The Divine Unleashed (Book 3)

by Allen J Johnston

  “My turn, puppet,” Morg said as he let out a devious laugh that shook Kade to the very core of his being.

  Kade had no doubt that Morg knew who it was that had attacked him. The apprentice could already feel the ache of his muscles, expecting the power to ensnare him shortly. If he could not figure something out in the next few moments, everything would be lost. Morg’s face contorted into one of fury and insanity as he raised the staff, aiming it directly at the young attacker. Kade dove out of the way as the wall directly behind him exploded into rock chips. He felt blood on the back of his arm and neck.

  “Rakna, climb the walls!” Kade screamed as he struggled to his feet.

  Before Kade could make another move, a roar so loud echoed through the mountain that even Morg paused. Any sane person would have considered running, but Morg was not a normal, sane person. But, it was not the roar that the evil Chosen heard, as the Silence Calling was still active, but the shaking of the ground as the dragon exploded into action and raced through the tunnel. Rayden charged, activating Morg’s Detection Calling. The evil Chosen grinned as though this were amusing and turned to face the challenge.

  “The dragon comes!” Kade screamed, afraid that Darcienna, Ven or the spider-queen may be trampled. Kade sensed that the dragon was in a killing frenzy. It knew that its friend’s life was in peril, and it was not going to be denied its turn in this fight.

  Darcienna tripped over him just as the dragon burst out of the tunnel and made a full run at Morg. Kade tried to formulate a warning about the hole in the middle of the chamber, but his mind was nowhere near fast enough to catch up to the speed of the dragon. Rayden leapt, cleared the hole and crashed into Morg. The dragon clawed wildly at the man. The shield not only deflected Divine Power, but it kept Morg safe from talons and teeth, also. The dragon was still able to knock the man and shield around considerably. Morg was lying on his back with the dragon putting all of its considerable weight on the shield as it viciously attacked over and over. The shield compressed greatly but not enough to kill.

  “I have to get to Morg while he is distracted,” Kade yelled to Darcienna, dislodging her hands.

  Kade started forward when something slammed into him from behind, sending him sprawling. He tasted fresh blood from the split in his lip. He was on all fours as he struggled to get back to his feet when he felt a crushing blow delivered to his side. It lifted him into the air and sent him crashing onto his back. The world spun and his Transparency Calling slipped. Darcienna faded into view several feet away as she hugged the wall. Kade realized what had happened, grabbed what was left of the calling and forced it back into place. The calling around the queen held but the rest of them, including the dragon, were now visible.

  “Kade!” Darcienna screamed as he materialized. Her arms rose in a flash, but just before her shield could materialize, something slammed into his other side, cracking two of his ribs. Kade doubled over and then the shield was in place. His mind reeled in pain.

  Kade crawled over to Darcienna, afraid she was next as her shield was only around him. Her protective barrier dropped momentarily and then returned instantly to cover them both. An unseen force hit the shield and then rebounded off.

  Kade was struggling to breathe through the pain. One of the ribs felt as if it may have punctured a lung. He needed healing but he knew that it was not going to happen while she held the shield in place.

  The pain brought tears to his eyes as he struggled to focus on the dragon and Morg. He feared for his friend. If Rayden could not do damage soon, Morg was going to use his staff and, most likely, kill the dragon. Kade was struggling to his feet when his worst fear was realized. Morg got the staff between himself and the dragon and the ancient artifact jumped. Rayden was propelled across the room, slamming violently into the wall. The dragon let out a roar of pain and quickly scrambled back to his feet, lunging at man and shield once more. Morg aimed the staff but Rayden was ready and slid to the side in a snake like move. He launched at Morg but the evil Chosen was not to be taken so easily. Morg aimed the staff again and Rayden was caught in mid leap, slamming him violently into the wall once more. Kade cringed as he felt the impact from across the room. He desperately wanted to help his friend but it was all he could do to think clearly enough to save himself, much less anyone else.

  “So, you came to me, my little puppet,” Morg said in a taunt as he turned his attention back toward the Apprentice Chosen. Rayden was not moving. Kade was not even sure if the dragon was still breathing. He felt helpless as he struggled to stand. Morg reached up with the back of his hand and wiped the blood from his mouth. “Oh, I am going to enjoy this,” he said as he hit the shield with a blast that caused Darcienna to cry out. “Wait until you see what I do with her,” Morg sneered as he hit the shield again. Darcienna cried out once more. It was only a matter of time. Each attack might as well have been a direct assault on her with how she reacted. “I wonder how many of those you can take, my little beauty,” Morg said and then laughed at his own joke. He aimed the staff at her and it jumped again.

  Darcienna clenched her jaw hard as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly in determination and focus. The shield shimmered but then reformed. Morg walked slowly toward the couple. Again, he sent the Divine at the barrier, and this time, the shield took a considerably longer time to rematerialize. Morg smiled. He was next to the barrier now, looking in at the couple just a few strides away. It was as if he was looking at two helpless animals caught in a trap. Morg raised the staff and gripped it tightly in both hands, and then, brought it down to crash into the shield. Darcienna gasped.

  “Kade,” Darcienna hissed through clenched teeth. “That staff hits hard. It’s…as if he is…swinging a house at me,” she said with her eyes still closed. “It’s not a…normal staff.”

  “This is quite indestructible,” Morg said, overhearing Darcienna as he hefted the staff. “This thing is a weapon itself,” he said as he opened his hands and then curled his fingers around the wood once more.

  Morg grinned as he shifted his grip on the ancient artifact. His face contorted in rage as he raised the staff high over his head with both hands, his knuckles turning white with effort as he gripped it tightly. His back arched as he readied himself to put every bit of strength into this next swing. The muscled in his neck and shoulders bunched and a vein in his forehead bulged. His face turned red as his lips twisted into a snarl. This was going to hurt. Morg shifted as he swung the staff with all his might. It started on its way down for a crushing blow when suddenly, it stopped and jerked violently up toward the ceiling. Morg’s eyes came open in shock and dismay. The staff had slipped almost completely out of his grasp before he was able to grip it tightly, barely catching the end of it. He was lifted slightly off the ground as he held onto his most prized possession. Terror shown in his eyes for just a moment, and then he recovered. He looked up with hate and the staff jumped. Rakna let out a shriek of pain. Morg and the staff fell back to the ground to land in a heap. He held the staff to his chest in a slightly hunched manner as he glared around the room, looking for the unseen attacker.

  “You have many friends, it would appear,” Morg said as his eyes searched the ceiling.

  Kade flinched when a black flying creature almost identical to the leader of the morphites faded into view. Now, he understood how he was seen, even with his Transparency Calling active. It was the one creature that could see others who were cloaked. The creature oriented on the queen and readied for a strike. Kade flexed his muscles, desperate to try anything, but before he could move, he watched as another flying creature formed directly below the black beast. It leapt into the air and collided with the creature. Ven grabbed on tightly and then shifted again. Now, there were two identical black creatures. One vanished as the two combatants fought for life and death. The other one phased in and out as it struggled to learn a new ability. Morg raised the staff and readied to fire when Ven disappeared from sight.

  Kade, the white spider said in his mind.
I…am…too badly hurt…to help.

  Two black creatures popped into view momentarily once more, each raking the other with dagger like talons. Kade said a silent prayer for Ven as he refocused on the spider-queen. He only hoped she could escape with her life.

  Get safe, Kade thought to her. Do not put yourself at risk any further. You have done all you can do. If we fail here, leave. Your clutch needs you. There was no answer. Was she ok? Kade feared the worst, but he did not have time to figure out the answer. Morg was standing straight again, and that meant he had his confidence back. They were soon to be the target of his rage once more.

  Morg turned slowly back to the two trapped people. Kade’s mind raced as he tried to find a solution to this problem but failed. Darcienna was on the verge of collapse. He could not see a way that was going to get them out of this situation safely. Morg raised the staff and swung it at the shield. Darcienna fell to her knees as her Deflection Casting took the hit and then popped from view. Morg cocked his head to the side as if amused and just watched. She gritted her teeth and held her hands over her head as if she held the weight of the world in them. She was shaking as she exerted all her strength. To Kade’s shock and awe, the shield slowly faded back into view. Morg grinned and raised the staff, swinging it again. Darcienna exhaled as though she had been hit in the gut, and the shield was gone.

  “Let her go, and I will do what you want,” Kade said in desperation. The dragon was on the verge of death, if not dead already, and Darcienna was helplessly down on all fours, panting from the exertion. He could only hope to salvage their lives by offering his.

  “Now, you and I know that you would never do what I want willingly. But, then again, you are going to do what I want anyway, aren’t you?” Morg asked as he took a step closer. He stopped as the two invisible combatants fighting furiously crashed into the bed and tore one of the posts off. He waited for the noise to reduce to a level that allowed him to talk casually again. “And, as for you,” Morg said as he brought his right hand up across his body to his left shoulder. “I don’t appreciate you interfering,” he said as he clenched his jaw and then threw his body into a swing, hitting Darcienna across the face with the back of his hand. “You have caused me enough trouble,” he finished. Darcienna went sprawling toward the pit. Kade gasped as she slid to a stop at the edge with her arms dangling over the side.

  “No!” Kade screamed and then lunged for the big man. Morg whirled the staff like it was a perfectly balanced baton. He brought it crashing down on Kade’s head with a loud crack. The world spun and Kade stumbled, falling to his knees. He lost all focus as blackness clouded his vision. He rocked forward and then his face was against the dirt. He was on the verge of being out completely when he saw Darcienna’s finger flinch. He focused on that one move and was able to hang on…just barely.

  “That was pretty stupid, don’t you think?” Morg asked, gloating. “This what you were trying for?” he taunted as he took several steps forward triumphantly to stand directly in front of Kade. Morg let the butt-end of the staff plunk down right in front of Kade’s face. “You got close. Very close, but you should have known you were destined to fail. Now, it is my turn to do as I wish,” he said as he eyed the still form of Darcienna. He turned toward her, leaned down and grabbed her by an ankle. She groaned and tried to grab onto something groggily as he dragged her away. “She will make a nice addition to my play things,” he said and laughed again. There was no question in Kade’s mind what the man meant as he looked at the beautiful girl.

  Darcienna reached out to Kade as she was being dragged away. She grabbed his foot but Morg yanked her hand free. He waggled a finger at her.

  “Oh no you don’t. I know you can heal, and it would do us no good to have you doing that, now,” Morg said as he dragged her a bit further.

  The despair Kade was feeling gave way and rage built in him like the deadliest of storms. Hate filled him and the blackest of black consumed his heart. A surge of energy helped clear his head and everything came back into focus. He got up on all fours as the adrenalin flooded through his body. He ground his teeth as he fought to ignore the agony from his side. He felt a profound hate more than he had ever felt in his life. He wanted to deliver the land of the dead another body and it was the man walking away with his back to him that was his target. Kade put one foot down and then pushed off as he struggled to stand. The world rocked slightly, but only briefly, and then it stabilized.

  Kade took a breath and straightened his back as he let his hands fall to his side. The raging torrent of power helped numb the pain. His desire to kill was overwhelming. The block was gone and the Divine wildly raced through him. He ignored the blood that trickled down his forehead. He ignored the pain in his side. He ignored the throbbing on the back of his head where Morg had crushed him with the staff. There was only one thing he wanted, and he wanted it so bad he was willing to give his life for it. He took as deep a breath as he dared and then started to flow through the moves for the calling. The power paid close attention to his commands, eager to be used. Kade grinned evilly as he threw his arm forward, demanding the Divine to do his bidding. Lightning exploded from him and crashed into the shield. The mountain rocked from the impact. The explosion caused dust and rocks to fall into the chamber. Morg stumbled as he was propelled forward from the blast. He let go of Darcienna as he struggled to catch his balance. The shield buckled considerably as colors swirled through it and then reformed. Morg spun, and for just a fraction of a second, there was fear in his eyes, and then it was gone to be replaced by pure rage.

  “You dare?” Morg screamed at him, his face turning crimson.

  “FINISH HIM,” a voice said, reverberating from the opening in the floor.

  Morg raised the staff and aimed it at Kade. The Apprentice Chosen fought to think as the power raged in him. If Morg fired that shot, he was done. He had to force his mind to work through the anger that had him firmly in its grip. From deep inside, he heard a voice that whispered…every so quietly…an idea. It was a simple idea. He listened hard to his inner voice and then smiled. Morg was just a hairs-breath away from firing when he saw the smile and hesitated. He narrowed his eyes as he studied the beaten man. The Apprentice Chosen started to laugh. Morg clenched his teeth and raised the staff just a little more, preparing to unleash, but once again, he held. Kade spoke just one word. But, that one word caused Morg to freeze and his face to turn white.

  “Mutt,” Kade said. Morg stood in stunned disbelief. It was only a moment and then his face turned red with fury.

  “You dare?” Morg screamed and his knuckles turned white as he clenched the staff.

  “Do as you are told,” Kade said as he continued to laugh. His side was hurting furiously with each laugh but he continued. “Obey, hound,” he taunted.

  “FINISH HIM!” the voice raged. The mountain shook. “DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!” the voice screamed in fury.

  “Yes,” Kade said, using the voice’s own words against it. “Do as you are told. Mind your master,” he said, putting emphasis on the last word and then continued to laugh.

  “Silence!” Morg yelled at Kade. But, something about the way Morg glanced at the pit made Kade think it might have been meant for the voice in the mountain.

  “NOW! SEND HIM TO US, NOW!” the voice commanded.

  “Yes. Cast your calling and prove that you are, indeed, their faithful dog,” Kade taunted.

  Morg shook with fury as he looked from Kade to the pit and then back to Kade again. The staff lowered just slightly. The Apprentice Chosen smiled as he planned his next move. It was a one way trip down this path, but at least he was going to end Morg’s evil plans forever…he hoped.

  There was a crash along the far side of the room and Ven faded into view in her birth form, lying on the ground, gasping. Injuries covered her entire body. There was so much blood. Yes, his plan was the right one. She was worth it. Darcienna was worth it. The dragon and Rakna were worth it. All those that had faith in him were worth it
.

  The black creature she had been fighting faded into view. It gasped, trying to breathe as its life in the form of tar-like blood came in spurts out of the deep wound in its neck. Ven found Kade’s eyes and smiled weakly.

  The Apprentice Chosen let all rational thought go as he focused on the last calling he was ever to cast. He let his chin fall to his chest as he closed his eyes. He immersed himself in the Divine and drew on it deeply. His gift was awakened fully now. He was drunk with power as it raged through him. It filled every fiber of his being and continued. He reveled in his gift and knew true power as it filled him to overflowing and then some. He threw his head back and laughed deep and long. His heart beat wildly as the power consumed his soul and mind.

  The staff faltered even more. Morg misunderstood the reason for the laughter and spun toward the pit. He was enraged and the weakness in his personality took over.

  “FINISH HIM NOW!” the voice commanded again and again.

  “I am not your dog to command!” Morg screamed.

  Kade planted his feet and took a deep breath, knowing it was time. He clenched his jaw against the distant pain and performed the first move to the calling and then flowed into the next. He twisted and felt a tear inside as a broken rib caused internal damage. He clenched his teeth hard and ignored the injury as he continued on. Revenge was his painkiller and he filled himself with it. Morg screamed into the pit and the voice raged back. Kade completed the third move. Darcienna got up on all fours and crawled inch by inch back toward Kade. The forth move was smooth, as was the fifth. Morg shook with rage as he aimed the ancient staff at the pit and threatened to fire. Had Morg not been out of his mind with rage, he may have heard the warning from the voice.