Squinting through the smoke Tiberius could see the creatures’ target. Two Elves and a beast on the far side of the clearing. Immediately Tiberius froze as he recognized the closest Elf before she turned away, disappearing into the smoke. It was Princess Lúthien of the High Elf Clan. Looking over his shoulder, Tiberius saw that Secundus was withdrawing the Legion. Already they were entering the woods at the far end of the clearing. Only Tiberius and his personal guard were close enough to follow after in time to help.
The firestorm was quickly spreading to the rest of the forest. If he went after Lúthien to rescue her, they would be cut off from the Legion. Tiberius’ thoughts churned as he watched the Hulk heading off in pursuit after the Princess. Lúthien had once been a close friend. If he could get her to listen there might be a chance to salvage the Alliance yet!
Five legionnaires against fifty monsters being led by a Tuonellian Hulk, it sounded like the start of a terrible saga. Meeting his bulls’ questioning looks, Tiberius’ eyes hardened as he came to a decision. The clanking sounds of his Wolf Gauntlets reforming were drowned out by his bellow.
“Legionnaires of the Imperium, follow me!” Spinning around, Tiberius charged after the Tuonellians.
***
Location Irlendria / Enelya Tasartir:
“Stop Argus, you're killing yourself!”
Grimacing in pain, Enelya buried her face into Argus' neck as she clung to his coarse fur for dear life. Between the pain pouring through their shared link and her broken ribs, she didn’t have the strength to swing up onto his broad back.
Lurching precariously from tree to tree, Argus descended the steep side of the mountain towards the Otso River at breakneck speed with Lúthien and Enelya clutched tightly in his arm. Blood matted his fur from numerous wounds and his broken chest heaved with strain. Still he launched himself heedlessly towards the next tree further down the slope without slowing down.
“Tell me what’s wrong!”
The terrible feeling of dread that flooded through their link made Enelya’s blood run cold as the mental image of a maggot-white mutated face took shape in her mind. Instantly she understood the fear that drove Argus’ reckless flight.
Enelya almost lost her grip as Argus’ mental cry ripped through their bond. By the tip of one clawed hand, he managed to angle their fall towards the next tree tumbling uncontrollably. With a knelling cry, Argus wrapped them both in his bloody arms protectively as they hit the trunk with a bone-jarring impact, before plunging uncontrollably down the slope. Normally Enelya rode on Argus’ back when they traveled. At full health, he could have easily carry her for miles, but between his internal injuries and Lúthien’s added weight, the physical strain of the jumps was simply too much in his weakened condition.
Enelya’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as they bounced off another tree. Pain lashed through her like burning fire as Argus’ scream echoed through her mind. Again and again, her body was racked with his agony when suddenly there was only soothing darkness.
***
Location Irlendria / Enelya Tasartir:
“Wake up Enelya! You have to wake up!”
Disoriented, Enelya struggled to lift her head from the cool, wet sand as Lúthien’s hands shook her urgently. Shooting pains in her chest forced Enelya to breathe in shallow gasping pants as the nauseating agony that had overloaded her mind receded to a dull ache. Anxiously she pushed herself up looking for her soulmate.
Seeing Argus’ broken body lying a couple of yards away. Enelya shook Lúthien’s hands away as she fearfully crawled to his side. Tears streamed down her face as she lifted his bloody head into her lap. Crying wordlessly, she stroked the silver star on Argus’ forehead as his glassy black eyes weakly flickered open.
Fighting back her choking sobs, Enelya laid her head against Argus’ forehead speaking softly.
“We are too close to the Pack for you to give up now my love.”
Argus’ long ears suddenly swiveled up the slope as Lúthien tugged on her shoulders urgently. “We have to keep on moving Enelya!”
Anger flared inside her as she turned on Lúthien screaming. “Then go, I’m not leaving Argus!”
Ignoring her words, Lúthien relentlessly pulled Enelya to her feet. “I didn’t say anything about leaving him. I need your help carrying him. We can’t be far from your Clan now.”
Wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, Enelya stumbled to Argus’ side while Lúthien waited impatiently. “Hurry up, we don’t have much time!” Painfully Enelya squatted down grabbing Argus’ forearm with both hands. Giving Lúthien a sharp nod, they lifted together.
Argus cried out in distress as they lifted his upper body off the ground. The pain of his injuries were almost too much for him to bear. Doing her best to ignore the waves of agony pouring through their bond, Enelya focused on putting one foot in front of the other as Lúthien led them further up the river. If they could make it to the hidden passage behind Ashima Falls they might be able to escape the Tuonellians chasing after them.
Pain flared through Enelya’s body with every step as Argus’ agony beat at her thoughts. As it worsened the primitive side of Argus’ animalistic mind began taking over. The instincts flooding through her were overwhelming in their intensity. The need to find a dark hole to die pulsed through her veins. With every step Enelya fought back with her resolve to live, even though there was no logical reason to go on. Their lives were linked together. If Argus died, she would too. Even if Argus somehow managed to survive his terrible wounds, she knew he would be crippled for life. Argus’ injuries were beyond the skill of her people to heal.
Still, looking at Lúthien’s sweat stained face straining under Argus’ weight, Enelya suddenly understood the why. Although her cousin could be a pompous ass, she was still family. Lúthien could have run and left them alone to die, but instead had chosen to stay. They had to fight. Otherwise, all they loved would be destroyed. Focusing her thoughts, Enelya sent an urgent message that cut through the waves of agony flooding through their shared link.
“What will happen when the Zgon finds the Pack?” Argus’ head jerked as if she’d physically hit him. With an effort of will, he lifted his head, looking at her through blood-filled eyes as her thoughts hounded him mercilessly. “How many of our people will die because they know not what they face?”
Neither one of them had forgotten the horrors from the Battle of Daeron Fortress. The Wencis’ name for the terrible beasts were the Zgon. The Sál Tengilinn were the traditional protectors of the Wild Clan. It was the name given to the Wencis and Elves that were spirit-linked to one another. During the initial invasion of the Great Forest, it was the Sál Tengilinn that had held back the teeming hordes, slaughtering the invaders by the thousands until the rest of the Clans could organize a defense. It was the Sál Tengilinn who’d led the charge, driving the Tuonellian Hordes back again and again, while the rest of the Clans held the line with the help of the Alliance. That is until the Hulks were brought forth. Enelya felt a cold shiver run through as she remembered the stories. The monsters were nearly indestructible.
The death toll had been horrendous for the Elven Clans, but the Sál Tengilinn had suffered the most. They had been at the forefront of the assault against the Hulks. Whole Packs had been lost taking down one Hulk. Their spirit-link meant that for every death blow, both halves of the pair-bond died. By the time the Tuonellians had been pushed back, the Sál Tengilinn had been decimated with only one out of every twenty surviving the battle. It was called the Time of Tears by both of their peoples, when the Hulks had nearly annihilate their peoples.
Having a Tuonellian Hulk chasing after them meant that their brothers and sisters of the Sál Tengilinn were in jeopardy once again. Pushing away the waves of pain, Argus dug his hind legs into the wet sand of the riverbank dragging them to
a stop. Leaning heavily on Enelya, he stood on his hind legs arching his neck until he could meet Lúthien’s eyes.
White-lipped Enelya felt the resolution in her soul as she turned to her cousin. They would die together making the beasts pay with their last breaths. “You must go on alone to warn the Clan.”
Incredulous, Lúthien tugged uselessly on Argus’s strong forearm exasperated. “I am not going to just leave so you both can die for me!”
Speaking harshly, Enelya tore into her cousin. “You’ve wanted to leave Argus behind this whole time. Now you have your chance.” Angrily she pushed Lúthien away. “Just go!”
Tears streamed down Lúthien’s face as she spoke in a horrified whisper. “You can’t mean that! How was I supposed to know he was your soulmate?”
“What is there to know?” Incised, Enelya screamed. “Your Clan has never understood the sanctity of life!”
Enelya felt Argus’ long claws grip her shoulder as he drove his point home.
Hanging her head Enelya knew in her heart that Argus was right. Even though Lúthien was a product of her Clan, she had always tried to do right. In truth, her anger was not for her cousin. Facing her fears, Enelya tried again.
“I’m sorry, that was wrong of me.” Enelya felt Argus impatiently shift as she met Lúthien’s eyes. “In Meliki’s name look at us, we are dying! The Clan must be warned before they are caught unaware by the Hulk. You are the only one of us whole enough to travel ahead of the monster to warn the Clan.” Seeing her cousin’s hesitation, she spoke urgently separating her words as she struggled to keep her voice calm. “You … must … go … now!”
Enelya saw the uncertainty leave Lúthien’s eyes as she suddenly came to a decision. Stepping to Argus side, she forcibly hooked his arm around her shoulder. Dragging them both forward, Lúthien snapped angrily. “If you want to make sure the Clan gets there warning then you’d better stop wasting time and get moving.” Lúthien’s face hardened momentarily. “I’m not leaving anyone behind.”
The sounds of crashing pursuit seemed to spread out behind them as they hobbled up river in the direction of Ashima Falls. The smoke from the forest fires quickly began pooling above the river as they blindly made their way through the thickening haze heading towards the distant roar. The terrible stabbing pain in Enelya’s chest was becoming worse as she gasped for breath with each step, but somehow she continued putting one foot in front of the other.
In Enelya’s peripheral vision, she saw Lúthien’s head twist around behind them searching for pursuit while Argus’ head lolled on his shoulders. His mind fought to keep conscious, but his body had been pushed beyond its limit. Enelya worried that the spurt of energy he’d used to carry them down the side of the mountain had been the last flash of life before the soul left the body. Silently she prayed to Meliki she was wrong. Enelya screamed in agony as she was suddenly dragged to the ground by Argus’ greater weight. Rolling painfully to her knees, she heard Lúthien’s shriek over the sound of the roaring waterfall.
“Galdur Eldflaugum!” Enelya saw an angry swarm of bright purple stars slam into the face of a legionnaire as it surged out of the forest behind them. Impossibly, the Minotaur was running on all fours as the magic missiles slammed into its chest and face, burning searing holes into its flesh. The shriek coming from its lips was cut off instantly as it crashed to the ground dead. Already more legionnaires were charging out of the forest as Lúthien drew her glowing fists back over her shoulders. Purple fire flared from her fingertips as she screamed in rage.
“Galdur Eldflaugum!” Again purple stars flared through the air as two more of the huge Minotaurs dropped to the ground with burning holes in their chest. It was as if their tinnearlian breastplates were not even there. Warning bells rang in the back of Enelya’s head, but she didn’t have time to listen to them as more legionnaires began pouring out of the forest all around them. If they were going to have any chance of surviving this Enelya knew what she had to do. Ignoring the pain of her body, Enelya reached out with her spirit. Plunging her hands into the ground, she called to the forest around her.
“I call on you Meliki, goddess of the forest. Help your children in their time of need.” All around her Minotaurs died as Lúthien lashed out with her glowing fists, but there were simply too many to fight. As the overwhelming wave of legionnaires charged in for the kill, her cousin open hands shot above her head as she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
”Galdur Blokk!” Immediately a semitransparent glowing dome flared around them as the legionnaires charge was suddenly thrown back at the last second. Screeching howls of rage cried out around them as the Minotaurs surrounded the magical barrier.
For a second, the legionnaires seemed confused when a guttural voice called out behind them. “Quid nafda est? Et confundantur in oppositum!” (What are you nafda waiting for? Crush the barrier!) Without hesitation, the lead bulls threw themselves at the glowing barrier. As one, they began assaulting the dome with their metal gauntleted fists.
Lúthien cried out as the powerful blows began raining down upon her shield. Coruscating flares of purple energy rippled across the barrier as the dome shivered under the powerful assault when Enelya felt the spirit of the Great Forest answer her call. While the other Elven Clans had concentrated on mastering the arcane knowledge of the Klavikians, her people had continued focusing on expanding their understanding of the spiritual energy that was inherent to all life. Her people believed that everything had its own vital life force, which was bound and interconnected with everything around it.
A shaman’s mystical abilities were not based on arcane power, but the individual shaman’s ability to commune with the vital life force of the energy surrounding them via their conduit to the spirit realm. Although Meliki was the Goddess of the Forest to her people, the concept didn’t mean a deity in the way most races deemed the concept of God, but the spiritual manifestation of the combined vital life essence created from everything that was a part of the Great Forest. The rocks, the earth, the trees, the animals, the insects … it was all part of the circle of life and the goddess Meliki.
Although Enelya was a Shaman of the Dusza Pack, she was a fledgling Spirit Seeker among her people. Still the spirit of Meliki thrummed through her body as all around the barrier thick tendrils burst from the ground. Like fingers of a massive hand, Enelya could feel the corded roots as if they were a part of her own body. Opening her fingers in the soft earth, she saw the thick tendrils arch into the air like striking serpents over the Minotaurs’ heads.
For a split second nobody moved. The legionnaires froze in their assault as they eyed the thick tendrils warily while Lúthien looked down at her in pure shock. Meeting cousin’s gaze with her white glowing eyes, Enelya clenched her fist together as everything seemed to happen at once. As one the thick tendrils shot through the nearest Minotaurs, completely piercing through their heavily armored bodies. Bone chilling screeches of agony rang out around them as rest of the legionnaires attacked the corded roots. Spreading her fingers out once again, she lashed at the Minotaurs flinging bulls into the air, but already the packed legionnaires were on the move.
Quickly they used the press of their bodies to bear the writhing roots to the ground. Within moments, they were able to tear the roots from the ground. As the bulls turned their attention back to the magical barrier, the challenging roar of a Nightclaw suddenly rang out behind them. In a shimmering blur of sleek black muscles, the enraged predator was among them. Minotaurs flew through the air with every sweep of its long sharp claws. As the Nightclaw roared out in rage, chaos erupted in the legionnaires compressed ranks.
&n
bsp; Feeling her communion with Meliki vanish, Enelya eyes immediately changed back to normal as consciousness returned to her body. Staggered to her feet, Enelya was just in time to catch Lúthien as her cousin’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. As the High Elf’s body went limp, Enelya eased her cousin to the ground speaking urgently.
“Wake up Lúthien! You’ve got to wake up!” Groggily Lúthien’s eyes flicked open when she suddenly bolted upright in shock looking around fearfully. Seeing the savage battle around them, Lúthien met Enelya’s gaze incredulously. “Was that you?”
“Meliki chose to answer my call, but there is no time to explain. We must go quickly. Already the hunter weakens.” Climbing unsteadily to her feet, Lúthien quickly helped Enelya gather Argus up between them as they once again raced towards the thundering waterfall. They’d only gone a few steps when there was the mortal shriek of a large animal dying as the sounds of combat suddenly ceased behind them.
Catching Argus’ weight Enelya lowered her soulmate gently to the ground as Lúthien spun around to face the enemy once again. She was just raising her arms to form another magical barrier when a white fist shot out of the smoke. Instantly, Lúthien was blasted from her feet screaming as long claws slashed across her chest, opening her abdomen from waist to sternum. As the misshapen white hand whipped back into the smoky haze, Enelya stepped in front of Argus protectively. Drawing her tambos she faced the Tuonellian Hulk as it confidently strode into view.
Quick as lightning, the creature’s clawed fist shot out again across the distance. Slashing out with all her might, Enelya heard the meaty impact of her weapons and the crunch of bones as she knocked the creature’s strike aside. Smiling evilly, the Hulk drew its misshapen arm back. Holding its shattered wrist up for Enelya to see, she gasped in despair as she watched the wound instantly heal before her eyes.
“Pathetic meat sack, do you think you can stand against me?”
Destiny Page 22