“You’ve lost it,” I said.
“Are you sure it isn’t you that is being the delusional one?” Desroche asked. “Surely your life hasn’t been sunshine and happiness since you destroyed the Tower.”
“No, but it hasn’t been unbearable,” I answered. “People’s reaction to magic is misguided right now. They only need to be shown that we can live side by side. Trying to rule over people and force them to live a certain way has only put us in this hole. We will get past this and a new way of life will replace it.”
“And how long do you expect that to take?” Desroche asked. “Better question. How long do you see your patience lasting? People don’t change unless you force them to. How long do you honestly expect to teach tolerance before you simply snap and start forcing it on people? With our power we were predestined to rule. It is our right. Put a non-magic user in charge and you get nothing but words because the person doesn’t have ability to make change happen. Put a Mage in charge and stuff will finally get done.”
“Look where it’s got you now,” I responded.
Desroche smiled. “I’m on the verge of winning. My army will defeat Balendar and its new king on the Archanion field because the one who can stop me stands before me waiting to die. I kill you and it’s all over. Every step you have taken has led you right into a trap.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Cathy whispered. “He’s all talk.”
She’s right. He is all talk. But the fact still remains. When I first arrived in Scert’chak, Desroche had trapped me in a dungeon with the Binds of Silence, a device that blocks a Mage’s ability to connect with their magic and leaves them simple-minded, wrapped around my wrists. If it wasn’t for Cathy I wouldn’t have been able to escape and Desroche would have defeated the Evenawk rebels. Two cycles later, I bring another army to fight Desroche and walk right into his hands.
*
Although this time, a set of bars and a pair of binds didn’t stand in my way.
I brought my flaming hands in front of me and launched a Fireball towards Desroche. The five Evenawks protecting him took the brunt of the attack and Desroche turned the remaining fire away.
“Kill them all!” he called out, running towards the secret door that led down to his machine.
With five of the twelve already handled, I summoned power into my foot and stomped the ground to disrupt the Evenawks. Cathy and the Davalin soldiers attacked afterwards and I rushed in with my short sword ready.
I picked my opponent and approached him. He had been in the back and had avoided both the Fireball and blast. It felt wrong to leave him out of the action. He swung his spear towards me and I sidestepped, deflecting the spear with my sword and launching an Ice Bolt with my free hand. The Evenawk dropped and I took out one circling around Bill with some Lightning.
The remaining Evenawks were no match for us and the last was defeated quickly. All that was left was to head back down into that secret room where this adventure began. There would be no taking prisoners, justice system or trials. Desroche must die.
“Are you ready?” Cathy asked.
“Yeah, let’s head down,” I said.
“We should be careful,” Bill said. “Last time he had the barriers set up and there could be more birds.”
I was convinced that his guard supply had run out, but it still didn’t make sense to me why he would run to a room with only one escape. We would have to be cautious.
I started towards the staircase and stared down into its dark depths. “Anyone else want to go first?” I joked.
“We’re behind you every step of the way,” Cathy replied.
Walking down the stairs was like descending into another one of Cathy’s nightmares. Every step brought you closer to the hell that waited. Swallowing my fear, I focused on each step, getting more pumped up for the fight. This was the end and it was about damn time it happened.
We emerged into the darkened room of Desroche’s madness. In the same spot we left him, Chieftain Harkis hung suspended above the runic symbol on the ground. There were no guards or barriers and after searching the entire area, no Desroche.
The Davalin guards spread out along the room to ensure that no one could sneak around us and bright white lights emerged on the floor underneath them. In a second, Cathy, Bill, Rob and Gina hung suspended under a different runic symbol.
Laughter filled the room as Desroche emerged from a dark corner, wielding a large staff. “Even after I told you that you were walking into a trap, you still fell for it. I’m embarrassed to think of you as a worthy adversary now. You’ve been just coasting by on your unusual luck, haven’t you?”
“If I had any luck, wouldn’t I be living in a grand house with many servants?” I asked.
“I said you were lucky, not bright,” he snapped back. “My goal was to put you in suspension too but after the Binds, I know there is more to you than you let on, Daison.”
I smirked. “I’m always full of surprises.”
The runic symbol under Cathy started to flicker before disappearing and dropping her to her knees. She stood up, readied her sword and shield and smiled playfully like a cat about to attack a rat.
“Oh, Lady Middleton,” Desroche said amused. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. How did this happen?”
“You can say that I’m not the same girl you met last time,” Cathy replied playfully.
This was it. Desroche’s trap had once again been foiled by Cathy. His face turned from that pleasant grin to a frustrated scowl as everything started to click into place. If we continued to follow pattern, Desroche’s defeat at my hands would come next. He turned to me. “Did you want a frying pan for this fight?” he asked.
“Not this time,” I smirked. “But thanks for offering.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Desroche said, pointing the staff at me. “Two against one just makes this more fun. Shall we begin?”
Chapter 34
I made sure my scales were at their maximum strength. Desroche was a master of the Spirituality, but that didn’t mean he knew how to defend himself. He didn’t rise through the ranks of the Tower and become head of Ghanlar because of his looks. Though I’m sure in his head it’s a different story.
His staff was still pointed right at my chest. It was of standard Tower design but that didn’t make it any safer in his hands. Cathy’s and my first goal was to remove or destroy that staff. The longer he had it, the smaller our window of advantage.
“So, is someone going to be the first to attack,” Desroche asked, “because I have better things to do if we are just going to stand here?”
“I thought because of the ‘unfair’ advantage, you should fire first,” I replied.
“Aww,” he said in mock sadness. “How stupid of you.”
The staff tip glowed white and I was knocked off my feet by a Pulse before I could react. The diversion had worked though, and Cathy had rushed him fast enough that he was forced to defend himself with the staff. The sound of sword clashing with staff filled the tiny room and I jumped back to my feet.
Cathy was at a disadvantage as Desroche used Pulses to keep Cathy unstable. I launched an Ice Bolt towards him and he stepped back and held his hand out. A Magic Shell covered the area around him and deflected my ice and Cathy’s attack. With Cathy vulnerable, Desroche dropped the Shell, extended the staff and covered Cathy in flames.
I rushed forward, summoned a large amount of power and launched a Lightning Bolt with both hands. The current hit the staff and Desroche screamed as it jumped from the iron to his body. From the flames, Cathy emerged and kicked the staff out of his hands.
Desroche staggered back and cast the Magic Shell around him again. Cathy kept her distance and sized up the Shell, looking for a weakness. I, however, had seen enough of these at the Tower to know there was only one thing to do. I charged up and launched a Dispel. The Shell wavered and I charged up another. Before I could launch the spell, Desroche made the Shell explode, taking Cathy and I off our feet.
> I jumped to my feet in time to see Desroche pick up his staff and launch a wave of ice at me. I crouched down and covered my bare head with my scaled hands. I felt the cold pile onto my scales and make my whole body stiff. The ice stopped as he turned his attention to a rushing Cathy. Desroche turned the staff towards her and a barrier appeared in front of her. Cathy ran straight into it and fell to the ground.
“Hey, kids,” Desroche smiled, “want to see something they won’t teach you in school?”
He extended his arm towards one of the Davalin soldiers. The rune under the soldier exploded and an electrical stream ripped out of the soldier and up Desroche’s arm. His eyes glowed temporarily white before returning to normal. The lifeless soldier collapsed onto the ground and it took me all of my strength to remain focused on Desroche.
“You’re possessed?” I asked.
He laughed. “Do you really think I would let a demon into my perfect mind? Being able to steal another’s life force isn’t the work of demons, just people willing to extend their power to extraordinary limits. Now come at me; I’m just starting to warm up.”
I shot a quick look to Cathy. She looked equally worried by what she had seen. Desroche was having way too much fun toying with us. If we didn’t start to turn the tables then we would be doomed when he decided playtime was over.
Cathy and I tried to get to our feet but were immediately knocked down by Desroche. “Sorry, I really should give you the chance to stand up,” he chuckled. “Here.” We were pulled off the ground and thrown towards him, landing on our stomachs at his feet. “Please, please, no need to bow before me.” Cathy jumped up to her feet and Desroche held her in stasis. “We should play the same little game we played with your father. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
“Try it,” Cathy squeezed out.
I started gathering power and climbing to my feet as Desroche concentrated on Mind Controlling Cathy. His face changed when he realised that Cathy’s mind wasn’t what he thought. I cast an Ice Bolt right into his chest and he staggered back, releasing Cathy from his hold.
The ice was stuck in a ripple in his chest. He looked down at it and pulled it out. It should have occurred to me that he would have some sort of shield protecting him from magic, but it was still enough to free Cathy and maybe earn a little respect from Desroche.
His face changed from shock to anger and I switched my hands from scales to ice. Magic was going to be nothing less than support in this battle. Victory would go to the one who was strongest physically. He turned his staff to me and launched me across the room with another Pulse. The sound of sword and staff again filled the tiny room.
I stood back up, the long travels and being tossed like a ragdoll taking its toll on my legs, and headed for the fighting. Desroche’s staff now glowed with fire on each end and he fought with a ferocity that only Cathy could match. She was strongly glowing pale blue and her eyes were even starting to go white as she matched Desroche’s speed and strength. When Desroche sensed me approaching, he swung around, knocked the feet out from under me and slammed me to the ground with his staff. It wasn’t my finest moment.
Once again, I started to pick myself up when Desroche knocked Cathy back, launched her across the room and reached out towards another Davalin guard to steal more strength. I jumped up, grabbed his arm, twisted my body and threw him over my shoulder and onto the ground. His arm still extended, he launched a Pulse at me, knocking me straight up to my feet and followed up with an Ice Bolt. The pain was incredible and it pierced the scales on my chest.
I pulled the ice out and grabbed my chest to heal the wound. It was only a minor cut, but it would always be on my mind how close I was to having my heart pierced. I circled around Desroche in a stagger, forcing him to follow me and turn his back to Cathy’s direction, wherever she had ended up.
“Damn your Harden Skin!” Desroche spat.
He pointed the staff towards the remaining Davalin guards. I was too far away to make a move but saw a flash rushing up behind him. Cathy emerged and chopped down, taking Desroche’s hand off and causing the staff to fall to the ground. Desroche screamed out in pain and turned towards her. With his left hand, he launched a wave of lightning that covered Cathy from head to toe. With another Pulse, he sent her flying into the wall. She hit the ground hard and remained still.
My heart dropped and my legs found their strength again. The ice on my hand grew stronger as I ran towards Desroche. He turned to me in time to receive a devastating punch to the face, breaking his nose and causing blood to spray out. I followed up with a gut shot from my other hand and another punch to the face. The new found strength flowed through me and Desroche could only stagger back before sending a small Pulse to temporarily shake me. With my stutter, Desroche reached out and my mind felt like it was on fire.
I stopped and grabbed my head, concentrating on my mental barriers. Attempting to Mind Control me, showed that Desroche was desperate. This was merely a diversion to buy him some time and I used every trick I knew from growing up in the Tower to keep him out.
Desroche laughed. “You’ve got a mean right hook but you’re messing with the best, son. You’re too weak to defend against me for long. Soon I will destroy your mind and finish off your little girlfriend.”
I slammed the last barrier shut and the fire in my mind went out. Desroche’s face twisted in shock before he pressed his attack harder. My mind was secure and I reached out to feel for his. He was attacking me with his remaining strength and I easily slipped past his mental barrier and planted an Illusion spell. It wasn’t anything fancy, just him thinking I was weakening and collapsing to my knees.
He smiled down at the imaginary me. “See, Mind Controls are kind of my thing. You can’t mess with the master.”
I drew my sword and drove it into his chest, piercing his heart. His jaw dropped in surprise and I dropped my Illusion. “See,” I said, mocking him, “Illusions are kind of my thing. You can’t mess with the master.” I pulled my sword out and drove it through his chest again, dropping him to the ground.
I dropped to my knees beside him and took a couple of deep breaths. A couple of bright flashes filled the room and I turned to see the runic symbols had disappeared to release the remaining soldiers.
One immediately ran up to me and I smiled up at Bill. “You’re back.”
“Where’s Rob and Lady Middleton?” he asked, helping me back to my feet.
I pointed to Cathy, still lying unmoving on the ground. “And Rob must have been the soldier Desroche killed. Did you see anything after being trapped in the rune?”
He shook his head and Gina hurried over to Cathy. Cathy started to stir and Gina helped her back to her feet. Cathy looked down at Desroche’s body and pouted. “I wanted to be there when he died.”
I was just happy to see that Cathy was alive and didn’t trust myself to say anything coherent.
“You look like you’ve seen better days,” Cathy smiled to me. “Ready to free the Evenawks?”
I nodded and grabbed the Nao staff on my back. The abuse from the fight had left it covered in ice and almost snapped in half with a couple of threads holding. I brushed off the ice and held the two pieces together. After a quick test, it proved to be shaky but functional. I approached the Evenawk Chieftain, still suspended in his prison.
Aiming for the staff supporting the rune, the yellow light shot out from the Nao staff and caused the rune to waver. The Davalin soldiers stepped back, not knowing what will happen and I entered their minds.
The power from the Nao staff increased as the rune glowed brighter. The entire room had taken on an eerie red glow but the support staff was starting to glow white and shake. The shaking soon caused the entire room to shake and I started to strain to hold the staff steady.
“What’s going on?” Cathy asked.
“I don’t know,” I answered. “This is different. The staff is too damaged. It’s making it unstable.”
“Can it still work?” Cathy asked.
; “I’m doing my best but I’m not getting enough power,” I answered.
“Here,” Cathy said, grabbing the staff as well. “Use my life to help.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, stunned.
“My Lady, surely you’re joking,” Bill said.
“We need to destroy Desroche’s control on the Evenawks. Whatever the cost,” Cathy explained. “I would gladly give my life to save them.”
“But we need you to rebuild, my Lady,” Bill said sadly. “Allow me to take your place.”
Cathy shook her head slowly. “It won’t work with you. I still have a bit of Kairu’s magic from when he healed me. He can use that connection to power the staff. I’ve been on borrowed time anyhow since that day. I don’t know how much longer the magic will hold.”
Bill looked sullen but nodded slowly. “Thank you, my Lady.”
“Take care of Davalin when I’m gone, Bill,” Cathy said. Bill nodded and Cathy turned back to me. “Do it.”
I shook my head. “No.”
“That’s an order, Mage,” Cathy said.
I frowned but focused my magic on the Nao staff. The white light from the support staff grew brighter and Cathy groaned and fell to her knees. I looked down at her one more time before sending the final wave of magic. The glowing staff exploded in a bright white light and I had to shield my eyes. The room turned to black as the rune disappeared.
I made my left hand glow with fire and searched the room. Bill and Gina stood in shock, staring down at the spot where Cathy used to be. She had disappeared completely.
The Nao staff begun to crumble into ash from the power and I dropped it to the ground and hurried towards the fallen Chieftain. He lay crumpled on the ground sobbing gently and hugging his knees. I fell to my knees and dragged him close to me, pulling my friend into a hug.
“Never again,” he said.
“It’s over,” I said softly. “He’s dead and we’ve freed your people.”
He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, but his voice turned cold and determined. “Never again.”
The Vacant Throne: The Legend Of Kairu Vol 3 Page 27