“What were you thinking? You could have died back there!” Lara shouted at him, pounding his chest with her fists. Alrion let her.
“I’m sorry, it’s my journey to take. Nobody else can do this for me.”
“What was your plan? I saw what he did to your spells. He wasn’t afraid of you at all. What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”
“If I couldn’t wear him down enough? I’d try to cure him.”
“Wouldn’t that weaken you for a long time?”
“Yes. But it would have worked if I needed it.” Alrion looked away. He couldn’t argue with her, she was right. But there was another reason he had snuck away. A more painful one.
“I’m just glad I found you in time.”
“Have you used what I gave you?”
“Not yet.” Lara retrieved the two small glass vials. They almost looked empty. Alrion activated his Soul Power and saw the power within them.
“Still looks good. That will help you in a pinch.”
“I’m going with you.” Lara gestured back towards the cave.
“You can’t. Nobody can.”
“I think you just proved that you can’t be left alone.” Lara looked annoyed. But she stopped glaring at him and looked worried instead. “There’s too much at risk. Can’t you trust me?”
“Of course, I trust you. I don’t trust myself.” Alrion looked past her, towards the cave.
“What do you mean?” Lara sat closer, holding his hand in hers. He didn’t look at her, not yet.
“I need to be alone in there. If I have you with me, maybe they can use that against me.”
“That’s not a good enough reason, it’s worth the risk.” Lara reached over and turned his head, so he was looking at her.
She’s right. She must suspect something else is wrong.
“Fair enough. Let me put it this way.” Alrion sighed and collected his thoughts. “If I must sacrifice myself for this, I need to be at peace with that. And having you there will make it much harder to do. I’ll probably cling to my life and make a bad choice. I need to keep my focus and do what is required.” He let himself look into her eyes. She had tears in there.
“The world is not your responsibility. There’s always another way.” He could see the sadness behind her eyes, he knew the extent of what the Blight had meant for her and her family. It was not easy for her to say those words.
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be sacrificed for everyone else. But if that makes all this go away, I’ll do it. You said there was another of Darvin, the Blight will keep reinventing itself until it wins. I have to stop it here.” Alrion felt his resolve harden a bit more.
Maybe I’ll get taken by this process, but it would protect Lara and everyone else. That’s worth it, isn’t it?
He saw Lara wiping away her tears. He gave her a hug and felt her warmth seeping into him. He put everything aside for a minute and basked in it. Alrion then pulled away, standing up.
“I need to keep going. I’m sorry.”
“What if I…” Lara said, but Alrion raised a hand.
“You can’t enter the cave, that’s final. But you can help everyone else. Isn’t that worth doing? We don’t know how my actions here will affect the battle being fought elsewhere.” Alrion saw Lara thinking it over. She looked like she was coming around.
“I don’t like this, but I can see you won’t be swayed. I’ll search the area out here for more forces or traps, then I’ll rejoin the others.” Lara gave him a weak smile. Alrion walked in close and leaned in. He kissed her deeply and gave her a hug. She held him tightly for a long time. Eventually, she pulled away.
“You better come back, or I’ll be forced to find a way to drag you into the light. And you won’t enjoy that!”
“Doesn’t sound like it.” Alrion forced a chuckle. They started walking back to the glade where they had fought Darvin. His body had completely returned to a human one. Alrion forced himself to look for a moment.
“Good luck,” Lara said. Alrion reached into his pocket and retrieved a small bag. He threw it to her.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the ring you stole from me.”
“Why are you giving it back?” Lara had a confused look.
“You can hold it for me.”
“I will. Although, it’s not as fun if you just give it to me.”
“Sorry about that. Thank you.” Alrion turned and started walking to the cave entrance. He turned back just before he reached it, and saw that Lara was still standing there, waiting. He gave her a short wave then entered the darkness.
The cave was pitch-black. Alrion created an orb of light and had it hover just above him. Now that he could see better, the cave was completely featureless. It was just dark and boring. He walked on, listening for any signs of life. Nothing was there, save for the echoes of his footsteps. As he walked, he felt like he was going down. But the cave seemed to be getting lighter. Soon he started to see rays of light, then areas of the cave bathed in natural light. He pushed forward, curious.
Alrion emerged into an impossible space. It felt like he was outdoors. Lush trees and shrubs grew thickly around the path, and he could see glimpses of blue sky through the tree coverage.
Where am I?
This was not what he had expected. He was supposed to be heading to the source of the Blight. Darkness and decay are what he expected.
Did I go to the wrong place?
Alrion looked behind him. The cave tunnel he had travelled down was still there. It didn’t look like a trick.
Time to march forward, see where I end up.
Alrion slowly progressed through the dense forest. It was eerily quiet. After a time, he picked why it seemed so odd. There were no signs of life. No animals at all. And there wasn’t any wind either. Everything seemed so static.
Maybe there’s a reason this is here.
Alrion could see something up ahead. It looked like a big rock formation. He made his way over, carefully. The light and life, as still as it was, felt refreshing. He soon found himself before a large lake. The water was light blue, and it almost glowed. Alrion knelt and ran his hand through the water. It tingled.
Is that Soul Power?
Alrion activated his enhanced vision and looked at the lake. It was definitely infused with Soul Power. He cupped his hands and tried drinking some. It was refreshing and energising.
This doesn’t make any sense. But I may as well use it.
Alrion took a moment to drink and rest. But he didn’t completely relax. There was still something strange about this environment. And he couldn’t waste too much time. He stood and looked for a way around the lake. There didn’t seem to be one.
Let’s just try.
He started to wade through, instantly sinking down to his waist. It was slow going, but he managed to progress. Step by step he progressed through the lake. He didn’t trust himself swimming and pressed forward. Slowly but surely, he made his way across. He expected it to get dark, but the light and environment remained unchanged.
As he reached the other shore, he noticed a small opening in the rock formation. It was another tunnel. Alrion climbed out of the water and used a bit of his Spark to dry his clothes.
Now, let’s see where this goes.
Alrion started off, creating another orb of light to see. He noticed a change instantly. There was a strange architecture in this new tunnel or cave structure. It looked like there were places where it was narrow and other places where it expanded. There was almost an odd geometry in the walls. Regular shapes such as rectangles and squares were formed out of the rock.
It doesn’t make sense.
Alrion pressed on. One section was pitch-black, another bathed in light. He lost track of where he was, and where he was going. Onward and onward he walked, no signs of any other life.
Then he saw it. It began with an uneasy sensation running down his spine. Something he felt before he noticed it. He almost didn’t see it.
But in the distance, in a darker section, he saw something that was blacker than black. A mass of living shadow.
“The source,” Alrion whispered. Even from this distance, he recognised it from his dreams. His destination was so close. He steeled himself and took a step towards his destiny.
48
Darkness in Numbers
Certan watched the Skull King emerge from the opposing army. He turned and witnessed Alyx’s reaction. It looked like a mix of fear and rage. She was trembling.
“I don’t want you to interfere.” Alyx was fixated on the Skull King. She started to advance.
“As you wish. Is it another copy?”
“It has to be, but I don’t care.” Alyx kept advancing. The Skull King was laughing, an evil sound that made Certan’s skin crawl.
If Alyx has bested this creature before, she should do so again. I doubt it is as strong as before. But she will need backup.
Certan noticed that a retinue of creatures followed the Skull King out. Not only that, but the Blight forces were losing their tight formations. At any moment, they could break out into open warfare.
“I don’t like this. Chaos is about to be unleashed.”
“I suggest you do what you do best,” Celes said, joining him. She had a dagger in one hand and a vial of orange liquid in the other.
“I will.” Certan removed a vial of his own. It looked empty, but he knew it wasn’t. It was a gift from Alrion. Certan opened the vial and poured it over his hand. He felt the Soul Power wash over him like a warm glow, and it enveloped his hand, using that as a way into his body. He let the sensation settle and prepared his approach.
Certan counted two Shades and a Shade Wizard supporting the Skull King. Alyx would struggle with that combination. But he could do something about it.
“Try not to engage too soon, save your firepower for when they break loose.” Certan saw Celes’s acknowledgement and he instantly ran off to assist Alyx.
The Weapon Master had drawn her sword and began a duel with the Skull King. However, the creatures following the Skull King around had started flanking, looking for an opportunity to interfere.
“Not on my watch, foul creatures!” Certan shouted. They looked over at him, surprised. Certan composed himself for a moment, winding himself up. Then he shot out at surprising speed.
This power works fantastically.
Certan practically appeared in front of the Shade. He used a single punch to breach the creature’s heart and watched it drop instantly, a shocked expression on its face. The other Shade began to fight back but Certan swept its leg out with his, causing it to stumble. Using that moment of weakness, he performed the same attack, killing it instantly.
The Shade Wizard was not to be caught the same way. It started throwing fireballs at Certan at close range. He rolled away, using his speed to create some distance between them. Wizard fire was hard to judge, and it could burn him quite badly if he miscalculated or the Shade Wizard was more powerful than expected.
The Skull King looked over, distracted by Certan’s attack. Alyx used the moment to gain an advantage, forcing the Skull King back and getting a strike on the creature’s arm. It howled with pain and rage then regrouped, attacking Alyx with twice the ferocity.
She can handle this. I need to shut down the Shade Wizard quickly.
Certan wheeled around, looking to close the distance quickly. The Shade Wizard was throwing fireballs, and waves of force. Certan saw the attacks coming and shifted his heading and stance to avoid them with minimal loss of momentum. The Shade Wizard started to panic and created a wall of fire.
Be faster.
Certan focused himself even further and pushed through the fire. He felt a searing pain for an instant but passed through. The Shade Wizard was stunned and struggled to throw more spells. But Certan was close enough. He knocked the Shade Wizard down with an open palm then broke its neck. With utmost precision, he destroyed its heart before it could recover.
Looking up, Certan could see that while he was fighting, the main Blight force had entered the fray. The battle lines were now muddled, with Valrytir soldiers and Blight fighting everywhere he could look. The Blight had overwhelming numbers. He heard an explosion over his shoulder and saw Celes throwing some of her vials. Clumps of Blighters were knocked away or retreated while on fire.
It’s not enough. We need to create an advantage.
Certan considered joining Alyx’s fight, as she would add considerable might to the general fight. But he decided not to, it wasn’t arranged and could put her in danger if he upset the balance. Certan scanned the crowd and noticed something unusual in the distance.
“Celes, what’s that?” Certan pointed.
“That’s another Blight General I’d say. My guess would be Rindale?”
“Rindale. The architect of their creatures?”
“Yes, the very same.”
“He might be behind these copies of the generals.”
“Very astute.” Celes threw a flurry of daggers over Certan’s shoulder. Two Blighters dropped to the ground.
“Let’s change the course of this fight.” Certan didn’t wait for Celes to reply. He launched himself into the Blight lines. He could feel the Soul Power draining, but he continued to use it. He focused his body completely, wasting no motion at all. He glided forward, each movement advancing him and becoming an attack. He stepped forward and kicked a Blighter over, tripping another. He elbowed another, slamming it into two more and used the collapsing heap as a springboard to launch himself into another cluster of Blighters. He landed on one and quickly rose into a spinning kick that cleared the area and killed some Blighters instantly. Others backed away immediately. Certan heard a blood-curdling cry and looked back anxiously.
Alyx was throwing herself at the Skull King, her blade gliding through the air as though it were a leaf. He was managing to block the strikes, but he was being pushed back. Any Blighters that were close were just cut down in the process. Certan thought he saw something golden on the blade, but an instant later it was gone.
“Eyes on the prize, monk.” Celes pointed to Rindale. He was trying to sneak away. Certan took in a deep breath and composed himself once more.
It’s too inefficient fighting the whole army. I need to be smarter.
The master monk planned his course, prepared his muscles and steeled his will. Then he launched himself into the air. He cleared a group of Blighters and landed on another. He picked up a nearby Blighter and charged forward, using the Blighter as a shield to bludgeon away anything in his path. As fast as Rindale retreated, he was held up by the sheer number of bodies surrounding him. Before long Certan had caught up. He threw the Blighter he was holding, clipping Rindale’s leg just enough to make him stumble.
“I’m not so weak, monk.” Rindale stood quickly and readied himself. Certan walked up slowly, not trying to attack. Rindale watched him suspiciously. Once Certan was right in front of Rindale, he held out his hand.
“What is this?”
“There is no honour in this chase, this fight. I will spare you if you come back with me.”
“Come back where?”
“Back to beyond the intense fighting. I believe you have valuable information.” Certan watched Rindale’s reaction. The creature was intrigued. He flicked his eyes left and right, clearly evaluating his chances of getting away.
“I’m not so easy to kill, just so you know.”
“I know.” Certan left his hand outstretched. Rindale reached for it. As his hand closed around Certan’s, the monk noticed a strange black nail. He felt it soon after.
“Ha! You’re mine now.” Rindale cackled. Certan was not impressed. He grabbed Rindale by the wrists and hauled him away. No matter how Rindale struggled, Certan’s grip did not waver. He methodically strode back through the battlefield. The Blighters all stayed out of his way, terrified. Once they had reached a safer spot, Certan put Rindale down on the ground.
“You haven’t won, you’re infected.
”
“Am I?” Certan showed Rindale his hand. There was no wound.
“Impossible! I injected you with the Blight.”
“Try again.” Certan left his hand out. Rindale snatched at it and tried again. But his nail could not pierce Certan’s skin. The black liquid oozed away with no effect.
“This cannot be.”
“Perhaps the original Rindale could have done the job, but you’re not him. What are you?”
“A shadow of my former greatness, I’m afraid,” Rindale muttered.
“How did you do it?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” Rindale shook his head.
“I’m sure you can explain in a way we’ll understand,” Celes said. She approached, twirling one of her daggers.
“It was a contingency plan to keep control of the Blight. I managed to preserve the look, personality, and power of each of us. But none of the host bodies could manifest them with the right strength. We’re all weaker. Lesser.” Rindale shook his head.
“How many are there?”
“Just one of each. It takes time.” Rindale looked around. He pointed at the Skull King. “He was a great success.”
“How so?” Certan asked for curiosity’s sake, but he could see what Rindale meant. Even though Alyx was fighting the creature furiously and with incredible speed and accuracy, the Skull King was not letting up or tiring.
“Darvin pushed me to find a way. The Skull King was the first of us to fall, he was missed the most. After much experimentation, I managed to succeed. Great power, at great cost.”
“What was the cost?” Celes said.
“Many lives. And his personality. It’s a mere shadow of him. Fine for this, but not what any of us wanted.” Rindale sounded disappointed, and perhaps even sad.
“Keep questioning him. I need to stop this.” Certan walked off, towards Alyx. He dispatched any lone Blighters in his path, his attention fixated on the fight. The more Alyx pushed, the further they went into enemy territory.
She will tire and be overwhelmed eventually. She needs to cool her head.
Certan jogged over and drew in close.
Soul of Light (The Hidden Wizard Book 4) Page 35