by Marc Johnson
“Now!” I said.
Prastian threw the vial at Premier and I tore my eyes away from him, holding my hands out. As my eyes followed the potions, the nexus sealed completely, plunging the chamber into darkness. I had no idea where the potions were so I lifted my robes out, praying my robes would catch them.
My robes thumped as the potions landed in them. I let out a breath of relief and secured them in my purse. I formed a huge fireball in my hand, illuminating the room. I was about to fling it at Premier or Baal, but they were already gone. The broken vial of binding potion was where Premier once stood.
We rushed out into the corridor to find them. The elves used their long ears while I scanned for any sign of magic. They could have been anywhere, as they knew the tower far better than we did.
The elves didn’t hear Premier or Baal running up the stairs. With Baal’s heavy steps, they should have. I moved down the hallway. Shadows crept along the walls and ceiling. They must have gone down one of these corridors, but which way?
My magical senses pricked me, and I felt something very old and powerful. It wasn’t Premier, but it could be anything in this ancient tower. I remembered Renak’s words about Premier. I peered down the darkened hallway, feeling the presence coming closer.
“I hear something,” Behast said.
“Me too,” Prastian said.
Before I could illuminate the shadows down the hallway with my flames, a slimy tentacle reached out and seized my wrist. I tried to pull my arm away, but I couldn’t. It began draining me of my magic, and I swayed like a reed in the wind. The fireball in my hand almost vanished. I kept the magic lit lest we be plunged into darkness. Behast yelled and cleaved through the tentacle. A monstrous bellow echoed from down the corridor.
A gigantic orange worm nearly filled the entire hallway. It scraped its belly along the floor, its open mouth shooting out dozens of squirming tentacles. The tentacles only went for me. I screamed at my body to run, but I stood like a statue, while they wrapped around me. Having my magic sucked away made me feel like a newborn babe. It was hard to maintain my tiny spell, which grew smaller each passing second until it was no bigger than a candle’s flame.
Behast jumped in front of me, slashing at the tentacles, breaking their hold on me. Prastian let loose his arrows at the worm. They clanged off the creature’s metallic skin. He changed tactics and shot at its gaping mouth. It screamed and closed its mouth, stopping the tentacles from coming through. It had no eyes or ears. Its colossal body rolled closer.
“We…must…go,” I said before my spell vanished.
Unfortunately, Premier would have to wait, but at least I knew where he was headed. Southern Shala would have to be warned about Premier and the threat Renak had told me about. I still couldn’t believe that the gods were at war. I prayed that in bringing down the Great Barrier I hadn’t doomed the world.
Behast swept me up and carried me over his burly shoulder. Prastian drew his sword and cut back the beast’s tentacles. They ran to the next floor, getting us out of the monster’s reach.
I tried to stand on my own, but I couldn’t. I leaned against the wall for support. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out my rejuvenation potion. My energy would be restored, but because of the nature of the creature’s attack, it would be awhile. Behast said he would carry me and he did.
They jogged back up to the top of the tower, hurrying to get back to our friends. The top floor was the only place we felt relatively safe. I figured that Premier kept it protected. We backtracked the way we had come, keeping a lookout for any surprises Premier might have left, in case he did go up instead of escaping from the tower. We scanned every door, table, and stone, trying to see if something was out of place. I kept my magic in place, but the light was pitiful. It exhausted me to keep up even that minor magic.
Eventually, we reached the top of the tower. Enough light shone that I no longer needed to keep up my spell. I was able to walk on my own two feet. We checked our room, hoping that Jastillian and Demay were still there and safe.
The pair slept, still smothered by the blankets we had left covering them. Sweat rolled off their pale faces and their breathing was labored. I poured one of the potions into each of their mouths, then wiped up the drops that didn’t go in. Their breathing eased, but that was all. It would take some time for it to work.
I kept an eye on the unconscious pair while Prastian and Demay searched the rest of the floor. I told them to get me if they found anything that made their hackles rise. They carefully checked everywhere, trying to find a potion, an enchanted weapon, or even a map of where Premier might have gone. They found nothing. Either he had stashed what was important to him or he had taken everything with him when he escaped. Renak was right. Premier was crafty. He had expected me to come here all along and he had planned things accordingly. I had thought him weak from his lack of magic, but I was wrong. Next time I saw Premier, I would waste no time in killing him.
I finally allowed myself to relax as the land of dreams called to me, the potion working its own magic.
----
When I awoke, night had fallen. I smiled when I saw a familiar face in front of me.
“He’s awake,” Jastillian said and smiled.
“You’re all right,” I said.
“We both are,” Demay said, handing me a jug of water.
I took a long drink, letting the water cool my parched throat. “I’m glad.”
“I’m not,” Jastillian said, frowning. “I missed seeing the Nexus of the Wastelands and that slippery snake got away.”
“There’s always Southern Shala,” Demay said.
“Aye,” Jastillian said with bright eyes.
“I want to thank you for bringing down the Great Barrier to save us, Hellsfire,” Demay said. “You didn’t have to. From what my brother told me, you took a great risk in doing so.”
“Thank you, lad,” Jastillian said.
I stared at my pale, smiling friends. I placed my hands on each of their shoulders. “No, thank you. You both saved my life. Premier would have killed me if it wasn’t for you two.”
I walked to the window and peered outside. It seemed quieter, somehow, and brighter. The black clouds that had settled around Masep, and particularly this tower, had dispersed. The constant eerie lightning that raced across them had fallen silent. Those clouds weren’t the result of the residual magic in the tower. They were the fault of the Great Barrier and the nexus Renak had used. I wished it was daylight so I could see how much it had all changed.
I peered at the countless campfires showing where the creatures were. What did they think about the skies changing? Were they fearful?
“Are you two well enough to travel?” I asked without turning around.
“Yes,” Demay said.
“And to fight,” Jastillian said, reading my thoughts.
“Good. We can’t explore the tower and find a secret way out. The tower’s far too dangerous if we don’t know where we’re going.” I clenched my hand, feeling my magic swell up. “We’re going home, and gods help whatever gets in our way.”
-----
It was a shame I didn’t have more time to study what was in Renak’s old stronghold. The knowledge, power, and history it contained could have taught me a lot. Even though my friends had already combed the top floor, I double-checked it, scouring for a clue they might have missed. Renak’s old journals would have helped a lot. Both for information on the threat in Southern Shala, and for the other knowledge they contained. I didn’t find anything, and the stronghold was too big and too dangerous to search it entirely. I wanted to see with my own eyes that Krystal was safe, and the Elemental Council had to be warned. Renak might have lied to me about my friends’ deaths, but he was deathly worried about the gods’ war.
We gathered our things and left the tower. My friends had their weapons drawn, and I cloaked myself in magic as I led the way. I glanced up at the sky. A gray overcast hovered above the city, but patches of blue and
rays of sunlight poked out. It was far more than I had ever seen since my time in the Wastelands. The tower still had its magical gleam, but it didn’t shine as brightly.
The ogres and wolves were still guarding the gates, but other creatures had filled the road, watching the entrance to the tower. The two ogres guarding the gate turned to face us and ordered others beyond to open the gates. The wolves barked madly. The ogres had their swords raised, poised to strike. The other surrounding creatures had confused looks on their faces. I stopped in front of the ogres, just out of sword’s reach, and peered up at them.
“Move,” I said, staring them in the eyes.
The ogres didn’t budge. Their muscular bodies tightened, and they loomed over us. “Who are you?” an ogre asked.
“Move. I’m not going to ask again.”
The barking wolves made it hard to concentrate. I glanced at them and released a hint of power in my eyes. They whimpered and cowered away. The ogres looked stunned, but held their ground.
I lifted my arm and flattened my palm, releasing the magic I had gathered. The air exploded, smashing into the ogres lifting them away. They plummeted into the crowd a hundred feet away.
I turned my head, glaring at each of the creatures near us. They stepped back, giving us a wide berth. All of Masep was silenced. The creatures stopped their conversations, their bargaining, their fighting, and turned their complete attention on me. They recognized me for what I was—a wizard.
We continued as the heavy tension closed in on us. We didn’t talk, much less breathe. My friends walked back to back, making sure the creatures didn’t try anything, and my eyes scanned the crowd for any sign of attack.
A trembling goblin, nearly frozen with fright, asked, “Youuuu gonna ruule nowww?”
I turned a fierce gaze on him. He leaned back so far I thought he was going to fall. I didn’t answer him, but he had a valid question. I couldn’t have these creatures under Premier’s thumb again, or worse yet, running wild and threatening Alexandria.
I wrapped myself in the cold air. “Hear me!” I called, the wind carrying my words to all those in Masep. “Premier is gone. I am the wizard, Hellsfire. I am the one who defeated Premier in Alexandria.”
I tensed as I held onto the spell, wondering what the creatures were going to do. They had left us alone thus far, but would they want revenge for their defeat, and were some loyal to Premier like Baal was? I might be a wizard, but not even I could take on all of them. I had thought I was going to retrieve the book. If I had it, I could have learned its secrets before I destroyed it—something that would have helped us. But the creatures did something completely unexpected.
They kneeled.
The ogres bowed, then the goblins, followed by the trolls, producing a ripple effect throughout the city. I stood there, basking in all the power I had over these creatures. I didn’t need the book. Whatever Renak had done to them long ago was ingrained in them. But to think that one person could influence so many. It was no wonder Renak, Premier, and other wizards became corrupted. I could stay here and rule. I could show all those in Sedah that an ignorant farm boy like me could be something great, and have my own kingdom. I needed no one and I would never be bullied again.
Then I remembered my friends. Their eyes gleamed with questions, doubts, and even fear. They didn’t say a word, but they reminded me of what I had to do. I didn’t want to be like Renak or Premier. Besides, what would be the point of ruling without someone to share it with? I never wanted this power. Even though I was born with it, I had a responsibility to it and others.
“Arise,” I said to the creatures. “I have not come to rule.”
They slowly rose. I said nothing. They glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. They dared to talk amongst themselves. Their whispers grew to shouts and their shouts into a raucous roar.
“Enough!” I yelled, my voice piercing the city. “I came here to deal with Premier and I did. He won’t trouble you anymore.”
My words had the intended effect. Relieved, twisted, disfigured smiles passed throughout the crowd. They probably didn't like Premier any more than I did. I thought long and hard about what I was going to say next. What I hoped Krystal would have wanted.
“I’m going to give you your freedom,” I said to the gathered crowd. “You will rule over yourselves from now on. No one will ever tell you what to do.”
The creatures roared again. A few of the goblins jumped up and down. After some time had passed, I put a hand up. They all stopped.
“You will not go past the mountains into Northern Shala,” I said. “If you do, I will be back. And I am far worse than Premier.” I let the fire flow out of my eyes and scowled at them. “We’re leaving. Do not get in our way.”
I let go of the air spell and almost fainted. I was using far too much sloppy magic to show how powerful I was. I should have used a simpler spell to demonstrate my power to them. I continued to look strong for fear of their attack, and let the fire seep out of my hands.
The creatures parted before us as we marched through the city like a strong breeze through a dense forest. They stood still, gawking at me, waiting until I passed before they talked amongst themselves. After all these years, they could finally have their freedom, but would they know what to do with it? Do any of us? They made no move against us, but my friends and I never dropped our guard.
When we reached Masep’s gates, there was one brave soul who dared to question me.
Kemek blocked our path. There were no other goblins around him. “What you say true, Great One?”
“Yes,” I said. “As long as you stay on your side. Perhaps one day we’ll get along, but now‘s not the time, Kemek.”
His eyes nearly came out of their sockets. “You know my name?”
“I’m a wizard. I know everything. I even know of your secret city.”
Kemek gasped and tripped over his own feet.
“I won’t harm you or your people as long as you spread word of what I said here today.”
He trembled. “You-you strange, Great One.”
“Call me Hellsfire.”
“Hells…fire? Hellsfire.” Kemek sounded out my name as if saying it would strike him down. “You strange, but me like you. Me make sure goblins don’t go to human place. Don’t know about nasty trolls or dirty ogres.”
“Maybe one day we’ll meet again. Goodbye, Kemek.”
Kemek kneeled. “Bye, Great Wizard.”
We departed Masep. I thought the creatures would accept their freedom and leave us alone.
But they didn’t.
CHAPTER 13
Now that the Great Barrier was down, I was better able to access the Wasteland’s earth magic. The land was still sickly, but I felt patches of the creatures all around us. There were thousands of them in their separate groups. None of us felt safe. Without our disguises, we were more exposed than ever. Despite what I had done in Masep, the creatures could attack us at a moment’s notice.
We hurried as fast as we could towards Alexandria. We made better time, since we didn’t have to hide or take detours. While the majority of the creatures avoided us, I sensed two large groups at the fringe of my senses and powers. I thought it might be coincidental, until I realized they were headed our way.
Because of how damaged the land was and how far away they were, I couldn’t tell exactly what followed us. The smaller group had to be either trolls or ogres because of the way their footsteps stomped on the land. They traveled the terrain well, bypassing any crevices.
The smaller, numerous group could only be goblins. They circled around us, not caring how many they lost in their hunt. Their group shrank over the next few days, but it was more than enough.
The others and I tried to lose either group, but they tracked us. We pushed ourselves faster, barely getting any sleep. Soon, the creatures were only a day away. They were so close that my powers let me know it was ogres in that small group. They were the ones we were going to have to fight first.
We stopped and prepared for our final stand. We still had a few hours of daylight left before the creatures came at us. We decided to use the terrain to our advantage instead of them using it to theirs.
There was a rock outcropping up a small hill, providing cover for the elves to shoot from. It faced north, where the ogres would be coming from. The ground in front of it was loose enough for us to dig ditches. In front of those, I could cast my own trap.
By the time night fell, we had prepared our defenses. I had constructed a magical trap, powerful enough, I hoped, for Alexandria to see.
I sprinted back to the others. Prastian and Demay hid behind the rocks, their arrows pointing into the darkness from whence I came. Behast and Jastillian stood behind ditches the two had dug.
Our defenses were adequate at best. We would have liked to prepare more. There was nothing we could have done about the fast approaching goblins coming in from our western flank. If we had time, we would finish off the ogres, then fall back to higher and rockier ground.
“How many are there?” Behast asked.
I bent down and placed my fingertips on the ground. The ogres’ vibrations traveled through the earth to me.
“Far too many,” I said, glancing up at the night sky. The large clouds blocked out a lot of light. The ogres had better eyesight at night than any of us except Jastillian.
A low rumbling came from half a mile away, accompanied by the ogres’ screams and growls.
“They come,” Behast said.
Behast and Jastillian moved to the spots they had picked out earlier, and I went back to the elves. Hiding behind the rocks, I sat cross-legged on the ground. I closed my eyes in a trance, letting the earth mana guide me until I reached where my trap was. Earlier in the day, I had gathered in mana and channeled it through a large area, storing it until I was ready to unleash it. I was exhausted from the spell, but if it worked, the ogres’ numbers would be greatly diminished.