The Divine Path (The Divine Series)

by Allen J Johnston

  The bushes to the dragon’s left were smashed to the ground as something unseen flattened them. Kade immediately sent another blast of Divine Fire at the spot, but the fire consumed only the bush. The dragon was moving sluggishly as its life drained from it. It was losing so much blood that Kade had doubts about it being alive by the time he got to it.

  “Wait,” Kade said as he quickly closed his eyes and performed the Reveal Calling. The leader popped into view fifty feet to the right of the dragon and twenty feet up as it flapped its massive leather-like wings. It looked like an oversized bat, but it was pure black like the creatures on the ground.

  The leader of the Morphites oriented for another strike at the dragon. Kade worked his Lightning Calling just as it started its run. Kade finished the calling and it exploded from his hand. It raced to intercept the creature. Kade felt his pulse pound at the anticipation of the contact, but at the very last second the creature swerved. It banked much sharper than Kade thought possible, but not enough to avoid being clipped by the calling. The lightning bolt spun the creature around as it crashed into several small trees. It let out a loud screech as it oriented on Kade.

  “I’m coming, Rayden,” Kade yelled. He also sent the thought to the dragon and felt something back through the link. Was it hope?

  “I need to get to the dragon,” Kade said forcefully. Rakna was still holding him around the waist. “I hit the leader with the last bolt. He won’t be able to attack again without me seeing him,” Kade said as he half pleaded. He did not want to hurt the queen, but he was not going to stand and watch his dragon die. If he had to use force to dislodge her, so be it.

  “Then we go together,” Rakna said. Kade opened his mouth to argue when the king weighed in. “There are still too many of those black creatures out there to make it to the dragon safely,” Crayken said with all the authority of a king. He turned and issued several short buzzes of command. Thirty spiders leapt to their feet and raced to follow.

  “It’s now or never,” Kade said as he surged forward. Rakna released her hold.

  As Kade worked his way toward Rayden, he could see the dragon was quickly losing strength. He was not even sure that Rayden could fend off another attack, even if he knew from where it was coming. Darcienna’s eyes blazed bright blue. She screamed as her shield popped into existence for just a fraction of a second. Something large thudded off it and the shield was gone. He looked back, shocked and surprised that she was with them.

  Kade closed his eyes, performed the Reveal Calling and saw the flying creature wheeling away. It flew directly toward the dragon and circled overhead. Its wing was injured, causing it to fly awkwardly. No, Kade started to think in panic when an idea so obvious came to him that he kicked himself mentally for not thinking of it sooner. He only hoped the dragon was not out of his range. He planted his feet and performed the calling. The dragon faded for a moment and then materialized again. The calling had failed. Kade opened himself up to his hate for the creature and rage filled him. The Divine crashed through him like an avalanche. His special gift was alive. Kade performed the calling again, and the dragon faded from view.

  Working the Divine Fire Calling as fast as he could, Kade held it in his hand, ready to throw. As he approached, no less than ten of the creatures dropped out of a tree. He threw the Divine Fire up out of reflex, setting them ablaze. Kade and the spiders had to dodge the burning creatures as they fell to their death.

  “That explains why they were not attacking us. They were waiting for us to come out so they could ambush us,” the white spider said.

  “I thought it was because they were trying to concentrate on the dragon,” Kade said as he kicked one of the smoldering creatures hard, sending it flipping end over end through the air. “I will need to be guided to the dragon. I must keep my eyes closed to use this calling that allows me to see their leader,” Kade said as he started toward the dragon once more.

  “I will lead you,” Crayken said as he came up behind Kade and put his front legs on his waist to guide him.

  With his eyes closed, Kade saw that the leader had landed. Kade quickly conjured the Divine Fire Calling and launched it at the creature just as it started to charge. It danced to the side easily avoiding the attack. Kade quickly called on another Divine Fire Calling and held it up as a threat. Right now, the most important thing was to get to the dragon. Killing that thing had to be second. If just the threat was enough to accomplish that goal, then that was good enough for Kade…for the moment.

  The leader charged and Kade threw. The Fire Calling flew and missed as the leader anticipated the move and dodged easily as it sprang into the air. Kade had another Fire Calling ready and held it up once more. The leader veered off but came back to the ground quickly. Its wing was too badly damaged for it to stay aloft.

  “Blood and ashes, that thing is fast!” Kade swore as his heart beat like a drum. “This should confuse it,” Kade said as an idea came to him. He threw the Divine Fire and prepared his next calling. “You will like this,” Kade said over his shoulder.

  “What is your plan, Chosen?” the king asked. The use of the word Chosen was meant as a title of respect, but Kade would not be able to appreciate that until later.

  “Watch and see. I am going to even the odds,” Kade said as he performed the calling.

  “Amazing,” Crayken said as they faded from view. “You are truly powerful,” the king said with more confidence than Kade was feeling. He was only hoping the king’s confidence was not misplaced.

  “Let’s move before we lose this advantage,” Kade said as he started forward.

  I am almost to you, Rayden, Kade thought to his friend. The dragon was so weak that Kade almost could not sense its response. Just a little more and the dragon would live. The distance was closing, but not fast enough for him.

  The group of spiders dispatched the creatures easily now that they were cloaked in the Divine. Kade kept his eyes closed as he headed toward the dragon. The leader was not fooled for more than a moment. It used this same tactic and recovered almost instantly. It started to move toward the dragon. Unknown to Kade, this was the one creature that could see through the Transparency Calling.

  “We must hurry,” Kade said as he moved as fast as he could while the king’s legs still held his waist.

  “The clutch will get disorganized,” the king said into Kade’s ear.

  “If we wait, we lose the dragon, and we cannot afford that,” Kade yelled.

  He saw the creature’s head jerk in the direction of his voice. He paused only long enough to flow through the moves for the Lightning Calling and sent it racing through the air only to explode in a thunderous crash where the creature no longer was. Kade knew their only hope of defeating this thing was for him and the dragon to work together. He had to get to Rayden.

  Now only twenty feet from the dragon, Kade prepared the Healing Calling. His heart raced as he could just about reach out to his friend. Just as he felt real hope, all Holy Divine broke loose. Without warning, hoards of the black creatures came from every hiding spot imaginable.

  “Another ambush!” Kade yelled.

  A line of the creatures barred their way and more were rushing to fortify that blockade. Too many, Kade thought as he prepared to let the Healing Calling go to bring the Divine Fire back to life. Just as he was on the verge of doing so, he felt the king’s powerful legs lift and propel him over the sea of black creatures to land on the invisible dragon. Kade crashed face first into the knee of his friend, but he still had the sense to get his hands on Rayden to let the healing flow before falling to the ground. He felt his lip split as blood flowed but he did not care. He leapt to his feet and soothed Rayden as he felt his way to every injury. He worked quickly, racing to each wound and healing. Each one closed up smoothly as he let the Divine do its work.

  “Stay still,” Kade said as the dragon became eager to join the battle. I have an idea. We need to set a trap for that thing, and you are going to be the bait, Kade sent thr
ough the mental link. I will make you visible. When it attacks, I will tell you when and where to strike. Together, we will kill it!

  For the second time in a short span, Kade felt eagerness and the urge to hunt and kill flow through the link so strongly that it was hard to think. He is off to your left, Kade sent. Get ready.

  Kade moved back, eager to bring this thing to an end, eager for revenge, eager to bask in the glory of its suffering. As he watched, he realized the leader was considering retreating. He let the Transparency Calling fade and the dragon shimmered into view. Kade checked the dragon quickly for its appearance. If the leader saw that the wounds were healed, it might know that the dragon was lying in wait. He scanned Rayden and breathed a mental sigh of relief. There was so much blood that the beautiful silver dragon was almost completely covered in red. He felt sick as he looked at all that crimson liquid. His beautiful dragon had taken so much torture while calling out to him. He vowed never to let that happen again. For now, he would be grateful that the blood hid the fact that it was healed.

  Kade warned his faithful companion to be ready as he watched the leader close in slowly, studying what it thought was easy prey. Afraid that the leader might not attack, thinking it had already achieved its goal, Kade instructed the dragon to move a claw here and a tail there but not to overdo it. His lungs were starting to burn as he held his breath, hoping their plan would work. The leader crouched and Kade could feel it coming. His pulse raced, and then it happened. The leader charged with a speed almost too fast for Kade to follow.

  “Now!” Kade yelled without thinking.

  The leader was clearly smarter than Kade hoped. It realized what was happening and skidded to a stop, its claws working furiously to grip the ground and send it in another direction. As fast as the creature was, Rayden was speed and power incarnate. The dragon craved revenge more than anything at that moment, and it was not going to be denied. The leader scrambled desperately as it changed direction. Kade watched in horror as it looked like it might get away. The best way to describe what happened next was to say that the dragon and Kade linked. Without having to say a word, the dragon knew what Kade was seeing and lunged, barely catching the leader of the Morphites by the wing and spun it to the ground.

  Kade brought the Divine Fire Calling to life and held it ready, waiting. Rayden lunged again, but the leader ducked and scrambled back, just barely avoiding the crashing jaws. It turned and jumped into the air, but another violent swipe from the dragon’s claws sent it reeling. And then, Kade saw his opening. With careful aim, he let the Divine Fire shoot forth from his hand to envelope the leader. It screamed, but the fire was not going to be enough to end its life. But…that was not Kade’s goal. It lit up like a beacon. Rayden pounced on it with all his weight and might. The creature fought furiously, but the dragon now had the advantage. The leader screamed in fury and fear. The black creatures surrounding the spiders were frantic as they watched their leader being torn to shreds right before their eyes.

  “Now we shall see who has the advantage,” Kade said as he turned to look at the two fierce combatants in their fight to the death. It was more accurate to say their fight to the leader’s death. The dragon fought and rent as if it were trying to dig a tunnel through to the other side of the world. Clearly, one of them was not going to leave this fight alive. And with the ferocity of the dragon, Kade knew it was going to be the leader that never moved from that spot ever again.

  Kade, a voice boomed in his head. The king is in dire need of your help.

  “Where?” Kade yelled. Before the queen could reply, Kade saw at least ten black creatures fighting furiously with something they had surrounded, and he immediately knew where. He closed his eyes and the Reveal Calling showed him three glowing forms lying on the ground, motionless, and three more fighting for their lives.

  “I’m coming, Crayken. Just hold on,” Kade said as he charged into the mob of black creatures. While keeping the king and spiders cloaked, he let the Transparency Calling go. He wanted to draw them to him, hoping they would prefer a target they could see. And then he swung, tore and crushed for all he was worth. At one point he put his fist right through the skull of one of the creatures, and when he pulled it back, the skull was still attached. He swung it at the next and both skulls split apart.

  “Careful, Chosen. You are close to us with those mighty blows,” the king hissed.

  Kade let the Transparency Calling vanish completely. The king and all of his fighters shimmered into view. Two of the spiders on the ground were still alive but not moving. The king and the two remaining spiders were fighting to protect them. Crayken had broken his front right and front left legs when he had propelled Kade through the air as he had come in contact with the hoard. How he was still alive was beyond Kade’s understanding, but he was and that was all that mattered.

  “We need to get you back to the tree,” Kade said as he threw several more of the creatures away to land in crumpled heaps.

  “Lead the way,” the king said in exhaustion.

  As they made their way to the Great Hall, Crayken made several short buzzing sounds. The other spiders that were now visible came to the king immediately and made sure the path to the Great Hall was clear. There was not much resistance as it appeared that there was, indeed, a limit to how many of these creatures there were.

  Darcienna’s shield was fading in and out as she struggled with every last bit of energy she had left, valiantly trying to protect the spiders in the tree. Kade could not recall when she had returned, but it appeared that she was needed there since there were several of the creatures screaming at her, furiously trying to get through the shield. Kade quickly ran up to the Morphites and violently tore them apart. He soaked up the pleasure of the kill.

  Am I happy for killing or am I happy for killing these things? He vanquished the thought immediately.

  “I thought you would never return,” Darcienna said as she let her arms fall to her sides. She was breathing heavily as the shield blinked out of sight. She leaned against the wall and then slid down with her head back. She was definitely out of the fight.

  “I started to think the same,” Kade said as he performed the Healing Calling and placed his hands on her head. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.

  Kade stood off to the side to let the spiders enter. Darcienna rose up and reach for his face. He tried to dodge her, but she grabbed his head in both her hands and held firmly. He felt his split lip mend and waited for her to finish.

  “That is the extent of the healing I can do until I am able to meditate,” Darcienna said as she patted him on the face affectionately, twice. She was still exhausted, but her sense of who she was, was still firmly in place.

  “Rakna?” Kade asked, as Darcienna stepped back.

  “Yes, Chosen?” the white queen responded.

  “Why do they not just storm the trees and crush you? There are so many of them,” Kade said as he watched the dragon.

  “There is something about the trees that repels them, or we would be dead. All we needed to do was stay close to the trees and we were fine. Even in the branches they seem weaker, but inside, they lose their strength almost completely.”

  “So, I have been wasting my time,” Darcienna said, annoyed.

  “No. It’s not to say they won’t try. It’s just that they are not as dangerous,” the queen said, ignoring the tone.

  “The strong danger you sensed when we were out there had to have been the leader of the Morphites,” Kade said as he watched the dragon tear every piece of it apart. Its wings were easily twenty feet from its body. It was past dead, and Rayden showed no signs of stopping. The black minions frantically tried to save their leader, but the dragon did not even acknowledge their presence.

  “Crayken?” Kade called out as he turned to survey the spiders in the room. They were up the wall and a few were even on the ceiling. Kade shivered slightly, remembering his old dislike of spiders.

  “Over here,” the king said.


  “I will heal you first, and then I’ll heal the rest of the wounded,” Kade said as he placed his hands on one of the broken legs. It straightened out immediately. The king winced from the discomfort while it mended. Kade reached for the other leg and got the impression that the king was gritting his teeth. The leg straightened out. Kade worked his way around to all the wounded and then came back to the entrance to stand next to Darcienna.

  He mentally called the dragon to return so he could check it for injuries. It was still covered with blood, and it made him cringe. So much blood meant so much damage. He shook off his unease and worked his way around his friend. Rayden’s belly had deep, serious gashes, but the dragon was too excited for battle to notice. It started to fidget, eager to continue the hunt. The wounds closed and soon the dragon was off again. It roared enthusiastically as it raced after its prey. Several of the creatures tried to attack the dragon from behind. Rayden spun, and with a few powerful swipes of his claws, sent both of them flying in many different pieces. Kade just shook his head at the sheer stupidity and turned to go back into the tree.

  “I think it is time to tell the clutch that your life long nemesis are no more,” Kade said as he stepped up to the king.

  “Your dragon was truly formidable,” Rakna said in deep admiration. “You were correct in saving it.”

  “Rayden definitely was the key,” Kade said with a grin.

  “No my friend,” the king said as he turned to face Kade, giving him his full attention to emphasize his point. “Not just the dragon, but both of you. All three of you,” Crayken added while glancing in Darcienna’s direction. “Without you, the dragon would have perished, and we would have taken heavy casualties.”

  “Yes, we did need each other,” Kade said. “All it took was for the dragon to get ahold of the leader and the tide of battle changed,” he added, shifting the attention back to Rayden.

  Kade started to turn his attention toward Darcienna when something black flying through the air caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see another black thing flying through the air, only this time, he realized it was one of the Morphites. Kade stepped into the doorway and watched in awe. There were three black creatures furiously trying to scramble away from the dragon. But, every time one would get more than the length of the dragon away, Rayden would pounce and grab the creature in his mouth. Next, Rayden would flip it high into the air. As soon as he flipped one in the air, he would charge for the next one and do the same to it and then he would be onto the third. It almost appeared that the dragon was juggling with how he constantly kept the creatures flipping end over end. Kade stared, wide-eyed.