"You give me no reason to be joyful," he growled. "And it isn't for you I am worrying, but my friend's body you are so callously endangering."
Talar closed his eyes and began a low chant. Carl knew the routine by now. The wizard would spend about five minutes chanting and wiggling his fingers at Ayesha's stronghold in an attempt to determine the strength of its ward spells, and garrison. This was the seventh such reconnoiter he had gone on with Talar. None were as forbidding as the drum-tower across the street. Most were the mansions of rich merchants and nobles loyal to Ayesha's cause. His job was to protect the entranced wizard from more mundane threats. A job he excelled at.
In the shadows, Carl squatted behind Talar, dividing his attention between the men patrolling the drum-tower and the alley they were hiding in. He pulled his sword and laid it across his knees, his hand lightly holding the long leather-bound hilt. A sound down the alley caught his attention. A shuffling, snorting noise. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. As it neared, the hairs on his neck rose and he tightened his grip on the sword. Soon a small white dog moved into sight as it continued its search for food in the trash piles. Relaxing, Carl glowered at the unsuspecting dog. Picking up a rock, he hurled it at the dog so it wouldn't come up and startled Talar in his spellcastings.
Carl misjudged the accuracy and strength of the throw. The rock hit the dog solidly on the snout, eliciting a startled yelp and then, as it scrambled away, a high-pitched yelping. Startled himself, Carl looked over at the abandoned City Guard Tower to find guards looking their way and pointing. Then he started to make out their shouts and knew that he and Talar had been spotted.
"Why did you do that?" Talar asked angrily as he rose to his feet.
"I was bored," he said just as angrily. "Now use some of that highly vaulted magic and whisk us out of here."
"Too late," Talar said, looking around curiously. "They have some strange wards hereabouts. They became active when the alarm went up and are suppressing the casting of magic."
"Then we fight our way out," Carl said, almost relieved to find the wizard wasn't invincible, that his magic could be countered successfully. Then smiling wickedly at a band of bravos sallying forth from the tower, "Nothing like a bit of brisk bladework to get the ole heart a-pumping."
"Give me some working room, barbarian," Talar ordered and began chanting and drawing strangely disturbing symbols in the air before him.
While Carl charged out to meet Ayesha's men, Talar tried unsuccessfully to strike them down with lightning and fireballs, but the drum-tower's wards weren't allowing such magicks to work.
Meanwhile, Carl found his element again. He waded into the bravos with long sword singing red death. His superior reach, sword length, and talents were sending the others reeling under his onslaught.
"Ho! Doomed bravos. If any of you are lucky enough to ascend to the Hall of Valor," Carl cried, "Tell Bandu and Ashtar that Carl, the Laughingbear of legend, has sent you to serve him in the afterlife!"
Then a low rumbling growl brought everyone up short. Carl felt his skin gooseflesh. He and the tower guards all forgot their own battle and began looking around in the deepening darkness for the source of that exceedingly menacing sound. It came again from the tower's direction. Then Carl spotted Ayesha standing atop the wall, arms held high and glowing blue. Beneath her, a monstrous beast lumbered through the gate.
"Talar!" Carl cried, stepping back. "Look alive, we're in big trouble."
The eerily glowing monster was vaguely ape-shaped, with overlong arms that nearly touched the street when it stood upright, and bright red fur. Its face was a cross between an ape and a dog, with some of the most wicked fangs Carl had ever seen and eyes that burned like hellfires. Its claws were like black daggers, glinting murderously in the fading light. He noticed beams of bluish light were shooting from Ayesha's hands, engulfing the hellish monster.
Carl turned to Talar, "The witch is conjuring it..."
Carl was brought up short once again at the sight of what Talar conjured to counter Ayesha's creature. Talar's arms also glowed blue, with beams of blue light shooting out to engulf his monster. He’d conjured a giant dragonlike creature, though to Carl's mind it appeared more serpent than dragon. The beast reminded him of the ancient murals of knight-mages fighting great battles astride what they called wyverns. It was blue-scaled, long and slender, with wicked looking talons and large black batwings. Its triangular head looked similar to a Great Green Dragon's head, with a long pointed snout, bristling with sharp fangs and covered by a multitude of equally vicious looking horns.
"Duck!" Talar cried.
Out of the corner of his eye Carl spotting the wyvern's long spiked tail swinging towards him. He dropped to the ground just before it swept the gawking bravos away. Aside from that, the monsters appeared only to have eyes for each other..
He swore as he glowered at the two battling mages. "My soul will be damned for certain, dealing with the likes of them."
The two monsters met in the center of the street. Their roars of defiance and challenge were deafening as they began to circle. The wyvern struck first, snapping at the ape's short legs. It's head was bashed aside with a massive fist. Pulling back in a coiling motion, it opened its jaws wide and sent a thunderous jet of white hot flames at the ape. Though engulfed by the flames, the ape monster appeared relatively unscathed by the attack, with the exception of smoldering fur.
The ape gave an enraged roar and jumped atop the wyvern, wrapping thick arms around its neck. The wyvern roared and spewed fire all about. Carl feared they would torch the whole of the Tighdubh Quarter, if not the entire Allaria Island. The wyvern then began to roll and writhe, and tried to bring its daggerlike talons into play. The ape avoided the talons, though it was unable to keep from being wrapped up within the wyvern's long serpentine body and rolled about. While the ape tried to choke the wyvern, it was in turn being crushed bodily.
After only a few minutes it became apparent to Carl that the ape was gaining the upper hand. Already the wyvern's body was starting to loosen its coils, and it had ceased its spewing of flames. Carl had to do something quick, or risk being destroyed by Ayesha's victorious ape monster.
Sheathing his long sword, he drew his new battle-axe and carefully measured the distance to Ayesha atop the drum-tower's curtain walls. Taking the long oaken haft in both hands, he started running towards the tower. As he neared the wall, Carl spun and sent the axe spinning murderously towards the High Mage. Engrossed as she was in the sorcerous battle, she failed to take note of the barbarian warrior and his activities.
"Ha! Take that, you black-hearted witch!" Carl cried as the battle-axe crashed into her lower belly.
The axe hit haft first, knocking Ayesha off the wall and ending the battle of monsters as her ape vanished. The wyvern gave one last flaming roar before returning to whatever hellish realm Talar had pulled it from.
"Good work, barbarian!" Talar cried. He was sweat-soaked and panting from his efforts. Indeed, he had to drop to one knee to rest. "Did you kill her?"
"Not quite!" Ayesha cried from atop the wall, and sent a blue-white bolt streaking at Talar.
Carl jumped between them and took the bolt square in the chest. The enchantment Talar had placed on his mail absorbed the bolt, though Carl wasn't totally unaffected. He staggered, feeling as though a thousand needles were stabbing him all over, not unlike when his arm or leg fell asleep.
Carl looked incredulously at her. She seemed fresh and high-spirited, despite being brutally knocked off the wall and losing a magical battle that had all but drained Talar. Then he saw her make the sign of the black viper, evoking the Goddess Dirusa. A blood red gem suddenly flash at her throat, leaving her enveloped in a red glow.
God Magic!
"Bandu, give me strength!" he cried, pulling his long sword and taking a step toward Ayesha. He had to stop her before she brought the Goddess's power to bear on them and blasted them to Hel.
Talar stepped out from behi
nd him and threw his own bolt at the sorceress. Jumping aside to avoid it, she overbalanced herself and fell off the wall. Both Carl and Talar raced for her. She had fallen wrong and looked stunned. The red halo that had surrounded her was gone.
"Die, sorceress!" Carl cried as he closed, long sword raised to deliver the killing blow.
Ayesha glanced his way with wide fearful eyes. Turning to the wall on hands and knees, she spoke a Word of Power and a black whirlpool appeared.
"Don't let her escape through the portal!" Talar cried from a pace behind, casting a fireball at her.
The Gods only knew where the other side of the passage ended. In the blink of an eye she could be halfway around the world, but Carl wasn't overly worried, he would reach her before she could enter. Before one of her hellish patron Gods could aid her.
Ayesha turned on Carl and sent a bolt into his chest. This time the affects were greater, causing Carl to stumble and lose hold of his hilt. As barbarian and sword hit the cobbles, Talar darted past to engage the sorceress.
With sword and spell, Talar blocked Ayesha's escape. Placing himself between the portal and the sorceress, he began pounding her with a series of eldritch bolts and fireballs, then followed up with his sword. Ayesha met the attack with grim determination. The set of her face said she was feeling the strain of battle, but Talar couldn't tell from her defense. She was just as resourceful and deadly as in every other battle he had encountered her in.
"You cannot win, Taara," she said. "The Gods are with me."
"I cannot lose, Ayesha," he said, sending a bolt into one of her legs. With a cry of pain she dropped to one knee. "There is nothing you or your forsaken Gods can do to stop me."
"Wrong!" she cried. "Dirusa, now is the time to render your blessings!"
The ruby on her choker flash again, and an eerie reddish halo formed around her body in a flash. Presenting both palms to Talar, she said a Word of Power and a blood red bolt struck him full in the chest. Talar threw all his stored up energy into his personal wards to save himself. He was blasted bodily off the ground and pushed through the portal at his back.
Carl, seeing this, cried, "NO!"
Charging the sorceress with swinging blade, he over extended himself in his desperation to kill her. She ducked under his swing and placed both hands on his chest. Then with a victorious grin, she pushed him with superhuman strength through the portal, too.
Carl hit with a splash and a grunt. Looking up at Ayesha's fading laughter, he took in the nightmarish scene. Talar was on all fours, still trying to shake off the effects of the bolt. They were in the middle of what looked to be some dead forest in the midst of a swamp. The brackish water was knee deep and warm. The twisted, dead trees were ghoulishly white and draped with swaying tendrils of moss. And there wasn't a sound to be heard.
"Talar, are you well?" Carl said, giving their surroundings a wary look. To his surprise, there were no stars or moons. The sky was a dark charcoal gray.
"Yes, just shaken," he said, staggering to his feet. Looking around, "Where are we?"
"I was hoping you could shed some light on that, wizard," Carl said, flashing the Sign of the Bandu to ward off evil. Though, somehow he didn't think his god would be able to help him in this unholy place.
Talar grunted, closed his eyes and began a low chant. Carl waited patiently for the wizard to whisk them back to Allaria. After a few minutes, he noticed a deep scowl on Talar's face. Carl's flesh prickled at what that bode.
"What is the trouble, wizard?"
"My magic doesn't work."
Carl was taken aback.
"The sorceress stole it?"
"No, it just doesn't work in this realm."
"Realm?"
"We're not on our world anymore, Carl. And here, my magical abilities are less than useless," Talar said quietly. Looking around, "I'm afraid we're in a lot of trouble."
"Well that just sucks big greasy dragon balls," Carl said.
Chapter 6
"Watch your back!" Danica cried, seizing the razor-taloned, mottled green creature by the neck and hurling it away. She heard Dame Alexandra chuckling from behind the cell door as she directed her otherworld creatures with malevolent glee through the spy window. Shooting the witch a hateful glare, "You'll pay dearly for this outrage!"
"Blustering fool," Alexandra laughed. "Take this."
Ten of the four foot tall manlike creatures appeared in a semi-circle around Danica and Cat. Both women moaned miserably. After ten days subjected to the witch's sadistic games, their clothes were all but shredded. The cuts, bites, and scratches from the little beasts burned like white hot irons. Danica eyed their long, deadly talons as they moved in. Only their needlelike teeth worried her more.
"You fool!" Cat screamed at Alexandra. "What will Ayesha say if you inadvertently kill us? She'll have your head, I tell you!"
"Not true," Dame Alexandra said, the gleam in her eyes revealing her joy. "She has given us permission to dispose of you as we see fit."
Screaming gibberish, the hellish otherworld creatures attacked. Pressed against the wall to protect their backs, Danica and Cat kicked, batted away grasping hands, and punched snarling faces. The insidious beasts were tireless. Danica wondered how long she and Cat would be able to survive.
Kicking one in the groin, Danica then grabbed its neck and slammed it into the wall beside her. A satisfying crunch greeted her ears. Another hurdled its crumpled body, raking torturous claws down her rib cage. Danica brought her knee up hard into its pointy jaw. It dropped to its knees in a daze as she turned to repel two more. Feeling small powerful arms grasp her leg, Danica glanced down just in time to see the creature sink inch long fangs into her thigh. Screaming with horror and searing pain, Danica tried to pull it off. Her arms were seized first by the two incoming creatures.
"Cat!"
But Cat was unable to assist this time. Danica counted five little monsters hanging tenaciously to the bravo. Like herself, Cat was also being pulled to the floor. No doubt where the creatures would swarm over them and end their tortures forever.
The witch's delighted laugh echoed through the cell.
Incensed, Danica jerked her right arm around so the little monster stood before her. She bent low and buried her face in the creature's foul smelling, scaly neck. Seizing as much meat as she could, she bit down hard on its spindly neck. Its scream was satisfyingly horrific. The creature released her arm to push her away.
"Die, maggot breath!" Danica cried, driving her first two fingers deep into the other creature's bulbous orange eyes.
Released from its grasp as well, she sent an elbow across its jaw and put it out of the fight. Then wrapping an arm around the neck of the beast, savaging her right leg, she twisted and jerked. The snap of its neck brought a grim smile to her grimy face. The last of the bunch leapt upon her. She drove a straight finger punch to its throat, then a left uppercut to its pointy jaw, and finally seized it by the neck and upper arm.
"Eat rock!" she cried as she ran it headlong into the stone wall.
In the back of her mind she noted with pleasure that Alexandra's laughter had ceased. A small victory was better than no victory.
Only Cat wasn't sharing her moment of triumph. Danica saw her lose her footing and collapse. The otherworld creatures were giddy as they swarmed over her.
"Cat!" Danica cried, starting for her friend.
Danica's right leg gave out and she fell hard. The pain of the wound erupted through her body. A pain she had never experience before, but she hardly gave it a thought, for one of the creatures was preparing to drive sharp talons into Cat's fear-widened eyes. Danica cried out in horror as the needle-tipped hand shot down.
Then the creatures vanished. Again. Alexandra chuckling in the background.
"Sorry, ladies," Alexandra chirped. "But Duchess Natasha has arrived with a guest and I must attend them." She smiled at them through the spy window, "How about another session after dinner?"
Lying on the floor panting,
trying hard not to empty their guts again, Danica and Cat did their best to ignore her, and to not sob. That would only encourage the witch.
After hearing Dame Alexandra's footsteps fade away, Cat turned to Danica, "Are you badly hurt?"
"Yes," she said, wincing from the pain as she moved to lean against the wall. "I'm afraid they crippled me that time. And you?"
"I'm in one piece," Cat said, moving to her side. Slowly and obviously in considerable pain. "What can I do to help?"
Danica tied to suppress the horror she felt at the sight of Cat. One of the creatures had raked its claws down one side of her face, slicing her open to the bone. Another had sunk its fangs into her left shoulder and mangled the flesh horribly. Both wounds were still bleeding slowly. What little was left of her shirt was a bloody mess, the dark flesh underneath crisscrossed with deep scratches, cuts, and teeth marks. The only truly serious injury Danica had to show for the fight was a mauled thigh. Crippled though she was, she felt shame that someone with what looked to be worse injuries had to attend her.
"Pray," Danica said grimly.
"I do. Incessantly," she said, starting to rip the remnants of her own shirt up for bandages.
Aligning the shredded meat of her lower thigh as best she could, Danica clenched her teeth and suppressed an overwhelming need to scream in pain as Cat bound it tightly. That done, Danica quickly brushed the tears from her eyes, silently thanking the Gods she hadn't shamed herself further by balling like a baby. Then she started ripping her own shirt to use for bandages. Cat's protests that she was fine were ignored. Danica soon had her friend's wounds bound and the bleeding stopped.
Before they could relax and grab a few moments of terribly needed sleep, Sergeant Ingrid and ten guards arrived. Danica knew by the number and grim looks that they had come to fetch her and Cat. Danica smiled grimly, vowing to give them the fight they dreaded so.
"Tuunar take the lot of you!" Danica cried, kicking at the guards as they reached for her.
Into Lands Forbidden (The Elfmaid Trilogy Book 2) Page 9