Brinks In Time:The Legend of Valendri's Relic

by Tom Rogal

  Vindar said, “I’m going to cast my most powerful Light spell. It will give you about thirty seconds of cover without any resistance. I pray one of you is fast enough to reach her and get her back.”

  Vindar started to work on his spell. As it was a potent one, he needed a few minutes to maintain the proper focus to enchant it just right. Condarin and Haldirin both got ready to make a dash over to her. It was going to be close, but it was the best idea they had. They wished Lindaris were here as he was the fastest of them all.

  The Ettui held Dyenarus still as Orznaii finally stepped in view from the command hut. He looked her in the eyes, and she looked at him back. They never broke their stare until they were five feet apart. One of the original Ettui who discovered her ran to his side.

  “Orznaii! Fuondas ouncia commndraii hutta.”(Orznaii! We found her outside the command hut.)

  He looked back at Dyenarus curiously. She wasn’t normally good at reading people, but she almost thought she saw a genuine look of him being impressed with her.

  The Ettui soldier asked, “Muriaii ohta?” (Shall we kill her?)

  Orznaii responded, “Nuntaya.” (Not yet.)

  He once again stared at Dyenarus, who refused to back down her gaze even when they stood only a foot apart. She wished she had a better position to cast a spell, but without being able to center the life particles with her hands, it wouldn’t work. The spells learned in Illusions were much different than most schools in form and what was required to cast them.

  Orznaii finally asked, “Where is your leader?”

  She refused to answer. She knew that telling him where he was would probably kill him. There was something different about this beast apart from him being able to speak the common tongue.

  Orznaii asked again, “Where is your leader? Is his name Neeza?”

  Again she stayed silent. Orznaii was bred and taught about the mage race and how they thought in order to be a more efficient weapon against them. From his studies, the differences between them and humans were not comparable. Normally the threat of torture was enough to make a human spill his guts out, first by giving out information and second by slicing their bellies open after they’ve divulged said info. Mages, he heard, were much tougher to crack, but he had ideas and theories . . . and he now had a means to test them. He would find how tough they truly were.

  “It was very clever of you, listening to my conversation. Where are the rest of your peers?”

  Dyenarus figured she would try and throw him off, “With any luck, they’ve already gotten the Relic and are heading back to the ship.”

  Orznaii laughed and said, “If they had, why send you to spy? I wouldn’t be surprised if they were somewhere in here as well. They are, aren’t they?”

  Dyenarus tried to deny it, but Orznaii was much better at reading her emotions than she was at hiding them. He stepped back and began to examine the room.

  “Where could they be? Are they in one of my tents? Or maybe they are hiding behind some rocks? Shall I have my soldiers find them? I promise you, they will not be as merciful as they have been with you.”

  Dyenarus said no words, instead she spit in Orznaii’s face. It hit him straight in the eyes. The nearby Ettui growled with anger at her actions, but their leader motioned them to hold still as he wiped her saliva off him. No, he wouldn’t get anything from this mage . . . directly at least.

  Orznaii stated, “I was going to spare you, but for the actions you caused, you must be executed. Before you are, I want to state some truths. We will find the Relic. We will find your friends. And we will be sure that not one of them returns home. Taka ghoron! Executaii herra!”(Take her away! Execute her!)

  As they began to drag her away, she had an idea that they were going to be giving her a very public execution. She had to stall for some time, hoping Neeza and the others would find a way to save her.

  “What is this plan you were talking about? Why do you need Neeza? I’ll think about it if you tell me more!”

  Orznaii had the Ettui stop for the moment as he moved closer to her again. He gave a small chuckle.

  “You heard that far, hmm? That is the one thing I cannot give. Know that beginning here, on Mount Hrithgorn, set the wheels in motion of a force you can’t stop. Neeza will die and there will be nothing you can do about it. There is no safe place for him, not even at home.”

  What did he mean by all that? She never got the chance as he nodded for them to take her to the chopping block. A large Ettui soldier was already there with an axe nearly twice his size. The blade was caked with dry blood from its previous kills. As they walked her over, the soldiers binded her hands together with rope. So much for getting yourself out of this mess.

  Condarin watched with great concern. Dyenarus had done a great job of stalling, but she knew the moment that she got captured this would be their plan. She checked back with Vindar. He appeared to be almost ready to go, but still needed a few more moments. For whatever reason, Neeza was only staring at the large doors, not even offering any suggestions. Was Dyenarus right when she said they had to watch for their leader? In her heart of hearts she didn’t want to believe it, but the more she saw, she just didn’t know.

  Dyenarus was roughly put to her knees on the hardened surface. They stung as the sand rubbed against the fresh wounds. If she somehow survived, she was not going to be in a very good mood. She had been trying to free her hands the entire time they dragged her, but the knot was too tight.

  The executioner harshly forced her head down. She wanted to laugh out loud. Yeah, like she was going to stay put while she just let him cut her head off. The moment he stood up to leave, she tried to get up and move, but the Ettui were too many and too quick. She barely made it to the edge of the platform. The soldiers began punching her in the stomach and face. They could have easily run her through, but they wanted a show. When she was too weak to stand on her own power, they dragged her back to the execution block.

  They dropped her down in front of the block again, this time two Ettui held her down while another was holding her head by her hair so she wouldn’t be getting up. At least she didn’t go down without a fight. They had to earn their entertainment.

  Condarin was getting ready to go as the Ettui lined up the axe. She only had seconds left to live unless they were ready. Please, Vindar! Please hurry!

  The way they positioned Dyenarus’ head, she was looking right at the executioner. Not the prettiest option for her last sight. She would have rather been looking at the northern skies by Formia where at night during certain seasons the sky became a rainbow show of light. Or watching the people walk down the street at a busy city corner. Or see an exotic island at sunrise. Not here. She closed her eyes and began to imagine sitting on the beach as the axe was raised.

  Yet, the axe never came. She opened her eyes to see his arms were wrapped up in some kind of green bind. A voice she could hear in the distance yelled a familiar spell.

  “Firammii morza!”

  The fireball hit the executioner, driving it past Dyenarus. It clipped her as it did, knocking her off the block. Thank the gods! She may not have liked many things about him, but he always had a knack to be at the right place at the right time.

  From a higher entrance just to the north of the door, Lindaris, Joakon, and Biverin stood as the Ettui were still trying to figure out what was going on.

  Lindaris finally yelled, “Hey, you sure act brave against one woman. Let’s see how you like it when the competition fires back!”

  Typical Lindaris; cocky, bull-headed, but there was no one happier to see him than her. The Ettui seemed to forget all about Dyenarus, instead focusing on the three new arrivals.

  Condarin yelled, “Now, Vindar!”

  She began to sprint forward as Vindar chanted, “Sevinarrai Guthorom Hujiva Lieforem!”

  A ball of light headed toward the center of the room and stopped. It suddenly began to absorb any life particles around as it grew to ten times its original size. When it
got large enough, it exploded into an epicenter of light. The Ettui were blinded and most fell to shield their eyes. Condarin covered her eyes, only looking through the slits of her fingers. It wasn’t the easiest way to get there, but it was the safest way to navigate with this spell active.

  Haldirin was about to join her when Neeza grabbed his arm, “What are you doing? I need to help Condarin!”

  Neeza answered, “We have to take out those Ettui holding the shield!”

  “Are you mad? If we take them out, the Garchai will be in here!”

  “Indeed they will be. But if the Ettui are too busy dealing with the Garchai . . .”

  Haldirin finished his sentence, “That means they aren’t going after the Relic, leaving us a clear path.”

  Now he was getting the picture. There was no way they would be able to battle through this Ettui force. He also knew that there was no way that the Ettui could beat the Garchai unprepared. That also meant that they had to leave the room as fast as they could. The Ettui wouldn’t last long against them and once they were gone, the mages were most likely next.

  Neeza yelled, “When the light dies down, we’ll take out the holders! Then make a dash toward that path!”

  Haldirin nodded as they both waited. Condarin meanwhile was near Dyenarus, who had shut her eyes and covered them with her arm. She wished there were less Ettui around as she nearly tripped over a dozen of them on the way. She knew she only had about fifteen seconds to go before the spell fizzled out. She stepped up the platform. Dyenarus gave a little fight as Condarin tugged her arm.

  Condarin yelled, “It’s me! Come on! Cover your eyes!”

  She did exactly that, but getting up was a challenge. She was still feeling the effects of the Ettui beat down she received. Condarin realized there was no chance of them getting back to Neeza before the light would extinguish, so she decided to get as close to the hall where Dyenarus had told them the Relic was.

  The light finally began to lessen until it was nothing more than a dull ball hanging in the sky, which also dissipated. Lindaris uncovered his eyes trying to regain his senses after that spell took them by surprise.

  “Damn it, Vindar! More of a warning next time!”

  The Ettui were beginning to regain their composure as well. Neeza saw it as their best chance.

  “Now!”

  Haldirin started to run, but saw Vindar was very weak from the spell. He slung his arm over his shoulder and began to pursue Neeza. Once close enough, he fired a fireball at the top left Ettui. It nailed its target, dropping the soldier immediately. Haldirin tried a couple fireballs, but both missed as he was having a difficult time aiming while holding Vindar. Gerran eventually came to take Vindar off him, but the element of surprise was gone. The Ettui found the source of the magic, making hitting him that much more difficult.

  Lindaris observed what Haldirin was trying to do. That Ettui was being quite elusive, especially for as little ground as he had to work with. He had to help him. That door must be a way to the Relic if he was making the effort to bust through it. He looked at Biverin and Joakon, who were behind him.

  Lindaris said, “Guys, make sure Dyenarus and Condarin are okay. Vindar looks in bad shape, but at least he has Gerran there.”

  The two mages nodded and moved down the stone steps, firing a volley of fireballs at any Ettui that got in their way. Lindaris aimed carefully as Haldirin continued to miss.

  “Firammii morza!”

  The fireball hit the bottom left Ettui as the bluish shield dropped to the ground. Lindaris began to celebrate the hit, and instantly stopped when the first wave of Garchai crashed through the door. Why in hell would they want those demented creatures here? Did they know they were behind there?

  Orznaii looked forward as the Garchai, about five of them, stormed into the room. The Ettui leader showed no fear and neither did his forces.

  “Chiiargjia!”(Charge them!)

  The Ettui forces began to swarm toward the Garchai. Neeza was amazed. These were much more disciplined troops. The cursed ones were having a very difficult time grabbing a hold of them. Even when they did, they put a fierce fight to the end. They might be able to take out a quite a few of them before the battle was over.

  Biverin and Joakon reached Dyenarus and Condarin, who made it all the way past the commander's tent, thanks to the distraction. They had just taken out one Ettui soldier that decided they were an easier target than the Garchai.

  Biverin commented, “Hello ladies! How can we be of assistance?”

  Condarin yelled, “Keep them off me! I want to see if I can cure her wounds enough so she can move on her own at least.”

  Joakon grabbed a couple jars, tossing them in the air. Biverin saluted her and moved to the other possible point of entry for the enemy. He grabbed his side and grimaced when he finished, but he didn’t let it slow him down. She would have to check on him after this was through. Unless her memory betrayed her, she thought Neeza took care of him during the immediate injury. Something was obviously still bothering him with it. That would have to wait. She began casting spells on Dyenarus, praying they would allow her to help in the battle.

  Orznaii tried maneuvering through the huts when a Garchai crashed through them, taking out two of his soldiers. He could have run away, but Orznaii stood his ground. The beast looked in the Ettui’s direction, knowing he was there by his taste. As the Garchai charged, Orznaii leapt onto its back, thrusting his blade deep into its spine. He let momentum bring him down, his sword destroying the rest of the Garchai’s backbone down to his pelvis. The Garchai tried to stand up, but Orznaii knew it was already dead. He didn’t even bother turning around when the body of his enemy went limp.

  Neeza and Haldirin were battling through the Ettui they ran into, but their main concern was to stay out of the Garchai’s path. They were extremely angry, and he believed that he was a major reason for it. He just wanted to be sure he was out of there when Zondiir arrived, and he knew he would soon.

  Lindaris stayed on the elevated ground trying to keep order from above, but since the Garchai arrived, he was just trying to make sure he could keep tabs on his party members and ensure they were safe. Dyenarus and the majority of the others were holding well against light opposition. Gerran led Vindar through the huts trying to reach her, mostly underneath the noses of the Garchai and Ettui. It was Neeza and Haldirin that worried him. They were right in the thick of the battle. Exchanging blows with each Ettui they crossed. A Garchai suddenly stepped in his path, but Neeza was too focused on the Ettui to notice. He had to warn him!

  Lindaris yelled, “Neeza!”

  Dyenarus’ eyes opened wide as she heard him all the way from their position.

  “No.”

  She ran toward the battle as Condarin yelled, “Come back here! I’m not finished!”

  Dyenarus ran as fast as she could. She had to shut him up!

  “Neeza!”

  “Lindaris! Shut up! Don’t say his name! By the gods, don’t say his name!”

  He finally did stop yelling, but it was too late. Orznaii heard him, too, and noticed how the old man of their group answered his call. So, that man from the bridge is the one called Neeza. Perfect!

  Neeza was so confused why Lindaris was calling him that he never did see the Garchai as it was ready to bring its mace down.

  “Look out!” yelled Haldirin.

  Using a telekinetic ability, he pushed Neeza out of the way, separating the two mages. The mace just barely missed the mage leader as the ground shook violently. He landed on some Ettui bodies as he began to stand up. As he did, coming toward him was Orznaii with sword in hand and a vengeful look on his face. Neeza remembered him from the bridge room. Back then he thought it destiny that they would meet in combat before they left the mountain. Now, here they were. Neeza grabbed his staff and tightened his grip. He might be old, but he was one of the best mages when it came to close-combat fighting. Orznaii took an overhead swipe, and he blocked it with ease.

 
; Condarin and Joakon ran over to Dyenarus, stopping her short of the killing field. She felt weak and disoriented; the drawback of interrupting a cure spell in mid-cast. It was a necessary risk. She had to try and stop Lindaris. Seeing Orznaii and Neeza locked in combat, she realized she failed.

  Lindaris finally joined her as he asked, “What was the deal? Why didn’t you want me to warn him?”

  Dyenarus explained, “Because Neeza’s survival is the most important thing right now, even more important than the Relic. All of this is part of something larger, and Neeza living can throw the whole thing into shambles! No time to explain! We have to help him!”

  Joakon looked at Lindaris before saying, “Okay, Lindaris and I will go. You keep healing. We got this.”

  Before they left, Dyenarus stopped him, “Lindaris, wait. Come here for a second.”

  He walked quickly over to her, “What? You said yourself time is of . . .”

  His sentence was interrupted as she kissed him hard on the lips. He was shocked at first, but accepted it not before long.

  Condarin smiled, even if she knew it wasn’t because she loved Lindaris. That was a kiss of thanks. A kiss of love was much sweeter and gentler, like the ones she and Vindar experience. Still, it was nice to see Dyenarus do something ‘girly’ for a change. She slowly let go of her embrace.

  Lindaris finished his sentence, “. . . the essence. What was that for?”

  Dyenarus explained, “Because you won. I don’t think I’ll be able to top saving your life like you have just done for mine. Just don’t get the wrong ideas. This was strictly your reward for winning this little bet of ours.”

  “I wouldn't think of it. Stay here.”

  She didn’t want to, but knew she was no good to anyone yet in this condition. In a few more minutes her wounds would be tended to mostly. Then she could help them fight. She only hoped Neeza could hold up that long.

  Neeza was exchanging blows with the aggressive Ettui leader. He tried every tactic he could think of, but Orznaii was different. He seemed to know how a mage fought. For every attack he made, he had a counter. Every time, he was certain that he would hit him with a spell up close to faze him, he’d quickly move to the opposite side.