal bleeding skin. He could not see her face as her hair covered it, but he could see the drops of blood dripping from somewhere. Behind her, Cordane got shakily to his feet. He was injured too; an ugly looking gash on his thigh saw him put weight on the other leg, whilst one of his hands bled profusely. It looked as though he was missing a few fingers but Cody couldn’t be sure as his line of sight was blocked by a man backing into him. Cody shoved him away but the man did not seem to care. He was an elderly man, his grey hair in disarray from wearing a helmet and which he had now lost. The man stared up at the sky as he bit his bottom lip.

  Cody followed his gaze and saw the endless advance of insect like Glooms in the sky. They were huge and all carried large rocks. A horrible buzzing noise filled the air that was so loud Cody had to block his ears with his hands. Men fled as the first of the boulders fell. The ground shook with each impact causing the men to flee in every direction.

  It was the Glooms that held onto the boulders which caught Cody’s attention though. Despite the Custodian’s desperate attempts to stop them, many of the Glooms made it through to Lilyon’s ramparts and they flung their projectiles against the proud walls. The impact was devastating; each boulder smashed against the wall and crashed through.

  The assault was relentless and sounded like someone had found a giant drum and was pounding it relentlessly. The screams of women and children could now be heard over the din of battle and Cody prayed that Janna was safe. The girl had endured more than anyone in this conflict. What made it worse was that she had not been equipped to deal with any of the turmoil she had faced. She had no training and no experience. She was just an ordinary girl who had been dragged into the Ritual of the Stones and had lost her family as a result. Her life had been ripped from underneath her and she had faced nightmare after nightmare since.

  A bolt of energy streamed into the sky and blasted a number of the Glooms. The boulders they were carrying shattered, sending shrapnel into the Glooms around them and showering those below with rocks. A second blast followed but this one was aimed low and came from a different area. Marybeth's scream carried across the field as Cordane took advantage of her attempt to thwart the Glooms.

  Cody broke into a run; he shoved aside any who stood in his way and did not care about their angry responses. Chaos surrounded him as men struggled to escape the carnage. It was as though they were running against a tide. He caught a glimpse of Marybeth on her stomach pulling herself along as best she could. She seemed desperate to put some distance between herself and Cordane but from the speed she was moving it didn't seem likely.

  Cody caught another glimpse of Cordane, this time the Warlock seemed in better health as he sauntered towards the witch, an orange ball of energy forming between his hands. Cody was by no means an expert on the different types of spells the members of the Order could conjure but the last time he witnessed an orange spell, the Desolate King had met his demise shortly afterwards.

  Cody ran, the run became a reckless sprint and he no longer paid attention to the sky or whether he was about to be flattened by a boulder.

  There were only a handful of warriors between Cody and Marybeth now, and just for a second a space cleared and their eyes met. Marybeth's eyes widened in surprise as she saw her friend charging towards her. She opened her mouth to warn him away but before she could do so a boulder crashed into the ground between them. The sound was deafening as the ground shook. Cody stumbled and then skidded, raising his hands to stop his run against the stone and came to a halt. His heart raced with the near-death experience. Cody tried to get his breath as he shakily moved around the boulder. His initial thought was that the huge rock had landed on Marybeth, but he realised it couldn't possibly have been that large.

  An orange glow lit up the outline of the rock as Cordane's conjured spell began to form. Cody took a deep breath and began to feel his way around the boulder. He had no idea what he would do if he managed to reach Cordane, but even if he managed to place his body in the way of the spell and deflect it slightly, it would allow Marybeth those few extra minutes of recovery time. It was not much but it was something.

  He circled the rock and saw Cordane; the ball of energy was now the size of a human head and from the way the warlock's hands trembled it did not appear that he could contain it much longer. He could not see Marybeth and prayed to the Tri-moon deities that she would manage to muster some sort of defence.

  A shadow overhead warned him at the last second of the attack. Out of pure instinct he dodged to the side and rolled away. A large spike from one of the wasp-like Glooms speared the rock, splintering a section of it. The Gloom buzzed angrily and six angry legs flicked out at Cody.

  "For Gloom's sake," Cody muttered as he rolled out of the way from the next attack. "Can't you even give me half a chance to be the hero for once?" He lashed out with his sword more to ward off the next attack and give him some breathing room rather than to inflict damage. He succeeded in nipping one of the creature's legs. The Gloom buzzed its wings even more rapidly so they were only a blur; Cody could feel the wind from its wings on his face. In the periphery of his vision he saw the ball of energy increase in scale. Cordane's whole body trembled with struggling to contain it. Unless Marybeth had a counter spell she was sure to perish.

  "Enough of this," he thought. He waited for the Gloom to thrust its spike at him again and pivoted to the side before slicing the tip cleanly off. Before the Gloom could even hiss in pain, he inserted his sword into the belly of the creature. The Gloom seemed to fold around his blade, his remaining legs clutching the sword as if it could grip the steel and remove it.

  The Truth Knight did not bother to attempt to remove the Gloom from his weapon, and with every ounce of strength he swung the sword with the impaled Gloom in the direction of Cordane. His timing could not have been more perfect. Although he did not throw the sword and Gloom far it was enough to intercept the orange orb which rushed towards Marybeth. The spell and weapon collided in mid-air causing an explosion which obliterated the latter. Sparks
of spell showered over Cody each one scalding him as he tried to hide behind the boulder.

  Cordane screamed in rage, cursing his misfortune. Cody sat behind the stone shield his heart thudding in his chest. Seconds later, Marybeth joined him, her face white, beads of sweat trickling down her cheeks. She had scorch marks on her forehead where the remnants of the spell had landed on her and Cody guessed he must look the same.

  "That was either very brave or very stupid," Marybeth said, wincing as she clutched her side. Cody looked down and saw the dark patch of blood spreading across her shirt. He went to look and she batted his hand away.

  "I've always had trouble distinguishing between the two," he said.

  Marybeth smiled. "We have a problem."

  "You think?"

  "I only have the energy for one more spell before I am done for many days."

  "Give the bastard everything you've got." Cody said.

  "No, I need to get rid of the other Glooms."

  "How?"

  "If Xandemon falls, the rest will panic. I can conjure an opening in the portal they will go to."

  "What? How?"

  "The Custodian's will assist me. They know the secrets."

  Cody couldn't help but be surprised at this revelation. "You understand those things?"

  "Enough."

  Cody shook his head. This woman never ceased to amaze him. She bore a knowledge far greater than he could ever hope to comprehend. He sneaked a peek past the boulder and saw Cordane bent over and breathing heavily.

  "Aren't you forgetting about a certain someone?"

  Marybeth leaned over him to have a look. Cody was conscious of the closeness of her body and her breath against his face. Even in these extreme circumstances, he felt a stirring at her presence. Thoughts of their moment in the Stones of Sorrow before Mondorlous interrupted them consumed him.