Wings of Light Special Edition

by Lloyd Baron

  The man had refused to teach him that trick. He had not truly wanted to learn it if he was being honest with himself. He did not like the idea of knowing more ways to kill then what he already knew but in that moment of helplessness he desired all the knowledge of killing in the world: anything to live, anything to save his friends.

  The thought drifts somewhere at the back of his mind as he pushes himself back to his feet. If the Mana is draining from the room then soon Razzork will be unable to summons and he will be nothing more than a frail old man with an axe jutting from his shoulder. When that happens he will happily grab the handle and finish what he had started.

  Riochald suddenly moves as if she has just woken and realized that they are in danger. She looks at Derry’n with so much fear in her eyes that he wants to tell her that everything will be alright and that they will make it through this. However that is a lie, as right at this moment he does not believe they will all survive.

  Danlynn rushes to the far side of the room and breathes a lungful of the fresh air pouring in through the gigantic hole left by the dragon’s head. He spins back to the room and draws an arrow; a lance of fire splits the air, stabbing through the Wizard, burning a hole in his back. He summons again but his power cuts out and his link to the Mana Fold vanishes. Whatever Darwin’t is doing has stripped him of his ability to summon. But by the haggard look of Razzork, he has been stripped also. No Mana means no shield. Darwin’t cannot strip him of his ability to shoot an arrow at a target over a hundred paces away, and he is certainly closer than a hundred paces. He readies another arrow.

  Riochald feels the power ebbing from her and backs away from whatever it is trying to draw the power out. Fear grips hold of her. She cannot summon. She cannot summon. Danlynn launches a line of fire into the back of the Wizard and the man staggers forwards, pain etched on his face. He does not have shielding. Why? Tak’arshi had told her that a magic battle without a shield was futile. She knew that she could not make her own shield, but she could slice magic before it reached her. She grits her teeth, determination pushing down her fear but not dispelling it. She opens her hands and the construct for lightning flares across her vision. Yet as she casts it out the pattern wobbles and fragments. Wind explodes from her and crashes into everyone within the temple. Darwin’t and Molly hit the wall and crumple to the floor. The drawing on her power ends abruptly and she fills with power—for all the good that would do. By the light I am useless.

  Razzork snaps a shield in place once more and he lashes a hand over his shoulder towards Danlynn. The arrow he is about to loosen snaps. Danlynn staggers backwards as if physically struck. He breathes in a ragged breath and reaches for another arrow. A second motion from the Dark Wizard hits him and he flies from the hole in the wall and vanishes from sight. The fall from the top of the tree would surely kill him.

  Riochald stands and screams. It is her fault. If she were stronger she could help. She is weak, so weak. Tears spill from her eyes and she swats at them, her temper flaring at how pathetic she is. She goes to summon again, but a powerful blast of energy crashes into her head and she falls screaming, darkness spilling into her mind. The manic laughter seems to come from her blood and snatches its chance to get control. Yet she fights it with every inch of her being. She begins to regain self-control when her eyes fall upon a large body crumpled in the corner of the room. She cannot understand why Fia is kind to her, when he is kind to her, when he is not pulling her around or grunting under his breath about some trivial matter. But he is the only man not to flinch away from her. Her scream shocks even her own ears and her grip on the darkness slipping between her fingers falters, and it floods into her, roaring its delight as it does so.

  The healer, as he is known to this group, ducks behind a row of chairs and waits for a moment when he might be useful. He looks over at the Dark Clan and wonders, not for the first time why he is holding Tye back. The boy may have little to no control over his powers though he is the best shot they have of killing the Dark Wizard. From somewhere below a roar rumbles and he works spit back into his mouth. That was no dragon. That was the thing from earlier, what had it been called, the Gloom. He was right about it growing in size.

  He turns his attention back to Riochald and she backs away from something unseen and holds out her hands. Wind snatches the chairs away from in front of him and sends them hurtling around the room. Darwin’t and the young girl hit the wall and drop to the floor. The wind ends abruptly and Riochald shudders. Danlynn suddenly yells from the far side of the room, and the healer turns his head just in time to see him drop through the large hole in the wall. Fear ripples through him but he gets a grip on it firmly. Nigial had once been a tough man, a man with blood on his hands. Healing was a gift of the Light that had saved him from that but healing something that does not need it can be fatal. He pushes himself up and draws on his talent. He only hopes that the monster before him has a heart to stop.

  He takes a single step when Riochald screams and clutches her head. Her eyes stare at the mountain man, tears spilling from them and then they roll up into her head and darkness sinks over them. In a swift movement she is up. Black tentacles whip from her, coming from her hands, shoulders stomach and even her face. They strike at Razzork, but his shield burns them and they retreat. Riochald or whatever it is controlling her gasps, but then begins laughing. She floats into the air before the Dark Wizard and power crashes around her, forming as a brilliant blue light in her palms. With a demented shriek she thrusts her hands out and a wide beam of energy shoots from her.

  Razzork counters with his own powerful blast, and the two magic’s collide, holding each other’s back. Riochald shows the strain on her face and the phantom begins to rise out of her, pushing more of itself into the construct. The healer sees his opportunity to be of use and casts out at both of them. Razzork pulls his hands back and his power crashes forward into the phantom, who rears away from the white light of the healer. The full force of the Dark Wizard’s spell strikes it and it explodes into tiny pieces of gelatinous gunk.

  The healer darts forwards, pushing Riochald away as he does so and grabs the twisted form in front of him. He pushes as much of his healing into the thing as he can… but the power becomes dirty. He tries to cut if off. Too late! He knows that death is coming and he whispers a prayer to the Goddess.

  Tak’arshi lowers himself so he can whisper into Tye’s ear. The boy has stopped struggling beneath him and he can feel his heart pounding with fear – not the best way for him to be trying to settle his own newly discovered emotions. It is hard enough trying to keep his heart from stopping with the terror flooding through him without feeling Tye is doing the same.

  “You need to wait,” Tak’arshi says, struggling to control his breathing. “He has to be unshielded and vulnerable. We get only one chance at this. Something small and direct. Understand?” Tye stops breathing and his eyes lock into his. He nods once before letting himself breathe again.

  Riochald screams and gets to her feet. Darkness whiplashes out of her then sizzles harmlessly off the shield around Razzork. The darkness around her hauls her into the air, and blinding blue light fills the room. He frowns. The phantom has returned, but is it fighting for them? No, he thinks bitterly. It is fighting to keep itself alive. Suddenly the healer is between them, sparkling light flickering around him. The phantom pulls away from Riochald and she drops to the floor. At the same time the shaft of blue light cuts the blackness into pieces, which spray all over the room. It seems the healer is yet to finish. He grabs hold of Razzork and light sinks into the Wizard. A moment later the healer lets out a deafening scream and stumbles backwards. Red light bursts from his palms, and then it seems as if every bone in his arms explodes outwards. Blood gushes from his mouth and he drops to the floor. Dead.

  Tak’arshi shudders and forces his will to keep calm, but it is no use. Fear wells up in him and he begins to sob. They are all going to die. Razzork, safe within his protection, begins to build his constr
uct again. Dark fire crackles through the air around him, twisting and bubbling as it grows larger. He points a finger towards Darwin’t and channels the power through it; a single beam of anti-light shoots across the room. Tak’arshi hears himself shriek and he scrambles to his feet, pulling Tye with him. If Darwin’t dies then they might as well all be dead. An inch from its target it wavers and skips to the side, cutting through the wall and setting it aflame.

  Tak’arshi turns his eyes back to the Wizard. There is a dagger jutting from his throat. Tarfleam moves into his vision, pulling another dagger from his belt. Razzork spins, catching the Thief with his trailing arm, knocking him to the floor.

  “DynaDriaDamicla!” Tarfleam yells loudly as he falls. Razzork hesitates for a brief moment, his milky eyes scanning the frightened face below him. The Dark Wizard’s foot comes down on his head and Tarfleam starts screaming. Derry’n blurs across the room, hefting the axe from its place in the Wizard’s shoulder and swings it at his head. Razzork is faster. He grabs Derry’n’s cheek, and veins of darkness cross the man’s face. Derry’n screams, his eyes bulging.

  Tak’arshi is helpless. His power will not harm or even hurt the Dark Wizard – it might even make him stronger; and Tye cannot be trusted to cast anything with his friends so close. Darting a quick glance around, a thought pushes its way through the paralyzing terror. They are in a tree.

  “Tarfleam. It’s a bloody tree!” he roars. Razzork turns those milky eyes on him and his heart stops in his chest. He does not want to die. He feels like he has only just been born.

  The twisted branches under the Wizard explode inwards, and Tarfleam drops from sight, his screams cutting off after a second. A pillar of fire rises through the floor and into the old frail form of the Wizard. His gurgling scream is horrendous. He staggers backwards, his robes burning and melting to his skin. Derry’n crawls away from the heat and rolls into the embrace of Canace, who smothers his hair.

  “No,” Derry’n cries. “Tarfleam.”

  “Please,” Canace wails but her eyes know it is already too late.

  Tak’arshi just stares. All his fear and all of his anger boil away, leaving the Dark Clan with an empty feeling in his chest. He looks at the smoking mass of flesh and bones trying to pull itself towards the hole in the wall to escape, and disgust pours into that hole. He holds out his hands and summons a powerful black spell. It smashes into Razzork and shatters his shield into pieces. “Tye,” is all he bellows, and is all that is needed. The boy steps forwards, and a light no thicker than a knitting needle shoots from his eyes into the back of the retreating mess of char, popping him and scattering ash into the air.

  The whole tree seems to shake at the moment of Razzork's death, and the bellow of the dragon returns close by. Razzork must have been calling to it to rescue him moments before his death. Now the dragon circles the temple, readying itself for the next attack. They have a few moments at best.

  Fia gets to his feet, his head pounds and he can feel blood on his cheeks, yet he does not care about himself. He turns and looks around the once grand temple of Gossa-Mesa, now just a broken, smoldering ruin. The Wizard is gone. He counts off in his head the people who remain there and is shocked to find the healer dead and Tarfleam and Danlynn missing. He calls to Chaz, who has a nasty gash running through her scalp. She is trying to get Riochald to her feet. Fia orders her to lead the others from the temple and get them into the caves. She nods her head and grabs Riochald firmly by the arm and hauls her up. She collects the others on the way and leads them outside.

  Fia surveys the damage. The temple will not be remade, it will have to be completely destroyed and rebuilt. He reaches the corpse of Ori and drops down beside him. He says a quick prayer before reaching into the Angel’s robes. Inside a concealed pocket he finds a parchment, which he slips into his belt pouch. It could be important. He stares at the other bodies that litter the floor of this sacred place, and shakes his head. “Is nowhere safe?”

  A call comes from outside, and he regains his feet and runs into the blinding sunlight to see what is happening now. Surely with the Dark Wizard dead the dragon should be easy to kill. He stops beside Chaz and follows her gaze down the many slopes of the Great Tree City.

  What he sees fills him with such fear that he almost gives up the fight there and then. Thousands of figures are spilling from the caves and into the city. They cut down the defenseless Angels without mercy leaving none alive in their path.

  “Skaven!” O’us whispers to himself as he drops to his knees and begins to sob. “My father, dead. Gossa-Mesa in ruins. Why? Why is this happening?”

  Fia lowers himself beside the Angel and places a large hand upon his shoulder. “That is a question for another time,” he stands and turns to face the frightened survivors and the chosen ones he has sworn to protect. “We must fight our way to the caves. With the dragon close, the air is dangerous, so the Angels must not fly.”

  “I fear we will need to split our party,” Tak’arshi says as he steps up. “I can deal with the dragon now the Wizard is gone, but I will need Derry’n and Canace to stay with me. I’ll need their inner powers for what I have in mind.” He glances at the broken Angel at his feet and his face softens. “Fia, you must lead our people from here. They must be saved. I will make sure Derry’n and Canace are safe. O’us, is it?”

  The Angel looks up with burning red eyes. The tears have dried upon his cheeks and a determination has entered his features. “You are about to tell me that I need to lead my people, aren’t you?”

  Tak’arshi nods.

  O’us stands and spreads his wings to their full extent. He looks strong and powerful and every inch the leader. “It will be an honor to save the Angels from this fate. I will fight to save them.”

  “Good,” Fia says. “You will have to leave the city for now, but do not fear. We will find help and you will take it back.”

  O’us laughs and clasps the mountain man on the shoulder. “The Tree will deal with them when it has the energy. It can be a hostile old thing when it wants to be.”

  Fia feels warmth inside and he knows deep down that they will be alright if they just keep together and move. Danlynn and Tarfleam clamber over the side of the walkway and into Canace, who grabs both of them in her arms and squeezes them tight. “What happened?” She asks as she searches them for injuries.

  “I landed on a branch just outside,” Danlynn says, nodding his head at the others. He has yet to notice the army heading their way. “I was crawling under the temple when Tarfleam here came crashing through above me. He did not shield below himself. So I used a twig as an arrow, and you must have seen the fire?”

  Fia looks at his friends and sizes them up. “Danlynn can you cast?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Nothing too draining, just clear us a path. Riochald, if we need you, can you summons?”

  “A path through what?” He hears Danlynn mutter as he moves away so that he stands in front of Riochald. She does not look up at him. He reaches down and with a finger under her chin lifts her face.

  “Can you summon?” He asks again. He tries to make his voice sound gentle but she narrows her eyes at him before pulling away.

  “I do not know,” she says weakly as she stares at the floor.

  “Do not worry. Try if you can, though Danlynn should be able to do it by himself. I will lead the charge once it has been done and you will follow. Everyone must stay together. Say your goodbyes. We will meet up on the Common side. Take a right as we enter the caves.”

  Tak’arshi nods and strides away without a word.

  Fia watches him for a moment and whispers a prayer. He hates to leave anyone behind, but he knows that he must. The Dark Clan stands on the very edge of the walkway and holds his hands up towards the sky. Dark clouds begin to sweep from the mountains and blot out the sun. Very soon the whole world will be plunged into darkness.

  “We move!” he shouts and begins his run into the waiting army below.

  Da
rwin’t grabs Canace and kisses her on the mouth. She does not react at first but then kisses him back with a passion he did not know she has. He looks her in the eye and smiles.

  “See you soon. Do not be long.”

  Although she smiles at him, he can see the fear in her eyes. Yet his attempt at making her feel normal has worked its charm and she brightens slightly.

  “It is almost winter. I hear it snows in Common. I will make a man of snow with you.” Her smile drops from her face as Fia calls the order to move. “Take care. Do not die on me, Darwin’t Utsa.”

  “I will not.” He kisses her again before turning to face the horde waiting to rip him apart. “At least I will try.” With a final glance back at her he takes his first step.

  The dragon roars and the sky lights up in a flash of red flame.

  They have to make it. “For the Prophecy,” he screams and charges in.

  38

  The DECIMATION of GOSSA-MESA

  Onto the pathways in front of them, flood the Skaven, snarling creatures with rat-like yet huge and hulking like a bull. Dirty, torn clothing covers little of the beasts as they wield swords and pikes and anything else they can improvise as a weapon. One of them has what looks to be a broom handle, the head snapped off to make a sharp point. They scream and roar with each step, but they have no structure, no cooperation with the Skaven beside them. They fight as individuals.

  As the Skaven march down the large ramp from the upper platform, Darwin’t calls a shield and casts it over them. Fia has found his sword and he readies it for the first strike by casually balancing it upon his shoulder. Chaz pulls her twin blades from her back and spins one, testing its weight. She glances wide-eyed over her shoulder as the shield settles, it makes the skin tingle at first, and nods a token of thanks his way. Danlynn sets an arrow to his bowstring and jogs slightly ahead of the others. He stops and waits for the Skaven to mass before them, climbing over each other to be first to take their blood.