Luke lets a yawn escape his mouth and stretches his legs. “Where do you figure into all of this? I get that the Lich is a wild card and nobody knows where he came from. I don’t see how you got mixed up with him.”
“Ten years before I entered the military and began my training under Kevin, I came to Visindor to choose a location for this academy,” Selenia explains. She smiles and chuckles at the old memories. “I encountered the Lich during an excursion into the Caster Swamp. He had a run-down castle that I mistook for an abandoned building. Being young, I ventured inside and came across him talking to someone. I never saw the other person, but that person saw me and hit me with a powerful ensnaring spell. I was captured and tortured for a few days before I managed to escape.”
“I assume you returned with an army,” Luke states, leaning forward with his elbows on Selenia’s desk.
“I immediately reported the incident to the officials in Gaia. They decided to send a small squad of knights into the Caster Swamp to get rid of the Lich,” she continues, glaring at Luke until he moves his elbows. “I joined them and got my chance to face the Lich in battle. I was able to defeat him when I found my thunderclap longsword in his castle. He had broken my original sword and this one caught my eye.”
Luke clears his throat and politely interrupts her. “This doesn’t sound like a unique meeting. It sounds rather common for adventurers.”
“It does get strange, Luke. There was talk from him about destiny and how he had been waiting for me, but I’ve heard him say that to just about everyone he faces,” Selenia reveals to the young warrior, opening the book and handing it to Luke. He sees a listing of dates and several names next to each other. “You see, I have continually gone into the swamp to put him back in the ground. The second time was with Kevin and Duggan. The Lich repeated his destiny speech to Kevin who stabbed him in the face in the middle of the speech. Then, when I arrived to build the academy, the Lich was back and wanted to fight me again. I lead the Gaian army into the Caster Swamp because I wanted to finish him off for good. I thought I had permanently destroyed him when I shattered his body and sealed his soul in a magical tomb that he was preparing in his basement. To make sure it would be a challenge to revive him, I brought the castle down on top of the tomb. Apparently, someone learned of him and woke him up.”
“I can’t ignore the Lich, but I’m not the one to figure him out. He sounds random, but also driven toward some goal,” Luke says, handing the book back to Selenia. “Maybe after all this, I’ll look into him some more. After all, he has tried to have me killed and chasing him would be a great adventure. I have been wondering why Zaria sent me this way and that Lich might be the reason.”
Selenia’s eyebrow twitches when Luke mentions the goddess. She stands up and locks his gaze with her own. “Zaria sent you here? That should not be taken lightly, Luke. Fifty years ago, the great stag of Uli led me here. I heard that the gods appear in this forest from time to time, but for two gods to give the same target to two different warriors is suspicious. The Lich must have angered them long ago or he might pose more of a threat than I realized. Sadly, it appears that my part in all of this has passed and I am merely a spectator. The gods have been silent toward me since I opened the academy. This news could be nothing just as easily as it could be everything.”
Luke is about to speak when a loud crash from the next room shakes the entire building. A roar-like screech can be heard from Kellia’s room followed by Theresa screaming in anger. Luke and Selenia dash for the door, but a gust of wind knocks them away as soon as Selenia touches the doorknob.
“An air shield. The Lich must have hid the spell on whatever broke through the wall and set the spell up to go off upon impact,” Selenia mutters in frustration. “The Lich is actually thinking this through.” She goes to the window and leans out to see a gaping hole where the wall of the next room used to be. She can see the shadow of something moving in the room, but Selenia is unable to see if it is Kellia, Theresa, or their attacker.
“I think I can get in!” Luke yells as the screeching continues from behind the door. He grabs the doorknob and the gust of wind starts up again. He hangs on tight as the spell blows him off his feet, sending papers whirling around the room. Selenia grabs Luke by the arm and uses him for leverage as she kicks in the door. The strong wind immediately stops and the crashing door flings Luke into the room. He rolls across the floor, slamming shoulder-first into the remains of a dresser.
“That wasn’t what I had in mind,” he winces.
“Theresa! What happened to Kellia?” Selenia asks, looking around the decimated room. Theresa is on the floor holding her stomach where something has left deep claw marks, but Kellia is nowhere to be seen. Luke gets to his feet in time to catch a long feather that floats in from outside. He looks out of the room to see a winged beast in the distance with a flailing human in its claws.
“A griffin. Crashed through the wall,” Theresa whispers between hacks and coughs. “It mauled me before I could react. Kellia jammed a bedpost into its hind leg, but she still got caught.”
Selenia is about to turn to Luke when she feels him run past her, heading straight toward the hole in the wall. She has not time to shout at him before Luke launches himself out of the building. Selenia barely hears Luke yell a single word as his feet leave the ground. All the sounds of chaos in the academy stop as the students see a body come flying out of the gaping hole and quickly begin to fall.
Selenia is still wondering what he said when a streak of purple catches her eye. She realizes Fizzle has left the windowsill, diving toward Luke. The drite begins a loud chant and turns into a full-sized roc in mid-air. His wings are big enough to block the sun from the entire courtyard as he swoops below the forest tracker. Luke gracefully lands on Fizzle’s back and the pair race after the griffin. Selenia and the rest of the academy can only watch as they disappear over the forest.
“That boy is something else,” Theresa laughs, wincing in pain.
*****
“Fizzle not like. Luke ever fight up here?” Fizzle asks, trying to catch up with the griffin. The ancient trees of Visindor shake and bend with every flap of Fizzle’s immense wings.
“I tried to catch a squirrel in a tree once,” Luke replies as he draws his sabers. “It got away and I fell through the roof of a barn, but this is completely different.”
“Fizzle no understand.”
“Just get me close enough to hit the griffin and everything should work out for the best!” Luke shouts over the roaring gusts of wind. “I’ve only seen tame griffins before, so I don’t really know how aggressive they can be! Any advice, Fizzle?”
“No fall. No get hit.”
“Thanks.”
The Caster Swamp looms in the distance when they begin to catch up to the griffin. The beast is a mile ahead with a screaming Kellia being carried by her shoulders in its hind legs. Luke can barely see the sinking sunlight bounce off the blood covering her arm. As Theresa said, there is a wooden post sticking out of the hind leg of the griffin, which causes it to gradually lose speed as time passes. The muscles of the griffin ripple through its amber-furred body as the wind blows off feathers from its hawk-like head and wings. It is the first time Luke has ever been this close to a wild one and he finds that he has trouble seeing it as anything other than a creature of natural beauty.
“It's time to focus,” Luke whispers before yelling to Fizzle. “You think we should approach from above or below, Fizzle? You’re the expert at this altitude!”
Fizzle doesn’t answer as he swoops low enough to get below the griffin and starts to slowly rise toward the other flying beast. Once in range, Luke stands on Fizzle’s back and takes a quick swing at the griffin's underbelly. He almost loses his balance from the force of his own swing, but manages to get his sword jammed between two ribs. The beast screeches in pain as it looks down at Luke, taking a swipe at him with its front paws. Luke lets go of his stuck saber and tumbles down Fizzle’s back until he gr
abs a handful of feathers. Kellia is just out of reach when Fizzle is forced to pull away, avoiding a savagely mauling to his head.
“Get me higher, Fizzle! If you get a little closer than last time, I can grab her!” Luke yells, sheathing his remaining saber. He looks down to see that they have entered the Caster Swamp.
“Fizzle have other plan,” the drite claims. He makes a wide turn and remains twenty feet above the Caster Swamp. He picks up speed as he swoops around a crumbling castle standing in the swamp, pushing his wings to their limit. Luke is about to say something when Fizzle catches an updraft and soars straight for the griffin.
“Jump for sword!” Fizzle exclaims as they close in. Luke runs up Fizzle’s back and leaps off his friend’s beak. The momentum of Fizzle’s attack and his own leap send Luke rocketing through the air. He grabs the saber at full speed and his momentum pulls the blade up to the griffin’s throat. Just as Luke’s sword slips free, Fizzle plunges his beak into the griffin’s stomach.
“I have to listen to Fizzle more often,” Luke mutters, twisting in mid-air and grabbing one of the front paws of the beast. He can see Kellia get dropped and she safely lands on Fizzle. Luke sheaths his saber, preparing to swing himself off the griffin.
“Luke! Look out!” Kellia screams, urgently pointing above him.
He looks up in time to see a snarling beak coming at his face. Luke swings around the leg and holds on as the griffin’s beak barely misses his nose. The warm fur is oilier than he expected and he can feel his hands gradually slipping. He tries again to drop onto Fizzle’s back, but the griffin makes a sudden turn and leaves Fizzle a few yards behind. Luke looks down at the landscape and realizes that they are back over Visindor.
“Bring Kellia to the ground! I can handle this! Come back for me as soon as she is safe!” Luke orders Fizzle. The drite nods in agreement and turns to find a place to land. He begins to shrink and vanish into the trees as the griffin makes another sharp turn.
Luke can feel a sudden pain in his legs when the beast suddenly curls its body and tries to maul him with its hind legs. A spurt of blood from its wounds hits Luke in the face as he kicks the powerful legs away. Before it can try again, Luke swings his legs and plunges his foot into the hole that Fizzle made in its stomach. The beast cries out in pain as Luke continues to desperately kick at the wound.
“I don’t like doing this any more than you like it happening,” Luke quietly admits, feeling the griffin begin to pick up speed. “I don’t have a choice since you don’t seem to be interested in landing. This is breaking my heart, Uli.”
With tears in his eyes, Luke makes a final kick, getting his foot caught in the hole. An ear-piercing screech erupts from the mouth of the griffin as it dives toward the ground. The young warrior frantically yanks at his foot until it pops free and he quickly scrambles onto the beast’s back seconds before they are engulfed by Visindor Forest.
Luke sees a branch coming at his chest as he jumps backwards to try and slow his own descent. The solid branch slams into his ribs, knocking the wind out of his lungs. A wet snap tells him that at least one of his ribs is broken. Luke hangs on until the branch breaks and he crashes into a thorn bush below. As the forest tracker crawls out of the thorn bush, he notices the griffin has crashed many yards away. Luke draws his sabers and cautiously makes his way through the shattered path of trees. He finds the griffin against a boulder with blood and brain matter covering the stone. It crashed headfirst into the stone, but it is still breathing and making pathetic purring squawks. Luke kneels down next to it and begins to stroke its head as Fizzle returns in his original form.
“Aedyn on horse. Kellia safe. Luke sad?” Fizzle asks when he sees tears trickle down Luke’s face.
“This is a beautiful creature. I really wished there was another way to stop it. I know that the Lich controlled it, so it wasn’t the griffin’s fault,” Luke explains, pulling a broken talon out of the shallow cut in his leg. “My grandfather would have found a way to save both Kellia and the griffin. Maybe I could have let go and tried to break my fall in the treetops. I could have probably let go and had you catch me instead of sending you away with Kellia. There had to be some way to save this animal. Griffins are one of the purest and noblest of Kirin's creations. So, why did I kill it without a second thought?”
“Fizzle know goddess under . . . und . . . she know why,” Fizzle assures his friend, patting Luke on the shoulder with his tail. “What you do now?”
Luke continues stroking the mangled feathers of the dying griffin. “I will end its suffering and then go on to the Lich. I’ll keep this talon as a reminder to think before I fight.”
Luke picks up his sabers as he gets to his feet and takes a final look at the dying griffin. An overhead chop cleanly severs its head and Luke quickly looks away so he doesn’t have to watch it roll into the nearby bushes. Fizzle transforms himself into a dark yellow horse as Luke cleans his weapons and tucks the talon into his boot cuff. Luke climbs on Fizzle’s back again and silently sits there.
“Luke nature friend. Griffin proud of Luke. Fizzle proud too. You keep all safe,” Fizzle claims as he trots toward the swamp.
“You don’t have to cheer me up or rationalize my actions, Fizzle. I’ll be fine. I just haven’t had to do anything like that before,” Luke calmly states, tears no longer on his face. “Give me a few minutes and I will have my mind back on the Lich. Please, take me to the Caster Swamp, Fizzle. It’s about time the Lich and I meet.”
*****
Kellia is quiet as she sits behind Aedyn on his horse. Selenia and Daniel had already left them to catch up to Luke. The once secret heiress silently wonders if she is worth the risk that Luke and Fizzle are taking. She is still having trouble accepting the fact that her classmates fought to keep her safe from her enemies. Fifty of her fellow students would still be alive if she had never stepped foot into Hamilton Military Academy. Their sacrifice is something she never dreamed anyone would ever do for her. Then again, she has found herself in a situation that she never could have imagined.
“I don’t deserve all of this,” Kellia whispers as they slowly ride back to the academy.
“Of course you deserve this, your highness. You are of royal blood and you are important to the future of Serab,” Aedyn politely contends. He struggles to control the unfamiliar horse that continues trying to wander off course. “Although, I think your classmates and Luke would have done it for anybody. Selenia always tells you to protect those who require protection even if you have a petty problem with them. To do otherwise would be a disgrace to your teachers and yourself.”
“That is a warrior’s code. Why do you do it?” she softly asks.
“One of my pledges is to protect those who have been marked by the undead,” Aedyn answers in his usual dry tone. He runs a hand through his black hair and tucks some loose strands behind his pointy ears. “You are marked by my enemy, so I must protect you. The fact that you have rather barbaric social skills is not a factor.”
Kellia lets out a sigh and gives Aedyn a very weak punch to the arm. Still, he feels a sore spot where she hit him and frowns in annoyance at her. She looks down at the ground again until the horse suddenly rears back and she almost tumbles off. Standing in their way is an elderly elven woman who is leaning on her gnarled staff. Her gray hair is braided, hanging down to her ankles and she stares at Aedyn with intense, lavender eyes. Kellia is busy gazing at the elf’s cloak, which looks oddly metallic as it waves in the wind.
“I am looking for the Hamilton Military Academy,” the woman announces as Aedyn gets off his horse. “Selenia Hamilton has requested my services. It has been a long time since I traveled through Visindor Forest and I seem to have lost my way. Can you help me?”
“We are heading there now, milady,” he says with a bow. “I would be honored to escort a woman of your status to the academy. You may ride on my horse while I walk alongside.”
“My status? An interesting use of words, Aedyn Karwyn. You are very pol
ite and noble in your speech, which I find unique for a half-elf,” she admits as she accepts Aedyn’s help getting onto the horse. Kellia helps steady the old elf in front of her on the saddle. “It would do you some good to adopt manners like his, Kellia Solomon. They will come in useful when you assume the throne.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever met you before,” Kellia nervously stammers as they begin traveling again.
“Again, you are being rude to those you do not know. I guess it comes with your age and your mother’s blood,” the woman casually states. “I have never met either of you, but I still know about you. That is all you need to know about this situation. Now, was the damage to the academy severe?”
Aedyn takes a little bit of time before answering, “The front doors are badly damaged and pieces of the wall are missing. Only one dormitory received significant damaged during the battle and a few archer posts were knocked down. Sorry, but I misspoke. There is also a hole in the main building where a griffin broke in to take Kellia. Miss Hamilton and Lord Skyblade have headed to the swamp to see if they can find the Lich responsible for all of this.”
“I see. So, who saved this young lady?” the old elf asks, her voice calm and tender.
“That would be Luke Callindor. A new student at the academy and-” Aedyn starts as they start to see the killing field through the trees.
“Ah, the young Callindor has finally left the nest,” the woman interrupts, her voice full of pride. “It has been ages since I have seen him. I wonder if he still cries when he sees a spider.”
“You must be a caster of great power with all that you know about us,” Aedyn declares in youthful wonder. “May I ask your name? If you feel that I am not worthy of hearing it then I understand.”
Beginning of a Hero (Legends of Windemere) Page 37