Ritual of the Lost Lamb

by Charles E Yallowitz

  Delvin nods to his friends and heads for the entrance, the warrior refusing a few offers of gambling as he weaves through the crowd. Once he leaves, Kira and Sari take a seat at the table and the heiress glares at her companion. The look is returned with an innocent smirk that does nothing to end the mild tension between them. They remain silent for a while, neither wanting to talk in case Delvin or Fizzle comes back. Not wanting to appear suspicious, the women call a halfling over to order a few drinks and pretend to play cards. An elf is about to step over the rope and offer them lessons when a chill envelopes his body, the icy stare of Sari making the gambler think twice about introducing himself.

  “Did you tell him what we’re really doing?” Kira asks, noticing that the gypsy keeps glancing at the door. She pats the container on her belt, the clink of vials making her worry that they will shatter against each other. “We still have time to change our minds and join them. It isn’t like you lied since we are going to Freedom. Everything after that is going to be what gets us in trouble.”

  Sari sighs and takes a drink of fae water, which tastes surprisingly sour in her mouth. “Only if we fail. Then again, we’ll probably be dead in that case. Look, I told Delvin what he needed to hear, so let’s get Luke back. I’ll handle the repercussions later.”

  4

  Delvin stares at the path of carnage before him, the Caster Swamp’s stink still in the air even though they are a mile inside Visindor Forest. Trees have been uprooted and chunks of soil have been gouged out of the ground, the holes making it impossible to travel in a straight line. Large footprints in the frost-covered earth tell the champions that an army has recently come through, but they are at a loss as to what has caused the creatures to go on the warpath. Festering claw marks can be seen on some of the fallen trunks and the blackened branches have curled as if struck by a powerful flame. A moss-covered boulder has been split in half and its inside has been left oozing with a slime that continues to bubble. Mutilated animals are seen in every direction, many of them showing signs of being partially eaten. Birds can still be heard in the distance, but they are crows and other scavengers that are taking advantage of the feast. Signaling for the others to follow, Delvin covers his mouth and leads them around the carcasses that have gathered swarms of biting flies.

  The silent group stops at the sight of a pond, which has been turned a putrid green by whatever has invaded Visindor. Dead fish have washed onto the shore and three poisoned river sharks thrash in the middle of the water. The predators have managed to stay alive by feeding off the bodies of eight nymphs, the traces of fae energy helping to fight the corruption. Angered by the destruction, Delvin removes one of his gloves and puts his hand into the water. With a surge of energy, he purifies the pond and sinks the clean corpses to the bottom where he hopes they will replenish the soil. The victory is short-lived because the toxins swiftly return and wipe out the river sharks as soon as the warrior breaks contact. He stops Nyx from attempting to clean the area, his thumb lingering to stroke her palm.

  “Are you going to be okay?” asks the channeler, easing Delvin away from the pond. She lets him pull away and continue leading them toward the academy, but she remains ready to catch him if he stumbles. “You look like you’re in a daze. If you need to rest for a few minutes then we’ll understand. This is a lot to take in.”

  “We made a mistake,” Delvin replies as he picks up the pace. A brief attempt to jog is met with failure since the others refusing to match his speed. “We were nearby and decided to go to Bor’daruk first. If I had listened to my instincts then we could have stopped this. This was a big army that Selenia may not have had any warning about. I can see ogre tracks and markings by creatures that I’m sure are demons. Even she would have trouble with this since all she would have are students and teachers to protect the academy. Damn it, we could have been there to save them!”

  “First, you do not know if we are too late,” Timoran points out, moving ahead to take a scouting position. The barbarian pats the head of his great axe when he sees the eviscerated remains of a centaur. “The bodies are still fresh, so the battle at the academy could still be going on. Also, we do not know for a fact that we made the wrong decision. If we had chosen Visindor first then the Baron could have sent this army to Bor’daruk or dropped it directly into Grasdon Manor. Kira and her people would have had less of a chance than Selenia. If no this army then she could have been trapped in the pocket cabin alone where those demons would get to her. My point is that we could have traveled to the academy and had nothing happen while all of our other friends were under attack.”

  “There’s also the possibility that my father didn’t expect us to come back,” Dariana states with a hopeful smirk. She stretches her telepathy to locate the army, but stops when she hears a scream of agony. “I’m sorry. He is still using Luke’s suffering to block me, so I can’t tell how far ahead this force is. All I can say with certainty is that my father made a plan based on our first move, which was Bor’daruk. He let us set the stage this time.”

  “In other words, I shouldn’t second guess myself,” Delvin says, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. A screaming falcon draws his attention to the sky, the bird giving him a flicker of hope that the destruction is minimal. “The plan is to reach the killing field and take stock of the situation at the academy. If the army is there then we strike hard and fast at various points on their rear flank. Specifically, I want Nyx to go in first and make them think the God of War himself has stepped onto the battlefield.”

  “So you want me to hold back?” replies the half-elf as she gives her fiancée a teasing kiss on the cheek. She clears her throat and blushes when she considers that joking around in the presence of so many bodies is not like her. “Sorry. Not sure where that came from. I’ve got some ideas to get the job done. Give me a minute at most to get at least two of them going because I don’t want to worry about hitting any of you.”

  Delvin stops and turns in a circle to get his bearings, the devastation making it difficult to know where he is until he spots a familiar oak. “If we jog this way, we should reach the academy within the hour. There’s usually a patch of spring creepers that we’d have to go around, but they sink underground during the winter. Wish we could travel faster, but I don’t want anybody to get left behind.”

  “That is easily fixed,” Timoran announces, hoisting Nyx onto his shoulder. He grins at the scowling channeler before doing the same to Delvin. “Consider me your mighty steed as we thunder into battle. Has anyone seen Fizzle?”

  A bellowing roar erupts from their right, followed by a high-pitched shriek and booming explosion. Fearing that their friend is in danger, Nyx and Delvin leap from Timoran’s shoulders and rush through the forest. The faint sound of crying drives them to run faster and draw their weapons as they come to the remains of a pine tree grove. Fizzle is sitting on a burning stump, his trembling hands holding a yellow dragonfly wing that crinkles in the unnatural heat. Another fire is contained on the side of a thick oak where the crimson skin of a drite has been staked. The melting body is difficult to identify since the long tail has been removed, leaving nothing more than a tiny stump.

  “Plimp dead,” Fizzle mutters as Nyx kneels down to stroke his back. He flutters out of the flame to land on her head and uses his tail to wipe at his eyes. “Skinned and eaten. Not sure if fight back. Not ogre. Meaner demon. Fizzle want find. Visindor need protector. Fizzle take job again, but not yet. Help Fizzle fight?”

  “You do not even have to ask, my friend,” Timoran replies while bending down to pick up the other three dragonfly wings. He holds them out to Fizzle, who gives him the fourth and nods toward the barbarian’s pouch. “I will hold onto these for you. Once you are ready to honor your cousin, I will assist you.”

  “Let’s get moving,” Delvin says as he walks away. Noticing that the others are still standing near the pines, the warrior turns around and bows his head in apology. “I’m sorry if that came off as rude. Seeing this
makes me fear that we have more bodies to bury. If you want to stay here for a bit then I won’t stop you, but I need to keep going. Though we aren’t blood, Selenia is my family and she’s in danger.”

  “Fizzle understand,” the drite replies before darting toward the warrior and zipping around him. “Not rude. Selenia family too. Fizzle worried. No like this. We go now. Plimp be buried when time right. Need find tail.”

  Not wanting to lose any time, Delvin enhances his speed and sprints ahead with Dariana and Fizzle only a few feet behind. Timoran takes up the rear with Nyx clinging to his back, the channeler keeping her eyes on the leafless branches. They come across fewer corpses and fallen trees as they barrel forward, making them fear that they have deviated from the army’s path. Timoran slows down enough to get a clear look at the ground and sees that the footprints are shallower and spread out across a wider area. Whistling to Delvin, he points at the tracks and holds out his arms to get his message across without speaking. The other warrior stares for a few seconds before nodding his head in understanding. Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, the champions move at a slower pace and keep an eye out for their enemies. Knowing that the army became more cautious at this point in their advance makes all of them wonder if Selenia was able to react to the invaders in time.

  Coming to the hundred-foot clearing around the Hamilton Military Academy, Delvin feels his heart leap into his throat. Deep furrows have been carved into the ground, their edges crystallized by the lightning that made them. The remains of minor demons can be seen in the trenches, the pieces already dissolving to return to the Chaos Void. Students can be seen gathering the muscular bodies of ogres and tossing them into a large fire that is being maintained by the resident priests of Durag. A gaping hole is in the eastern wall and the rest of the fortification has been heavily dented by boulders that remain where they landed. Patrolling the perimeter, a group of students examine the stones to see if they can be used for the academy’s catapults. The gothic administrative building has been impaled by a fully grown oak tree, the metallic head of a Sword Dragon dangling from the branches. Through the hole in the wall, the champions can see a collection of white sheets around the central fountain, the Elven warrior statue still holding its sword as if in defiance of the attack. They can count only ten dead, but nearly all of the survivors are wounded. A tall man with a military haircut is yelling orders from one of the archer posts, his right arm in a sling that he routinely tries to slip out of. A slender calico is by his side and taps his shoulder to remind him of his injury, the leather-armored woman limping whenever she walks. The longer Delvin stares at the academy, the more he worries about his former teacher and wants to call out her name.

  “I don’t see Selenia,” the warrior whispers, gripping Nyx’s hand. He can see that the channeler is worried about her father, who also appears to be missing. “Let’s get over there and see what’s going on. I’m sure they’re okay.”

  ****

  Thomas Strogan winces as the healer massages his shoulder and puts a healing bandage along his arm, a warm tingling making him squirm. The large warrior runs his thumb around a green armband that is emblazoned with the symbol of an elf’s face over a star. Unable to move until the priest is done, the acting commander watches the students quietly eat the nutritious mush that comes from an enchanted cauldron set on the cafeteria counter. A young dwarf does his best to keep the pot filled, but the academy’s dwindling supplies make it difficult to come up with palatable combinations. Thomas reaches out to pat the hard-working student on the arm and smiles, an act he remembers Kevin Masterson doing to help put new arrivals at ease. A tired sigh slips from the man’s lips when he is finally allowed to stand and claim some of the meal. His stomach is already roaring a complaint that there are no roasted chickens or potatoes to satisfy his hunger, but he merely smacks himself in the gut.

  Making his way to the back of the cafeteria, the towering warrior repeatedly stops to speak to the students and boost their morale. Many try to fake a smile, but their eyes are filled with a combination of terror and despair. Thomas shares their pessimistic sentiments and hopes that his years of training are preventing his face from revealing his true emotions. Reaching the largest table, he takes a seat next to Timoran and chuckles at how the barbarian makes him feel small. It is a sound that rolls into laughter, which weaves through the gathered students and helps ease some of the suffocating tension. Everyone stops when they see Delvin scowling from where he is sitting with his back to the wall, the expression reminding them of the headmistress. Only Thomas dares to meet the former mercenary’s steely gaze while he takes a bite of the nutritious mush. The taste of scallions, beef jerky, and scrambled eggs makes the warrior grimace and silently agree with his whining stomach.

  “Selenia, Kevin, and Duggan were taken prisoner,” Thomas explains with a mouthful of food. He slurps down enough water to help him swallow the bite, the movement making his shoulder ache. “We were running drills in the killing field when the ogres and demons came out of a fog that had gathered around the perimeter. The mornings have been like that for the last week, so Selenia and Kevin didn’t think anything of it. If you ask me, the demon leading this army had been around for a while to make us think the fog was natural. We lost two sergeant instructors and twelve of the students who were furthest away from the academy. The whole thing lasted ten minutes and ended when Selenia was overrun at the front gate and captured by the enemy. Kevin and Duggan were fighting by her side and surrendered in order to be taken with her. That’s what I believe anyway.”

  “Makes sense if they saw that the goal was to take Selenia alive,” Delvin replies, nodding his head. Rubbing his chin, the warrior glances out the window at the wall and notes that nobody is trying to repair the damage. “The enemy waited until the academy was low on food and lumber. That way they can accomplish an initial strike to grab Selenia, pull back, and return at their leisure to finish you off. We could use the tree sticking out of the administrative building to make boards, but it won’t be enough to fix the real damage.”

  “If you’re okay with it, I can fuse that Sword Dragon head to the outside of the hole. The tree can be used to patch up the rest of the space,” Nyx offers, her voice loud enough to be heard by the students. A whisper of her idea ripples among the trainees and many of them grin at the thought of the ogres meeting such a sight. “Timoran can help me with that, but I want him to go with me to continue the ritual first. Shouldn’t take long and I’ll ask one of the priests to give me an energizing potion in case I pass out again.”

  “Well, that solves one problem,” Thomas admits with a wry smile. Pointing out the nearby window, he brings the champions’ attention to where four catapults are being set up. “Not sure when the enemy will return, but we’ll be ready. Our best scout tracked them to the west where they made camp about half a day away. Probably five hundred ogres and thirty various demons, but there’s been fighting in their ranks. Means we aren’t dealing with a cohesive army, which puts something in our favor. The real danger will come from their leader. Best we can tell, the creature is some kind of demonic knight, but it never drew a weapon. The thing was covered from head to toe in white armor and I think I saw swords on its hips. Hard to tell because it stayed back by the edge of the fog. It had a really big ogre shouting orders, so that might be the field general and the demon is their master. Couldn’t really tell in the chaos.”

  Clearing his throat, Timoran gets everyone’s attention, which causes him to choose his words carefully. “There is one thing I am curious about. Why did the army capture Selenia and the others and then leave? It does not appear that their goal was to destroy the academy. Especially when you consider that the wall was heavily damaged and nobody was prepared. The next encounter will not go as easily for them because you will be ready. I might not know much about large army strategy, but leaving an enemy behind to heal and come back stronger is very suspicious.”

  Delvin pushes away from the table and go
es to get more food, stopping when he reaches the middle of the room. Staring at the floor, his hands are visibly shaking while a growing heat churns within his gut. The students nearest to the warrior get out of their seats and hurry to what they hope is a safe distance. Others leave the cafeteria entirely, moving far enough away that they can watch through the open windows. Unable to control his rage, Delvin hurls his plate at a door and summons his shield to his arm. Before the straps finish tightening, the warrior bashes one of the tables and continues until it is a pile of splinters. He hurls a chair through a window and kicks another across the room, the seat bouncing off a magic shield that Nyx is calmly maintaining to contain her fiancée. As he watches the broken seat bounce into the kitchen, Delvin regains his composure and leans against the wall. He slumps down to the floor and delivers a final punch to the stone, a brief charge of aura allowing him to leave a dent.

  “This isn’t about Luke. It’s about me,” Delvin says with his head between his knees. He jumps when Nyx sits next to him and puts her arms around his upper back. “The army took Selenia alive and pulled back to wait for my arrival. They want me to lead the students and protect her academy on my own. Failing means I’m a disgrace to my teacher and was never worthy of her training. She’s being kept alive because they want to defeat me in front of her and add to my humiliation. Taking Kevin and Duggan make it worse since they were like fathers to me. It’s all about weakening my confidence and resolve before I fight the Baron.”

  “That means our other loved ones are in danger,” Dariana states while she crosses her legs and closes her eyes. The telepath relaxes and stops what she is doing, the fear of being taken out of the looming fight making her cautious. “As soon as we are done here, I will send new messages to Rainbow Tower and Stonehelm. Perhaps we will get lucky and Sari will be near Gaia, so she can check on Willow and Cyril. I’m sorry that I can’t do anything now, but I feel that I’m needed for the battle.”