Spirit Warriors The Tunnel Of Light

by M'tain Dubois

  Chapter 21

  Together the warriors raced to the barrier so they could get ready for the coming battle they each had the chance to walk away and didn’t for better or worse they were in everything together.

  Changing out of their animal forms as they reached the boundary line stunned at the sight of a hobbling cloaked man being nearly dragged by a younger man towards the barrier as several creatures are running to catch up to them.

  “Do we risk helping?” Mace asked.

  “It could be some sort of trap.” Belac pointed out.

  “We can’t risk endangering an innocent clan member if it is not, the rest of you wait here while I check it out.” Caleb said running out of the barrier and calling spirits to attack the creatures shooting arrows at the duo. “Quickly get behind the barrier.” He said helping the teenager lift the man as the two of them carry him over the boundary line.

  The attacker arrows bounce off the energy of the barrier harmlessly hitting the floor and stopping the attack short as the pursuers come to a halt.

  “Five of you against four spirit warriors do you like those odds?” Questioned Lydia to the creatures.

  Without answering the four creatures scurry off into the forest no doubt to report everything to Dorn.

  “Are you two alright?” Questioned Caleb concerned as he helped the man sit on a nearby rock.

  “I didn’t think that we would get through the barrier.” The teenage guy said stunned.

  In a second Caleb has him pinned down with the point of his sword over the man’s throat. “Why? Is there some reason the barrier should have kept you out?”

  Looking him in the eyes fearlessly he answers. “Because I have done many evil things as of late and was not sure the magic would find me worthy to enter.”

  “Caleb get off of your brother, Aden is not threat to you.” The man coughed.

  “My brother?” Caleb said stunned backing away from the Aden like he was some disease.

  “If you really are Aden our brother then I don’t know how you got in either because the last I heard you were on the bad guys’ side and betrayed our mother.” Belac said drawing his own sword and advancing.

  “He was never bad. Aden was simply loyal to his father.” The man said getting to his feet.

  “So what changed?” Questioned Mace.

  “Nothing, Aden is still a loyal son, only now you can all see that things were never truly as they seemed.” The man said pulling back his cloak to revel his face, a face they all instantly recognize since it belongs to Yann.

  In seconds they have the two men surrounded with weapons drawn.

  “We are not here to fight you, nor are we your enemy.” Yann answered.

  “Really? Forgive us if we don’t believe you uncle.” Lydia hissed.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to Lydia but I am at your mercy here as I am dying.” He answered falling to a knee.

  “You are no longer a vampire.” Belac said staring at him. “How is that possible?”

  “It’s not.” Caleb said firmly gripping his sword. “There is no spell or potion in the world that can return a person to normal once they have been changed.”

  “So we have all believed but during the summoning of a creature your uncle Dorn attacked and killed Ked and then turned on me, he believed me dead and left to heal his own wounds but after he left Ked’s spirit left his body and merged with me expelling the vampire spirit in me and healing what wounds he could. I was carried off as food for the many creatures we had wronged but Aden found me and got me to safety. You see we knew the others were watching Aden, Heather and myself we didn’t dare risk telling her so we devised a plan to defeat the others and take down the powers, Aden knew about her secret portal and so we put on a show for the other’s spy so they would believe us fully one of them, during the attack on the barrier it was Aden who warned your mother of Coliapus and it was I who made sure the creature wouldn’t kill you guys only capture.”

  “Then you prove your own lies. The creature sent after us tried to kill us and instead nearly killed our mother.” Belac said.

  “What?!” Aden and Yann said in unison shooting to their feet.

  “That’s far enough.” Lydia said.

  “Use your powers and see the truth of my words in my spirit.” Yann demanded.

  “Fine.” Caleb said tackling Yann as the others grab a hold of Aden.

  A few seconds later Caleb backs away stunned. “He’s telling the truth.”

  “Of course he is.” Aden said struggling against the others.

  “He is, that doesn’t mean that you are.” Lydia said grabbing Aden’s chest and checking his spirit for the truth as well. “He’s clean. Well not clean, but he’s not lying about being on his father’s side. Truthfully he doesn’t give a care about you two or his mother though; he’s all daddy’s boy just so you know.”

  “So what?” He said pulling away from them. “My loyalties are my own.”

  “Enough!” Coughed Yann. “Aden they are your family and they have every right to your protection and love as I do, I will not always be around. Keep that in mind. Now we need to go where is Heather?”

  “Blackfire took her to his home so he could try and heal her.” Caleb answered looking at Yann like he didn’t even know him.

  “Good that happens to be the place I need to go if I am going to live long enough to help you defeat Dorn.” He said. “Take me there and I will get us inside.”

  “We have to hurry if we are going to make it back here before Dorn answers the challenge.” Mace pointed out.

  “What challenge?” Frowned Yann.

  “We sent a message for you and the others to meet us here to discuss terms of surrender.”

  “Ours or yours?” Yann questioned raising an eyebrow.

  “We weren’t specific about that, we had hoped that your arrogance would goad you three into showing up alone.” Belac answered.

  “We might have were I still there but why risk a head to head confrontation with us?” Yann wondered.

  “You were needed to open the door to Blackfires home so we could get to our mother.” Caleb said firmly.

  “I see, I commend you on your bravery but you would not have stood a chance and have even less of one now that Dorn is solely in charge. We had sent word to the powers that the end of the light clans was near, when they showed up Aden and I were going to drug them and kill them while they were weak but now Dorn will bring the full force of the army to your challenge to impress the powers who have probably already arrived. Why don’t you we split up for now? Aden, go with Lydia and Mace and raise the entire force of all who might join the army of light for the final conflict, meanwhile I will go with your brothers to Blackfire and heal myself and hopefully find your mother alive and pray that she was not lying about knowing where the tunnel of light is, I fear that is the only way any of us will survive.”

  Dorn watched the expanse of his army with the powers as it marches slowly out of the chasm toward the barrier. “Beautiful.”

  “Indeed, let us hope that not many are lost on this venture.” Gor said.

  “Not many will be, if any at all my lords, you have my word.” Dorn answered.

  “Then perhaps it is time for you to join us.” Gor smiled.

  “What was that my lord?” Dorn asked not sure he heard right.

  “We have had a talk during our feeding time and found that as you are the only one left of the three you have earned the right to join us.” Another member named Harn answered.

  Together the powers formed a circle around him. “You Dorn will now be a power of darkness filling our empty thrown and with it from here on you will have power over all flame.”

  A wave of magic flows from the powers over Dorn transforming him and binding him to them and his new throne.

  After they finish Harn coughs out of breath and drained. “And now Dorn it is your turn to share with us.”

  “My lord?” He looks quizzically.

  “Th
e reason we chose you three was so we could gain the spirit powers you have and help the other regions defeat their protectors.” Gor explains.

  “What do I have to do?” Dorn says firmly.

  “Stand in the middle of the circle and we shall do the rest.” Gor answers.

  Nodding his head Dorn stands in the middle as they again join hands and the powers share in Dorn’s gifts ripping them from his very soul and separating it equally among them.

  After it’s done all of them feel very tired but ready for the fight a head. “Now Dorn we shall go forth and together we shall destroy the clans of light.”