by Marc Johnson
I kissed her on the forehead. There were so many things I wanted to say. So many things I should have told her while she was alive. I opened my mouth to tell her now. I closed it, realizing it would do no good.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you,” I said, staring at the ineffective necklace I had given her. I pulled it from her neck, wanting to bury it in Alexandria, since I couldn’t afford to take her body with me. I put the necklace on. “I’ll do my duty, princess. For you and the others.”
I gently laid her back on the ground and closed her eyes. I took my blood-soaked robes, rose, and walked away. I was going to defeat the nexus and Renak and be done with this place. If possible, I was going to give that wizard a second, more permanent death.
I paused and turned around, taking one last look at my fallen friends and my heart. I left them, journeying deeper into the Nexus of the Wastelands. It wasn’t long before he appeared.
“Renak,” I said in a whisper.
“Hellsfire.”
I barely lifted my head to stare at the reflection. Those brown eyes were devoid of all emotion. The man who had sacrificed his soul because of his lost love was gone. All that was left was this phantom.
“What do you want, Renak?”
He cocked his head as his intense eyes studied me. Finally, he spoke. “Given up?”
I took a deep breath and met his eyes. “No. They’re not going to die in vain. You’re going to tell me what I have to do to bring down your barrier and end your destructive spell. Too many people have died for this.”
“One more thing and you’re done,” he said.
“What is it?”
“You have to get by me.”
My body tensed and my hands tightened around my robes at the thought of fighting the legendary wizard, but then I remembered my friends. “Very well. You’ve killed Krystal and my friends. You deserve to pay for what you’ve done.”
“I wasn’t the one who failed them.” He pointed. “You were. I’m not going to let you bring down the barrier. I can’t. I wasn’t created to allow you or anyone else to.”
“Then let’s end this.”
“As you wish.”
The environment around me shifted and changed. The landscape brightened, with a warm midday sun shining overhead. Tall, soft, green grass sprang from underneath my feet, and a cool breeze brushed against my cheeks. I found myself wearing my wizard’s robes, now cleaned of Krystal’s blood, but my necklace and purse were gone. I glanced back to see if my friends were still there, and that’s when he attacked.
An earthquake rumbled and a fissure opened up, racing towards me. Jagged rocks burst out from it, and Renak shot them at me. I barely had enough time to summon a defense and force the rocks to part around me. I leapt out of the way before the ground swallowed me whole.
I raised my hand and released the flame inside me. The fire didn’t get more than a few feet before Renak countered with a windstorm. It blew out my fire and soared towards me. I softened it, but the wind sliced into my face and hands.
Renak tripped up my feet with earth magic, then conjured fire of his own. A giant wolf made of flames snarled and raced towards me. I tried to stand, but Renak kept me off balance with the shaking ground. I scrambled backwards to get out of the way, but the wolf leapt at me with wide jaws, trying to devour me whole.
I seized control of the magic within the beast. It froze in midair. Renak was a master wizard, but his specialty was with black mana. Mine was fire.
I turned the beast around and it growled at Renak. I poured more magic into it and it exploded in size. It ran towards Renak, but he bombarded the wolf with rain and wind. I willed it to hold form and rose, pouring more of my magic into it. I might not be able to beat Renak, but his own spell could.
Renak halted the wolf when it was a foot away from him. He used the same magic I used, seizing the fire mana within to control the beast. The heat singed his clothes and body, but he didn’t flinch.
The ancient wizard started to regain control of the beast. I used my own magic to rip the ground apart, flinging pieces of rock at him. He ignored the smaller pieces and the blood trickling down the side of his head. He didn’t seem to feel any pain as I forced the wind to slice into him. His concentration was incredible, showing no signs of losing his hold on the magic.
I focused only on the fiery wolf, forgetting the other magic. Its paws reached out towards Renak and its jaws snapped, but it never touched him. Both of us tried to control the creature, but in different ways. Renak had a calm expression on his face while the sweat dripped down mine.
The beast began to turn its head towards me. Its raging eyes showed its longing to feed on me. I wouldn’t be able to stop it if Renak was able to fully control it. I had gambled too much on strengthening it, and was still tired from battling his earlier creature.
I thought of Krystal and of my friends’ deaths. If I failed here, it would all be for naught. Renak might have been a calm wizard, but I wasn’t. I let my emotions seize and enrage me, remembering Krystal and how she died because of me.
I journeyed to a place I’ve only been to once. I wasn’t sure if I could control it or what it would do to me. The power always threatened to overwhelm me. That no longer mattered. Renak had taken the one thing in my life that mattered and he would die a second death because of it.
I embraced the wolf and the fire that composed it. The fire wolf rippled, burning brighter, hotter, and darker. The beast became fueled by black flames and it attacked Renak. Renak’s face was full of surprise. He couldn’t stop the beast—it opened its massive jaws, swallowing him whole. The creature flared hotter as Renak’s body blackened like the flames. The wolf exploded with such force it knocked me off my feet.
Even though the beast was gone, the dark, powerful magic beckoned me. I was tempted to give in. There was nothing for me now that she was gone. My anger at letting her get killed fueled the fire, threatening to overwhelm me. I was about to release it in an uncontrollable rage, unsure if I could ever bottle it up again. But then I thought once more of Krystal and my friends.
The grief doused the fire. The sorrow and the spell had taken so much from my body. I collapsed, my face pressed against the broken ground, with bits of grass and dirt as a pillow.
----
When I opened my eyes, the scenic view was gone. The void had returned, along with the muted blue light. I got up. Without Renak, what was I going to do now? Had the barrier fallen?
“Hellsfire, what an appropriate name.”
I spun around to see Renak there. I readied my magic.
He put a hand up and said, “Calm yourself. I’m not here to fight you. You already beat me. Congratulations, Wizard Hellsfire.”
I didn’t drop my guard. Not around him. “Has the Great Barrier fallen?”
“Not yet.” Renak waved his hand. A bright light emanated from above, illuminating a table with a simple wooden chest on it.
I walked to it, always keeping my eye on Renak. I bent over, examining it without touching it. I wasn’t about to fall for a trap or get caught by surprise this time.
I stared at the chest. “What do I do?”
“Open it, and after all these years, the Great Barrier will finally fall.”
I raised my right eyebrow, sensing he was holding something back. “But?”
Renak disappeared and reappeared beside the table. “There are two things. As I said before, I put the barrier up to keep something from happening, not to cut Shala off from his resources. I had this entire area at my disposal, as well as the creatures. In time, I would have beaten him.”
“What’s in Southern Shala you’re so afraid of?”
Renak scowled. “Afraid is the wrong word. During the war, one of my followers warned me of a great imbalance. She said that the cycle that had been in place since magic first formed had been upset, and because of it, the world is in danger. I didn’t listen to her at the time. I was so caught up in the war that I had forgotten my duty as a
wizard.”
He sighed and placed his hands on the chest. “I did end up remembering my duty. Unfortunately, because I waited too long, I couldn’t stop it; I could only delay it.”
“But what’s down there?” I asked. “What could threaten the world?”
“Wizards today, and even during my time, have forgotten our history, why we exist, and where we get our powers from.”
“Everyone knows we get our powers from the gods,” I said.
Renak gave me a sly smile. “True, but it’s not for the reasons you may think, and it wasn’t always like that. There’s a war between the gods, Hellsfire. I didn’t believe it at first, nor do I fully understand the reasons why, but it is happening.”
“You’re telling me you stopped a war between the gods? You who created the Wastelands and enslaved the creatures there and caused the Burning Sands?”
I blinked and Renak appeared in front of me. “I would take care how you speak to me.”
My gaze met his, but after a few moments, I looked away.
Renak backed off and continued talking. “The gods’ war is of no importance.”
“But you just said—”
“Neither side has gained the upper hand. That works to our advantage. If one side ever does, it will be disastrous to all of magic, and to our very world. But an event happened to change all that. The sides had been tilted in favor of one, throwing the scales out of balance.”
He was quiet, letting his words sink into my head.
“Why should I listen to you? My friends are dead! Krystal is dead! All because of you and your accursed nexus!” My fire boiled to the surface. Nothing mattered without her. He was going to pay for what he had done.
Renak didn’t make a move to stop me. I felt no magic rising up within him. In a calm voice he said, “Your beloved princess and your friends are alive and well.”
I halted my attack. In some stories, Renak was named the Great Deceiver, but he was far more complex than that. Would this be one of those stories?
“How can I believe you?”
“You can’t. But the moment you step out of here, you’ll see them alive again, except for the princess who’s not here.”
I calmed myself, letting the magic I had gathered dissipate. “All right. I’ll listen to you. Do you know what caused this imbalance?”
He shook his head. “I was on the right track, but never found out who or what it was. If only I had listened to Lyria earlier.”
Renak might have been right, but he also might have been lying and his point of view was skewed. He wanted the barrier up, and he might lie to me.
“A lot of time has passed since then,” I said. “Maybe it’s gone.”
“No. You don’t understand. The gods’ war never ends. The disturbance might have merely taken a different form after all this time.”
“Or what if it had been defeated? Much time has passed since you last walked the earth.”
“Perhaps.” He didn’t look as if he believed it. “If it hasn’t been dealt with, you would have to deal with it, as it would be your responsibility now as a wizard.”
I walked to the chest and stared at it. I had no idea what to do. If I did nothing, the land would slowly turn into a wasteland. If I brought the barrier down, I would have to deal with the imbalance Renak talked about and the ramifications from a reunited land.
“I’ve made my decision,” I said. “Your spell’s destroying Northern Shala. I have to stop it while I still can. Otherwise, my children and children’s children won’t have a future.”
“And what about what I told you?”
“I can’t worry about that now.”
“Oh?”
“But I promise you, if my friends still live, I will look into it.” Even though I didn’t want to, I had a duty. Renak might have remembered his when it was too late, Premier might have shunted his away, but I wasn’t going to. If my friends were dead, I couldn’t let them die for naught.
His dark eyes studied me. “Even though you’re young, I believe you may be the one.”
“Is there anything more you can tell me about this threat?”
“You’ll be able to sense how wrong the magic will be, and it will be powerful.”
“Is that it?”
“Lyria once told me, ‘The brightest light sometimes casts the darkest shadows.’”
I stared at him blankly.
“She was a seer. They’re always a strange bunch because of the things they’re able to see. It can drive a person crazy. I believe she meant the threat will be hidden, but it can’t hide forever. There will be a time when it must reveal itself. If you can, find it before then and strike. Destroy it and the land will be safe.”
“I’ll do my best,” I said. “Southern Shala is a pretty big place. I’ll also tell the Elemental Council about it. Maybe they’ll be able to help.”
“I wouldn’t count on them,” Renak said. “They didn’t help me when I needed it.”
I placed my trembling hands on the chest and was about to open it when Renak vanished and re-emerged right behind it. His face was intent as he stared at it. He wanted so much for his spell to stay intact, but I had defeated his nexus and him. He was just the ghostly essence of Renak, bound within his limits.
“You may leave now if you like,” Renak said, waving his hand. A bright, diamond-shaped light materialized.
“No. The Great Barrier shouldn’t be. You’re killing the land, Renak. I’m bringing it down. Now.”
“Heed my words, Hellsfire.”
I nodded. “I will.”
Renak’s sharp eyes stared at my hands and the chest. This was it. I took a deep breath before I lifted the latch. The chest creaked as I opened it. A bright, white swirl of light rushed out of it. It enveloped me inside and out, filling every part of my body with warmth and comfort. The light shifted and changed, becoming black. I shivered from its icy touch. With each breath I took, the air around me was frosty.
“Something’s wrong,” Renak said.
The streaking light left me, heading for Renak. It consumed him and he faded in and out of existence.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The spell’s been changed.” He wasn’t disturbed by his flickering appearance, but by his magic. “The wizard in my tower. He’s altered it somehow.”
“What about the barrier?”
“It’s down.” Renak stared at his fading hand. “If only I had more time to deduce what is different. Hellsfire, be careful of this wizard. He’s crafty. Deal with him quickly, then heed my words. The land is in grave danger.”
The most feared and powerful wizard the world had ever known was carried out on a black beam of light, vanishing.
I hesitated, terrified of what I would find outside. If my friends weren’t there, then it meant what I saw in the nexus was true. I still had to worry about the threat that lingered to destroy the land. But first it was time to deal with Premier.
I had no time to think about it, as the portal began to seal itself. I took one last look at this amazing, fearful, and empty place. The light blinded me and filled me with life and power as I stepped out of the nexus and into a changed world.
CHAPTER 12
The blurred, jumbled room was like an unfinished painting, its colors running down the canvas. I blinked and shook my head several times before the room came back into focus. I expected the nexus to disappear, but it still lingered, illuminating the chamber.
“You’re alive,” I said, staring at Prastian and Behast, relieved to see their confused faces.
“Of course,” Behast said, “You weren’t gone for more than an hour.”
“I wasn’t?”
“No.”
“What did you see?” Prastian asked.
“Your deaths, along with the princess’s.” I breathed a little easier. That meant she was still alive. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”
“Can you tell if the Great Barrier is down?”
I reached out wit
h my magical senses, but I shook my head when I found nothing. “It’s too far. I don’t feel a great magical disturbance. Stradus told me he felt something when the barrier was first put up, yet there’s nothing now.” I wasn’t alive then, but someone was who might know the difference. “Premier, is there a way you can tell if the barrier is down?”
Premier closed his eyes. After a few moments he opened them and said, “No.”
“Then how do we know if it’s down?” Prastian asked.
“It’s down,” Premier said. He didn’t state why, but there was something he was hiding from me.
I glanced at Prastian. He subtly nodded as he got the binding potion ready. He would act as soon as I made my move, or Premier did. “Remember your promise, Premier.”
“I remember.”
Premier and Baal took one step closer to the exit. Behast drew his sword, I summoned my magic, and Prastian readied himself to throw the potion. He would only get one chance. The light in the chamber dimmed.
“I didn’t actually expect you to succeed,” Premier said. “The nexus should have broken or killed you like it did everyone else.” He pulled out two vials and cradled them in his hand. “As promised, the cure for your friends.”
“Give them to me.”
Premier didn’t budge. “Assuming you get out of here alive, it looks like the princess has another reason to thank you, but that reunion will be short-lived as you will soon find out.” He grinned and dangled the potions in the air. “Alexandria will be left alone. However, you said nothing about Southern Shala.”
“Get ready,” I said not moving my lips, and in a low enough tone for only the elves to hear.
“Thank you for giving me a chance to return home, Hellsfire. There’s going to be plenty of old scores to settle, plus a lot of new opportunities. There’s one last thing you should have realized.” Premier stared past me at the nexus. The light in the room darkened further. “Catch!”