by Andrew Wood
Healing this man's wounds however would be difficult even for him. He poured on more water, and this time kept his eyes open as it moved unnaturally up the man's slim body. In his mind, Luca could see the area inside that was bleeding, and he directed the flow of liquid in that direction. It took several minutes of magic flowing through his hand and into the body of his patient before all the damage caused by the bolt was healed.
The Darekian stirred, the first signs of life returning to him. Luca just needed to heal the fever, and the man would be okay. He placed his hand on the man's forehead, but was shocked at what he discovered. He had inadvertently looked at the Darekian's mind. What could only be described as a black fog like effect, drifted through the man's conscience. Luca was not sure what it was, and he concentrated hard to try to clear it away.
He was stunned to see in the flickering lamp light, the man's eyes turn from the dark colour they had been, to a light brown. Luca puffed out his cheeks, thinking he had finished. His patient looked up at him, and gave a glimmer of a smile, "Thank you," he uttered in a weak voice. Luca was just about to speak when he noticed the man's eyes darken back to their original colour. He immediately used his magic once more, only to reveal the dark fog like substance had once more returned to cover the man's mind. Whatever this was, it was not a natural illness. "Blood magic," he uttered to himself.
His patient, now healed of the physical injuries kicked about causing the chains to rattle. He cursed loudly, and shouted at Luca to set him free. Luca stepped back, he knew somewhere inside was a normal person, but there was some dark magical force overwhelming his mind. One of the guards from outside the outer door appeared, "Is everything okay my Lord," he said asking after Luca's welfare. "Yes, thank you, though you might want to keep a closer eye on him now he is healed." The guard looked at the prisoner and then at Luca, clearly bamboozled as to how such a thing could have happened. "I did not think he would last more than a few hours longer. Now it seems he has recovered fully." Luca afforded a smile, "Try not to ponder on it, just keep an eye on him."
With a spring in his step, he headed back to the house, and straight for his room. If he could clear this dark magic from the man's mind, he could find out where Hope had been taken. Although, whether he could remove this dark magic was something of which he was not yet certain. He swung the door of his room shut, and picked up the book he and Hope had been studying. He knew if there were to be an answer, then it would be within the pages of that tome.
Dalia did not rue the fact she had lost one of her soldiers, but stood feeling triumphant she had captured her potential nemesis. "Take her to the house and see she is suitably restrained. No man is to touch her without my permission," she said firmly. Her young soldiers bowed their heads and Hope was dragged, still kicking and cursing at her captors. The commander remained at Dalia's side and she could once more feel the strong emotions being sent over from the bracelet. It was a feeling of lust, and she turned to see the young man looking at her. She felt she wanted him there and then, but managed to fight the urge, "Go with them," she said hoping his absence would alleviate these feelings.
She shook her head, cursing at herself for showing this continuous weakness. The bracelet had opened her mind to this man, and since that time, the longing for him had become stronger. If she could not fight this, she would have to remove the magical item from his wrist. Although something inside her was telling her not too, and to give in to her lustful urges.
Hope was dragged across the dusty ground and thrown to the floor. Two strong hands grabbed her arm and before she could react, a metal band was fastened around it. This was linked to a chain, the other end of which was secured to a post. Hope kicked out once more at one of the men, catching him on the leg, but the soldier barely flinched at the contact. The man's dark eyes looked down at her with distain, and she saw nothing but hatred within them.
From her seated position on the ground, Hope looked around at her surroundings. Everything had happened so fast, she was only just coming to terms with the enormity of what had taken place. She had been grabbed and hauled through some kind of magical gateway, and taken to what looked like a fishing village. She was certain she could hear the sound of the sea in the distance, which would indicate she was near the coast somewhere. Although which coast she had been taken too, she had no idea. How had they managed to move her from her garden, to this strange unknown place, she did not know. More to the point, she was uncertain as to why they had taken her. The group had originally made a beeline for her sister and mother, but on seeing her, they had changed target immediately.
She looked around at the people. There was something strange about them. Not one so much as looked her direction, as if having a girl chained to a post was a common thing to have in a village. There was something about their posture that was not natural and odd about the way they walked. She looked as two women walk by, the expressions on their unnaturally pale faces puzzled her. What was this place? Who were these strange people? She then noticed something she did recognise. A tattooed face of a Darekian soldier, and she cursed herself for not noticing the tabards earlier. The soldiers were all wearing the old colours of the Darekian lord who had been vanquished by her adoptive father.
This was not a place she could afford to be kept captive, and needed to seek an escape. She had read about what Lord Fenlor used to do to his prisoners. They were sacrificed to summon forth an Orlac, something she was not overly keen on being used for. It was thought the heart of the person being used determined the character of the beast. The history books had said that the Lord had sacrificed his own magical priests so as to summon forth more intelligent creatures.
Hope shuffled backwards on her behind as a massive dark red haired creature walked up to her. "An Orlac," she uttered to herself as her heart started racing. The stories did not do these beasts justice. She knew they were allegedly big, but now this one was stood over her, it had exceeded even the wildest estimations of just how big. The beast's clawed hands were massive and the muscular arms and chest made her shuffle back a little further.
There came a high-pitched giggle from behind the creature, and Hope watched as a young woman no older than herself, stepped into the frame. "Frightening isn't he?" the woman asked. Hope stayed quiet but nodded her agreement. "I am Dalia, daughter of Lord Fenlor, and you are?" the woman asked. "Hope," she replied timidly. "Daughter of the late Prince of Corlan, and wielder of his powers I understand," the woman added. Once more Hope nodded, although technically neither part of the statement was true. She was adopted by Luken, Prince of Corlan as a baby, and with the aid of the ring, she could wield some power.
Dalia stepped up closer to her prisoner, "Don't worry I have no plans to kill you...yet. Hmm strange I sense only a small trace of power from you." Hope thought, and that was probably from the ring, which was currently uncharged. If only she had thought of keeping some power stored in it for emergencies, she could send this scheming, kidnapping witch to her fiery grave. As things were she would have to wait for an opportunity, and in the mean time have to wait to see what her captors wanted with her.
Chapter 7.
Luca had spent the last two hours, reading through as much of the book as he could. There were several sections on the art of healing using elemental forces, most of which he was already profound at using. He had almost given up, until he noticed just inside the back cover several handwritten notes. The ink had faded badly over time but he had managed to work out most of what the writer had put down. It was the words 'blood magic' that had caught his attention. He had of course heard all about the old Darekian Overlord making use of such a power. Although what exactly was entailed in its use, he was not exactly sure.
He was certain the man chained up in the stables was under the influence of blood magic, and according to the writings, he needed something similar to counter it. The dilemma he now had, was should he get involved in something usually associated with being pure evil. Was it even possible for him to do b
lood magic? There was only one way to find out, and he was intent on trying. He re-read the instructions carefully making sure he did everything as it said. A small prick of his finger and he let a single drop of his blood drip into a goblet of water. Now he had to use his elemental water magic. This was where he would differ from that of one who usually delved in blood magic. He wondered whether those people, had ways to control the elements as he did. Using his magic the water within the goblet swirled and foamed, his droplet of blood dissolved within it. Happy he had carried out the instructions correctly he now needed to apply this water to the prisoner in the stables.
He carefully carried the goblet out of the house and across the yard to the stable block. Only one guard remained outside, who let him pass without question. At the end stall, Luca found the second guard where he had left him. "He seems much better. He's has told me he is going to kill me and everyone else here, several times already," he quipped as Luca approached. Luca could not help but laugh, and stood at the stall entrance to look at the prisoner. "I am going to kill you first," the man shouted as Luca approached. "Well that's no way to thank the person who healed you."
The prisoner look puzzled by the remark, and this pause, gave Luca the opportunity to slowly pour the contents of the goblet over the prisoners head. He had thought hard on how he was going to get the prisoner to drink the liquid. He was quite certain the man would never drink it willingly, so Luca had come up with the brilliant idea of tipping it over him. Once the liquid was there, he would use his power to control it, and ultimately force it through the man's mouth, whether he wanted it or not.
"What are you..." his words were cut short as Luca stepped back, hand out forcing the liquid to move at his will. "Sorry about this," Luca said as he sent the water mixed with his blood into the mouth. The man tried to splutter and not swallow, but Luca already had the stream flowing up through his nose as well. He would ultimately have to swallow it so he could breathe. After a short struggle, Luca smiled, as the results were almost instant. The man's dark eyes now became a bright green colour, though there was a slight concern as his the body went limp.
Luca stepped quickly forward, and knelt down beside the prisoner. He placed a hand on the man's well-toned chest. He could sense the water inside the body, and was glad to see the black fog like substance had vanished from the man's mind. "Where am I?" came a croaky sounding voice. Luca looked up at the guard who was stood mouth gaping at what he had just witnessed. "Probably best if you don't say too much about this," Luca said to him. The guard nodded slowly, "Right you are my Lord...You...You have powers like your father then?" Luca nodded back, "Only apparently I'm more powerful," he said without trying to sound too bigheaded. He was not sure whether the guard was impressed or scared, such was the strange look he gave.
Luca turned his attention back to the young man chained up, sat on the floor. "Feeling better now? He asked realising the man's eyes had gone brown when he had tried to heal him normally, not the green they were now. He was not sure as to why this had happened, but decided to let the matter pass for now. "What's your name?" he asked not quite sure what else to say. "Oliver Sir," came the croaky reply. "My name is Luca. Can I ask you some questions?" The man nodded, "Of course. I will answer as truthfully as I can." Luca frowned, thinking either this man was playing him or the spell had worked too well.
The guard remained overseeing procedures and kept a hand close to the hilt of his sword. "Do you know where they have taken my sister?" Luca asked, thinking he may as well go straight to the point. "The Isle of Kelan Sir," the man replied. "The Isle of Kelan...Why would they take her there? And what do they want with her?" Oliver answered surprisingly quickly, and as far as Luca could tell, truthfully. "The Lady Dalia wants her...she wishes to eliminate the opposition before it got to powerful. She did not want to make the same mistake her father made, Sir."
Luca was confused. He did not even know who this Dalia was, never mind why she should would want to eliminate Hope. The words though caused his heartbeat to quicken. Was Hope even still alive? Had the fact he had frozen and panicked cost his sister her life? No, he told himself, she must still be alive. If they had wanted her dead they would have killed her, not kidnapped her.
"Who is Dalia?" he asked regaining his composure. "The daughter of Lord Fenlor of Darekia, Sir," Oliver replied. Those words hit Luca like a hammer blow. He knew exactly who that man was, the one responsible for his own father's death. Trying to remain calm Luca placed a hand on Oliver's shoulder, "Why does this Dalia think my sister is a threat to her?" The man looked at Luca and smiled, "I am not totally certain Sir. I was only a simple soldier. However, I believe it was because she is the daughter of the man that defeated the Lady Dalia's father and inherited the same powers."
All the pieces suddenly fell in to place, and Luca knew he needed to tell the others what he had learned. "Thank you Oliver," he said getting to his feet. "I think he is probably safe, but just keep the chains on just in case," he said to the guard. "Oh and find him something to eat," he shouted as he ran off out of the stable door and toward the house. The guard did reply, but Luca could not hear what was said.
He burst in to the lounge, to find Darak still comforting Sarena. Leah was cuddled up close to her mother, and they all looked up as Luca entered. "I know where Hope is," he said trying to catch his breath. He did not wait for a response, "The Isle of Kelan. Fenlor's daughter is there with some army. She thinks Hope has some magical power, and..." Darak stood, "Slow down Luca, you're not making sense."
Luca took a deep breath, and repeated what he had just said. Darak and Sarena looked as taken aback as he had. "What does she want with Hope?" his mother asked wiping her eye with the handkerchief crunched up in her hand. "Oliver was not sure, but he thinks this Dalia reckons she has powers like Father did." It was clear his reply had confused them again. "Who by the gods is Oliver?" Darak asked. "The prisoner...I healed him and he told me everything."
Luca sighed, and decided it best to start from the beginning. Telling them of how he had healed Oliver and the black substance covering his mind. He thought it best not to tell them he had actually had to use blood magic himself, to accomplish the healing of the darkness. Once he had finished an awkward silence filled the room. Luca was not sure whether he should say something or leave to let his Mother and Darak digest over what he had told them. He thought it best to give them a little time, and besides he wanted to go and see Oliver again. "Why would this woman think Hope has powers?" his mother asked, as he was just about to leave. He looked at Darak in hope that maybe he might wish to answer the question for him. Realising there was nothing doing there; he gave as vague an answer as he thought he could get away with. "I am not sure mother...I guess she just thought Hope was the one with powers." He wasn't sure whether his mother was satisfied with that answer, but he thought it best not to hang around to find out.
Luca returned to the stables to find the guards still where he had left them. He wanted to see Oliver, and the young man was still shirtless and chained up as before. "Hello again," he said sitting himself down beside him. "Hello Sir," the man replied. Luca asked whether he had been given anything to eat, and was told he had not. Luca stood and was about to ask the guard why not, "Sorry my Lord. You did say I should keep an eye on him. So I thought I would wait until you come back." Luca shrugged, accepting the reason, "No matter I'll run back and get something."
After once more returning to the main house, and scouting the kitchen for some suitable food to take back, Luca returned to Oliver. "Here, eat this," he said handing him a plate of ham and cheese as well as a bread roll. The guard looked longingly at the plate of food, and mumbled under his breath. Luca looked up at him, "It's okay you can go and leave us now...Go get something to eat yourself. I'll make sure our prisoner does not escape." The guard dipped his head, "Thank you my lord."
Luca watched as Oliver gingerly took the gift of food, and slowly started eating it. It was then he noticed him shiver, and realised th
at he was probably freezing sitting there in chains with no shirt on his back. Luca stood and quickly took off his tunic, "Here," he said putting it over Oliver's shoulders. He sat and watched the prisoner eat for a few minutes, before resuming the questioning.
It surprised Luca at how open Oliver was being, answering every question that was asked without hesitation. He learned the young man was eighteen years old, or at least he thought that was the case. Oliver had once been taken from his family farm in the lowlands of Darekia and taken to a special training camp. He could not recall as to when or why it happened, but he had always felt the need to obey the woman known as Dalia. He had trained daily in the art of combat, before being sent with a few of the other camp members to meet up with Dalia at a dock. They had then sailed their way around the islands, taking new members as they went. Many of these were young boys who would be sent to other training camps, for 'Mental and physical conditioning' as he called it.
"She found what she was looking for. A staff that gives her the power of fire," Oliver said casually, as if it were an everyday occurrence. "With this she wishes to take back her homeland. With your sister taken, there will be no one powerful enough to stop her." Luca grinned, placing a friendly hand on Oliver, "Oh believe me, there is someone much more powerful than Hope. I just need to get her back before this Dalia finds out her mistake."
Oliver gave his theories as to why Dalia had kept Hope alive rather than just kill her. That comment was nearly as bad as the first thought. "She will take her blood, and hope to assimilate her magic, or at least some of it. Should that fail, perhaps she will be sacrificed to create an Orlac of great power like Silas." Luca lifted a hand, "Wait. Back up a second. An Orlac?" Oliver nodded, describing every detail of the huge beast that shadowed the Lady Dalia everywhere.