The king and his remaining guards made it to the trees and quickly ascended. The queen joined the king as Kade continued his frenzied rage. She watched in horror as one of the creatures came at Kade from behind, and just when she was sure it was going to strike a deadly blow, Kade spun around to grab the creature with both hands, took a step and vaulted high into the air. With the creature held over his head in both hands, he started back down, and then with all his might he slammed it into the ground with a sickening thud that made the ground shake from the impact. It exploded and covered him in ooze. He spat, gagging on the black slime. Something about that sparked a dim memory.
“Thanks for the warning, Rayden” Kade said through ragged breaths.
Kade searched for his next victim and noticed that the area was filled with dead and dying creatures. There was smoke so thick in the air that he coughed a few times and his eyes stung. The power was starting to ebb as he came down from his anger. He looked up, seeing the king and queen safely watching from their perch, but only two of the six guards were with them.
The dragon roared and lunged, its jaws crashing together just behind Kade. He did not even need to look back to know what had happened. Kade smiled, knowing that his faithful companion was always watching over him. He glanced to his right and saw Darcienna with her back to the boulders and her shield barely surrounding her. It was the safest place for her at the moment.
Thank you, Crayken said with his mind. I fear I would have perished if it were not for your timely intervention. My clutch owes you debt of gratitude.
“I only helped,” Kade said, feeling himself crashing as his energy left with the Divine.
Again, we owe you our lives, the queen said, her voice echoing in his mind. Kade inclined his head in what he believed to be a show of respect, as he accepted the praise. He turned and surveyed the area, looking for any other spiders that may need help.
“Where is your clutch?” Kade asked. He looked around the area and realized for the first time that there were very few dead spiders.
“You’re looking for them in the wrong place,” Rakna hissed as she raised her front legs to indicate the trees. “They are all up here where we have the advantage.”
Darcienna dropped her shield and moved to stand next to Kade. Before he had a chance to respond to the queen, Darcienna’s shield sprang back to life, startling him. He turned quickly to see her eyes were blazing. He spun around and looked for anything that was a threat but there was nothing. He looked back at her and noticed she was tilting her head as if trying to hear something but not quite getting it.
“Where is the danger?” Kade asked.
“Something…is happening. I am not sure what it is, but I got a very strong feeling that we were just about to be attacked,” Darcienna said as her eyes dimmed considerably. “Come close,” she said as she let the shield go and placed a hand on his head. She closed her eyes for a moment and then nodded in satisfaction. Kade stood tall again, ready to do battle.
“Kade, we need to get to the Great Hall,” Rakna hissed.
“I’ve got a plan that may help,” Kade said. “Let the dragon and me worry about making a path for you,” he added, feeling the urge to massacre more of these vile creatures begin to grow once more. For just a moment, he wondered if he was enjoying the killing, or the killing of these evil monstrosities.
Kade opened himself up and the Divine Power eagerly embraced him. He found it hard to think again, but he focused on his plan. “When we get into the hall, Darcienna will use her shield to keep the creatures out, and I’ll heal any of the wounded,” Kade said, eagerly watching as scores of the creatures rushed toward them.
“How will we take care of these wrenched things once we are in the tree?” Crayken asked as he surveyed the enemy.
“I think the dragon would love to play with our guests,” Kade said as he patted it on the shoulder. Rayden roared, eager to return to the battle. The dragon took in a deep, long breath and then, with an immense amount of force, roared again so loudly that Kade was sure it could be heard across the continent. It shook with the effort as its lips flared, showing those deadly fangs. The black mass hesitated momentarily at the dragon’s promise of slaughter. Maybe there was a shred of intelligence in those black heads.
“I think I like your plan,” the king responded boldly. He turned and started the odd buzzing sound as he addressed the spiders in the trees. Kade was not positive, but it seemed as if the queen amplified his words. Was there a synergy working here?
Kade turned on the black mass as they unwisely started forward again and worked his Divine Flame Calling, visualizing the flame as large as he could. He sent it into the creatures as though he were throwing a javelin. It exploded with such a backlash that Kade was certain he had singed off some of his own hair. It was glorious. They died in droves as he and the dragon basked in the violence. He performed the Lightning Calling and sent it ripping along the ground to destroy anything in its path. Kade held his hand out, willing the bolt to continue.
Before he could flow into his next move, something grabbed him by the neck from behind with a grip like iron and started to squeeze, cutting off his air. Kade fell back hard, trying to crush the foul creature, expecting it to be dislodged easily, but it only tightened its hold to the point where Kade thought it might break his neck. The warning from the queen flashed through his mind and he felt panic. He started to see spots as he furiously grappled with the creature’s hand. It was slick and impossible to get a hold on it.
“I’ll have that pretty little thing of yours as soon as I am done with you,” it whispered in his ear.
If Kade was not feeling hate before, he was feeling the full effects of it now. But, there was also fear for her life causing him to feel panic. What if I fail and the creature is able to kill me? What would happen to her? he thought frantically. Kade looked over and saw that Darcienna was holding her shield over her head with the queen, king and maybe as many as fifty spiders around her. The creatures were piling on the barrier. The last glimpse Kade saw of Darcienna was her holding firm, but the strain was there.
She was supposed to stay on the dragon where it was safe, Kade thought for just a brief instant, and then his mind was reeling out of control.
Kade tried to call to Rayden with his mind, but it was hard to think, and Rayden was in a killing frenzy as he leapt and slashed. Kade knew it was up to him to save his life and Darcienna’s, not to mention the spiders. The clutch could not come to his aid because of the shield, and Darcienna could not afford to let the barrier go or they would surely all be slaughtered. His plan was failing.
Furious, Kade rolled to his side, but the creature would not loosen its grip. It hissed and laughed in his ear, taunting him. Kade got to his feet and threw himself back again but to no avail. He was starting to see more spots as he struggled desperately to get air into his burning lungs. Its grip was tightening as it worked to snap his neck.
Kade scratched at the hands violently, but the creature acted as if it felt no pain. His fingernails were clogged with the tar-like substance, and yet, it did not even flinch. It let out a laugh, anticipating its kill at any moment. It started to twist his neck. Kade tried to work his fingers underneath the iron clamp that was constricting around his neck, but it had too tight a grip. His neck was wrenched even further, and he felt his spine start to creak under the force. The creature twisted just a bit further, and as things started to fade, Kade saw its elbow out of the corner of his eye. He reached out and hooked his hand under that joint, pulling hard. He pulled for all he was worth. The creature was forced to slide more to Kade’s side as he pulled. He was able to get both hands in the crook of the creature’s elbow now. With all his strength, he pushed and extended his arms. This was just enough for him to get a breath before the clamp tightened again. The sweet taste of air filled his lungs once but once was all he needed. The blackness faded.
Along with the air came hate. Hate so intense Kade could feel it. Hate so strong he cou
ld taste it. He not only wanted to kill, but he wanted this thing to suffer horribly. How dare it threaten him! How dare it try to take his life and the life of the one he loved! The creature grunted hard, and for just a fraction of a moment, it thought it might have a chance to gain the upper hand again, but then something happened to the man holding its arm. The man became infused with the Divine. Kade resituated his grip, and the arm snapped at its shoulder, separating from the body. The creature fell back hard and its arm fell to the ground.
Kade climbed to his feet and slowly turned to look at the creature while tasting the clean air. He was pure malevolence. It tried to scramble away, but Kade grabbed it by the ankle and twisted. The leg snapped with a sickening pop. He let it go, and again, it tried to scramble away. Kade grabbed the other leg and twisted until it, too, snapped with a sickening pop. It fell onto its back and put its remaining hand up to fend off the man, but Kade just grabbed it by the wrist, put his foot on its chest and pulled. The arm snapped free of the body, and black blood oozed everywhere.
Kade reached down, picked up the creature by the neck with one hand and lifted it into the air. He brought it to within inches of his face as he looked deep into its wide eyes and started to squeeze. Was that fear he was seeing? If not, it was the closest thing these creatures could feel, and it was good enough. Kade squeezed, and squeezed, while the creature squirmed furiously. His fingers sank into the flesh, if it could be called that, and kept going until he felt what had to pass for a skeletal structure, and then he squeezed even harder. Kade shook under the effort, and his teeth shown as his lips curled into a snarl. With a yell, he put everything into that grip and the neck snapped as the head popped to the side. The body jerked spasmodically as it fell into death. Kade held it for several long moments, watching the life fade from its eyes.
“Rayden, here, now!” Kade yelled as he threw the quivering body to the ground. The dragon flinched hard under the mental command that accompanied the voice.
Kade raced to the mound of black mass and tore into it. The dragon raced up and joined him in his killing rage. The shield was failing quickly. Kade knew what he had to do, but Darcienna was not going to like it.
“Darcienna, hold on. This is going to hurt,” Kade yelled over the noise. He performed the Divine Fire Calling and let it engulf the pile of writhing, black bodies that were still covering the barrier. They fell away from the shield screaming just as it failed. He could have sworn he heard Darcienna’s scream mixed with the creatures’, but he was not sure. She was down on one knee, panting hard.
Kade rushed to her side and quickly performed the Healing Calling. Her breathing eased, and she wearily looked up into Kade’s eyes. She smiled weakly and nodded her head in approval. Kade let out a long breath, grateful she was okay.
“Rakna, how are you doing?” Kade asked, but he was met with silence. Fearing the worst, he yelled again. “Crayken! Rakna!”
“Over here,” the king responded from a nearby tree. “We made it back to safety. We are much better fighters up here. We should be able to hold our own for a while.”
Kade and the dragon returned to clearing the path to the Great Hall. The spiders dropped back to the ground and stayed close to formidable pair. The Apprentice Chosen focused on keeping the right side clear while the dragon burned the left side with its breath. The area reeked of burnt tar. They moved quickly and made it to the Great Hall with only two spiders going down, but they were not mortally wounded.
“Everyone in,” Kade yelled. The queen buzzed, and the spiders poured into the tree. Kade scanned the clutch, looking for the king, but he was not among them. He watched for Crayken to pass, but the black spider was nowhere to be seen. Kade was certain the king was bringing up the rear.
“Rayden, keep the king safe until he gets in,” Kade said.
Rayden quickly moved to the back and smashed several of the creatures into the dirt. All of the Morphites around the clutch were either killed or mortally wounded. Soon, the spiders were all in the tree and Rayden turned, eager to find more of the creatures.
Kade froze as he heard a loud screech of anger that caused his scalp to tighten. He watched in surprise as a winged monster about half the size of the dragon faded into view. It was just like the creatures with the exception of its size, the wings and the huge talons that hung at the end of each hand. It was only visible for a few seconds, and then it disappeared from sight again.
“That is the leader of the Morphites,” the queen said. “He won’t attack. He never enters the battle. If things get too dangerous, he will retreat,” she said in disgust. “What kind of leader lets his people be slaughtered while he stands by and watches? He will only strike if he is sure not to take injury. He is a coward. My only worry is those things overrunning us.”
“We will do everything possible to keep them from taking your home from you,” Kade vowed as he rubbed his neck. “I am sure we can handle whatever they throw at us,” he said with a malicious grin. “I think Rayden is enjoying this,” he added as the link brought him the feeling of what could only be called pleasure.
Kade turned to the dragon that was guarding the entrance and gave it the signal to attack. Rayden roared excitedly. The tree shook with the vibrations as the dragon tore into several of the black creatures that were trying to slide around the entrance. Rayden obviously considered himself immune as he charged in with teeth and claws slashing, tearing into anything he could reach.
“Your dragon seems to be a little more effective than we were,” Crayken commented as he limped over to stand next to Kade.
The dragon chased a group of the creatures into a clearing that was two hundred feet from the tree. Kade watched and narrowed his eyes, sensing something odd about the way the creatures were acting. These things fear nothing, so why are they running? If Rayden were not easily seen, Kade might have been more concerned, but as it was, there were only a few large trees between him and his dragon. He watched for a moment more as his companion raced around to snatch a creature and bite down hard. Rayden quickly turned to look for the next victim as it spat the black mass to the ground.
Just as Kade was about to turn away, he saw something strike Rayden, causing the dragon to stumble as a slash about three feet long opened up on its side. He understood immediately why the creatures’ actions did not make sense. They were not smart enough to know to run. They had led the dragon into a trap. Kade gasped, and the king and queen buzzed furiously. Darcienna grabbed Kade by the arm and squeezed.
“I’m shocked!” the queen exclaimed in disbelief. “There has to be some reason he is doing this. There is more going on here than we know. There must be.”
“Us,” Kade said as if that was all that was needed.
Rayden lunged in the direction from whence the attack had come. His teeth came together on empty space. Several of the creatures screamed in delight at the sight of their leader turning things in their favor. Rayden expelled a blast of fire, but it dissipated without finding its target.
“I’ve got to help Rayden,” Kade said as he moved for the exit. Another gash opened in the dragon’s other side. Rayden made another attempt to catch the invisible creature, but again, came up empty.
“You can’t go out there. You will never see him coming. One strike and you could be dead,” Rakna hissed desperately as she wrapped her legs around him and held him fast.
“The dragon may be our only chance to keep these creatures from defeating us,” Kade said as another slash opened up just behind the dragon’s right wing. “I don’t know if I can keep all these creatures at bay for long if the dragon dies. Besides, I would rather give my life defending Rayden than stand here and watch him be torn to shreds. I will not let that thing kill him without hearing from me first!” Kade vowed as another slash opened on the dragon’s leg, causing blood to run. Rayden stumbled and almost fell but then righted himself.
The dragon regained his footing and lunged for the air again only to come up empty once more. Kade felt the call in
his mind from his friend, the call for help. His throat closed up, afraid that at any moment the creature would strike the dragon in a vital area. Rayden spared a glance toward the tree and mentally called out for Kade again. The dragon knew without a shadow of doubt that Kade would come. Kade would never abandon him.
“I am not going to just wait here and watch!” Kade screamed, preparing to use his strength to pry off the queen’s legs. The dragon started to back away from where it expected the next attack to come from. Kade watched as another long slash appeared down the center of its back. Rayden was covered in blood and glanced back at the tree once more. “Darcienna, prepare your shield,” Kade called to her. She did not answer. He turned to look at her and saw despair in her eyes.
“Kade, I am too exhausted,” Darcienna said as she tried to raise her arms.
“NOOOOOO!” Kade screamed as he forced his arms free of Rakna’s grip and conjured a lightning bolt. He sent the calling racing the two hundred feet through the air just over the dragon’s back in hopes of catching the creature making another run. The bolt passed over the dragon without making contact. Kade quickly called on the Divine Fire and sent that over the dragon, and again, it made no contact, but at this distance, the flame was almost useless.
Kade realized that there had been no attacks while he was throwing blasts of fire so he conjured them as fast as he could. The calling was quicker to perform so he conjured fire over and over in hopes of keeping the dragon safe until he could get to it and perform his healing. Just as he threw another calling of the Divine Fire, the creature struck the dragon in the tail hard enough to spin it around, but it did not get away without taking its own injuries. The Divine Fire had connected. Even though the distance diminished its effectiveness, the Divine Fire still made the difference.
The Divine Path (The Divine Series) Page 12