by C. J. Strong
“Alright alright, what do we do Uriella?” Andrum asked.
“I’m trying to remember… I’ve only read it in a book. Normally there would be a ceremony and we would join hands in a chant, but that seems to be off the table,” Uriella said as she paced back and forth inside the cell. “I’ve got it! Everyone line up in a straight line and then attempt to manifest your magik energy. Yuralia, you will have to summon your conjuring book in order for this to work.”
“Got it!” Andrum and Yuralia said as Ashurd stood across from them with his arms crossed. Andrum lined up next to the edge of the cell, while Yuralia stood back and summoned her book. Unfortunately, the cells they were in prevented her from conjuring, but the magik force was still there.
Uriella stood in the front of her cell and called out for Yuralia to try and write something while Andrum powered up. “That’s not going to work,” Ashurd said as he looked on.
“Shut it,” Uriella said as Yuralia attempted to write in her book. Sparks flew in every direction as her finger met the page, but not a single letter showed up.
“What gives?” Yuralia asked.
“These cells are conjured by some of the greatest Nifflarians that ever lived, and prevent all within them from conjuring a single thing,” Ashurd said. “My grandfather Rezhul was among them who created it, and I doubt your magik is stronger than his.”
“No, but this is perfect. All we need for you to do is send sparks one more time. Try to link them with Andrum’s magik aura, and in turn he will link it with mine. Together, our magik should be able to expel the evil that is haunting you,” Uriella explained.
Andrum powered up further, and Yuralia tried again. This time, Andrum reached out his hand just as Yuralia’s finger met the page of her book and the sparks connected. The magik electricity passed through Andrum and he attempted to reach Uriella with it, but he could not.
“Damnit, if only we were closer!” Andrum shouted out.
“This is why the council would join hands, to make things easier. Unfortunately my magik aura isn’t as strong as it used to be and we cannot reach each other with just a magik spark,” Uriella said.
Just then, Yuralia nearly fell to the floor, dropping her head and screaming, “Get out of my head you monster!”
“Yuralia!” Andrum said as he powered down and rushed to her.
“Alright, alright. I’ll help! But for the record I don’t like the idea of joining minds with someone possessed,” Ashurd said as he pushed Uriella out of the way and stood against the metal bars of the cell.
“She’s not possessed yet you idiot, and if you would’ve helped us sooner then maybe we could have saved her,” Uriella screamed in his ear.
“It’s okay… It’s okay. I think I have it in me to go one more time,” Yuralia said as she struggled to stand. Andrum helped her up and she summoned her conjuring book yet again.
Andrum held her hand and powered up completely, digging down deep and channeling everything as his eyes shined a crystal blue. Ashurd yelled as he bent the metal bars back by just a bit so that he could reach his arm through, and then he took a deep breath before creating a powerful magik aura around him. Uriella grabbed on to his other hand and mustered every ounce of her strength into an outer barrier of magik. Then, Yuralia stumbled around before her eyes turned a brilliant red and she put her finger to a page in her conjuring book. Andrum could feel her magik flow through him. He aimed as best he could, and shot the bolt through him and into Ashurd’s hand which was sticking through the metal bars.
After only a moment, every one of their auras were zapped and both Yuralia and Uriella fell to the ground. Andrum could feel his energy was completely drained, and he glanced over at Ashurd who was looking at him in a peculiar way. Did it work? a voice sounded off in Andrum’s head. What the hell, Xurion? Is that you?! Andrum thought as he looked around. No you fool. It is I, Ashurd, the greatest Nifflarian warrior to have ever lived.
Andrum looked back at Ashurd, who was laughing in the cell across from him. “Wow, you have an even bigger ego than I thought,” Andrum said.
“You’re thoughts are now my thoughts,“ Ashurd said with a smile.
Uriella rolled over and regained consciousness, asking herself if it worked or not. Ashurd helped her up, and then demonstrated that it did by implementing thoughts both Andrum and Uriella received. Andrum could hardly believe that this sort of lost technique had not been used more frequently. Imagine all the things that they could accomplish if they could now read each others minds. But still, just because the ritual worked, did not necessarily mean that Yuralia was free from Zorm’s influence so Andrum turned her over and attempted to wake her up. It took some time, but she eventually woke up to Andrum holding her in his arms and he could feel the love in her heart.
Yuralia jumped up, nearly knocking Andrum backwards, frantically looking around. She was panicking, and Andrum and the others were picking up on it. Due to their new connection, they seemed to be able to gauge each others emotions a lot better. Because of Yuralia’s high emotions, Andrum, Ashurd, and Uriella all nearly panicked as well before the feelings subsided. Yuralia took a few deep breaths before yelling out, “I’m free! It was as if I was slowly drowning, but you pulled me out of the water at just the last second.”
“That sounds a lot like what happened to me in the Endless Plains…” Andrum said as both Yuralia and Uriella laughed and Ashurd looked confused.
Yuralia spun around in excitement and then landed right into Andrum’s arms before kissing him. It was an electrifying moment that all four of them felt, but only one of them noticed something out of the ordinary. “Oh my… Yuralia, you’re glowing!” Uriella said.
Chapter 27
It took a few days for Gallagher and the Tilturians to recover from the battle with the Zormites, but nothing could ease the pain Gallagher felt over Rogan’s death. The soldiers held a memorial in his honor, burying his corpse next to Rezhul’s statue and paying tribute to a true warrior. Although Gallagher didn’t know him for very long, the idea of losing someone due to his careless leadership weighed on him. He decided to spend most of his time practicing his abilities, honing in on them so that something like that would never happen again.
Most of the Tilturian troops who had looked at Gallagher strangely were no longer doing so. At first Gallagher wanted to appoint a new 2nd in command, but no one could fill the void that was left by Rogan. Instead, Gallagher stepped up as leader and the Tilturians seemed to respect him for it. When he wasn’t ordering soldiers around, he was training. He started practicing his powers, learning first to summon his book at will and then how to properly conjure things by writing them in his book. After creating countless objects, he figured it would be good training to try and create weapons for the troops. However, weapons seemed to just disappear as soon as they touched the hands of other troops. Perhaps it was some sort of unwritten rule that only you could use the weapons that you created, but Gallagher had used the Spellbinder’s shield against it during their battle, so that didn’t seem to be true. Maybe weapons could only be used by or against their creator, and Gallagher tested this theory to be true. Although he missed his sparring partners dearly, he found it good practice to train with the Tilturians. They seemed to be fearful of his magical abilities at first, but that might have just been because most of them had fought against the Nifflarians for so long.
After lots of training and difficult decision making, Gallagher had an idea on how to ease some tension. He was still creating and preparing the soldiers meals each day like Valdar had asked of him, but instead of the traditional eggs and bacon, Gallagher wanted to spice things up a bit. He had been reading his magical book, and almost every single entry before his were different types of foods. A lot of them were repeats, but Gallagher decided to try and replicate them himself. At first it didn’t turn out so well, and a few of the troops got food poisoning, but still it was progress. As it turns out, if the creator of the food does not know what he is creating
and just writes something down, then the items conjured may not be exact. After trial and error Gallagher had learned this and by the end of the first week since Valdar left, he was a certified chef. It was great practice, and the reward was delicious food.
Because he was running out of words to spell out and create, he asked some of the soldiers if they had any books he could read, but they just looked at him like he was crazy. Apparently all books were thought of as evil, and Gallagher should have expected as much. After training and cooking for the 12th day in a row, Gallagher was almost hoping for another Zormite attack. At least then there would be some action, and he could try out all the new moves he had learned. He knew he would have be plenty of fighting to do once Valdar and his friends returned, but he was beginning to wonder if they ever would return.
So instead of doing the same old same old, Gallagher decided to throw a party. Some of the soldiers seemed to be getting restless and he didn’t want a mutiny on his hands so he attempted to learn how to create brew. He remembered it was pretty strong, and so he had a soldier describe everything about it to him. After all, he couldn’t just write ‘brew’ down in his book and call it good. The concoction was only as good as he described it to be, and the first few batches sucked. Finally, after thinking about and imagining the smell, taste, and even the look of the alcohol, it was complete. He created an enormous keg full of the stuff and the troops loved it. Some even said it was better than the ‘real thing’, as if Gallagher’s creations were any different than something made naturally. Of course this was still quite the compliment and Gallagher was proud.
Gallagher didn’t take part in much of the festivities, but enjoyed the fact that everyone was having a good time. He thought that throwing a party like this would have cheered him up, however it instead just reminded him of his friends. He wondered if Valdar was coming back soon, if Moldur was adapting to his new powers, and if Valden and Omna were doing okay. He even thought of Babah and all of the fond memories he had of him.
He went to bed early that night, and woke up to a horn sounding off the next day. Gallagher ran outside, expecting it to be a distress call like before. He prepared for battle and rushed towards the southern gates, but to his surprise one of the scouts reported that they had spotted Valdar and his group returning to camp. Gallagher commanded the guards to open the gate, and he went out to greet them. As they approached Gallagher, he noticed an extra member accompanying them. The newcomer was a fairly tall man who wore a hooded cloak, and Gallagher couldn’t wait to meet him.
Chapter 28
“I-impossible,” Yuralia said as she looked down at her glowing stomach.
“Well I’ll be,” Ashurd said.
Andrum could hardly believe his eyes. Now that Yuralia was free from Zorm’s control, their love could finally blossom into a soul of its own. Both Andrum and Yuralia was unsure of the gender of the baby, but she was pregnant alright. After two Nifflarians have made love, the magik from their souls will start to collect in the womans stomach, and if it is true love then once it is ready it will glow. This couldn’t have come at a worse time, however. Andrum was incredibly happy to be a father, but not if the child was going to be born into servitude. “How long do we have?” he asked.
“I’d say the baby will be born within a day, give or take a few hours,” Uriella said as she tilted her head back and forth through the bars.
“By the Ancients, one miracle after another!” Yuralia said as she hugged Andrum tight.
“This will be no miracle if Zorm finds out,” Andrum said.
“Agreed,” Ashurd said as the dungeon door started to creep open.
“Hide behind me,” Andrum whispered just before a guard came in. The guard turned in a salute and another figure walked in.
“Styir, you bastard,” Ashurd yelled out. “Come here, so I can gut you like the pig you are,” he said as he reached through the bent bars.
“Now now, I just wanted to check up on you, that is all,” Styir said as he walked past both of the jail cells and then turned back around. Andrum knew that if Styir found out Yuralia was pregnant, he would have surely had her executed, so he tried his best to hide her from him.
“What do you want, Zorm?” Uriella asked before taking a step back.
“Zorm, I am not. I am mearly a messanger for the great demon lord. I just wanted to share with you some recent information that I received that you may find troubling,” Styir said with an uneasy look on his face.
“Let’s hear it,” Andrum said while still holding Yuralia close. He could feel her trembling behind her, but he was ready to do anything in his power to protect her and his friends.
“One of you… is a traitor,” Styir said as he moved his finger back and forth. “And you. Are. It!” he said before pointing directly at Yuralia.
Yuralia jumped back, and the rest of the heroes froze in place. Maybe he doesn’t know that we saved her, Andrum thought.
I don’t think he does, Uriella’s voice projected into Andrum’s mind.
That’s right, we can use this new communication skill to our advantage. Everybody play along, Andrum thought, hoping the others could understand him. “What do you mean a traitor?”
Styir just laughed and came closer to Andrum and Yuralia’s cell, creepily watching as Andrum put his arms back to protect her.
“Stay away from her, she’s one of us,” Ashurd said as he nearly grabbed Styir through the bars from behind.
“One of you, you say?” Styir said before turning around and grabbing Ashurd by the wrist. He then twisted it backwards until it popped and held it there while Ashurd fell to one knee.
“What has happened to you, Styir?” Uriella asked while shaking her head before coming to Ashurd’s rescue.
Styir just laughed once more and let Ashurd go. “Let us know when you have given in, Yuralia. We will be waiting.”
Andrum turned around and held Yuralia close as Styir and the guard left the room, slamming the dungeon door shut behind them. “You can stop trembling now. Their gone,” Andrum said but Yuralia continued. He could tell that her fear was real, and that it wasn’t going away. It was at this moment that Andrum decided that they were breaking out, regardless of if it cost them their lives.
“I think he bought it—“ Ashurd said before Uriella nodged him in the shoulder.
“Don’t make me have to break your wrist like Styir nearly did,” Uriella said.
“I don’t know about you guys, but Yuralia and I are busting out of here,” Andrum said as he continued to comfort Yuralia.
Both Ashurd and Uriella seemed shocked, and Yuralia looked up at Andrum and nodded her head. “There’s no way I’m letting our baby be raised in a hell like this,” she said before her eyes turned a crystal blue.
Ashurd clinched his fists together and then rolled his injured wrist a few times before Uriella touched his shoulder. “I think it best if we stay, we would only slow them down.”
Andrum powered up and channeled Xurion’s magik, which seemed to be more powerful than ever. Yuralia broke free from Andrum’s arms and stood to the side of him while summoning her conjuring book. Andrum looked at her and she looked at him and they were in agreement. They were going to do this, they were going to escape. Andrum had already thought it over and no matter where they ran, Zorm would find them. The only viable option for keeping their unborn baby safe was if they got Xurion’s book back. Luckily, Yuralia had been listening in on Andrum’s thoughts and the plan was set.
Ashurd and Uriella took a few steps back and stood on the bench in their cell as Andrum and Yuralia prepared to blast their way out. Andrum stuck his left hand out in front of him and turned to Yuralia. She held her book in one hand and then gripped Andrum’s right hand with the other. They Simultaniously touched their index fingers to her book and as soon as they did an eruption of magik occurred. A beam of blue light shot out from Andrum’s hand, completely obliterating the metal bars in front of them. Even Andrum was a bit surprised by their combined po
wer, but he knew that they had better act fast. A quake of power like that was sure to arouse suspicion, so Yuralia quickly put away her book and they waved goodbye to their friends.
“I don’t believe it… I knew they were powerful, but more powerful than those who built these prisons,” Ashurd said as he shook his head.
“You’re grandfather was something Ashurd, but they are just on a whole nother level,” Uriella said as Andrum and Yuralia knocked down the dungeon doors and fled.
The dynamic duo made there way through the dungeon with ease. Andrum had spent a lot of time playing in there as a kid, and knew his way around. By the time they reached the entrance however, several guards had arrived to investigate the noise. Andrum didn’t want to hurt them, so he just strengthened his aura around both Yuralia and himself and they walked right around the guards, pushing them back as they tried attacking. Each time one of the guards would run at them, they would just bounce off the barrier and be deflected to the side.
They wasted no time leaving the dungeon and heading towards Castle Xurion. Meanwhile, possessed guards and city folk alike attempted to throw things at them and attack them, but nothing came close to breaking through the barrier. “These poor people. I’ve experienced Zorm’s influence first hand, but they must be being completely controlled by him. It’s horrible,” Yuralia said. Just then, she nearly fell to her knees as the glow in her stomach started to throb. “A heartbeat! Looks like… The baby is coming sooner than we thought.”
Andrum maintained the barrier around him and he kneeled down and picked Yuralia up as her stomach continued to beat, “We have to hurry then.” Andrum dashed through the hordes of people with Yuralia in her arms, she was starting to scream in pain but there was nothing he could do about it. They reached Castle Xurion and blew past the gates, sending one of them flying through the air and crashing into the Archives Room. “Ouch, Uriella wouldn’t be too happy with me about that.”