Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy

by Carey Scheppner

  Ahead, Zylor saw some zombies, but they were going away from them. He thought it was odd that they appeared to be running away but he didn’t care. He sprang into them from behind, his blood lust burning in his veins. He grinned as he felt the sensation, a feeling he had not had in a long time. He hacked into the zombies with a vengeance befitting a minotaur. Zombie body parts flew to either side as he hacked, while Olag and Kazin took care of the winged creatures with arrows and magic.

  The winged creatures gave up attacking Kazin’s shield and began attacking from the sides where the shield ended to allow the companions to contend with the zombies. The bat things even tried to attack through the slats from underneath. Kazin kept the shield above them and fried the bat things wherever they posed a threat.

  Now that they were bogged down again, Harran and Sherman had to deal with the zombies who had once again come from behind. The bridge shook and wobbled dangerously and everyone had to concentrate on keeping their balance as they fought.

  Now the female voice could be heard again, louder this time. She was chanting some unknown magic.

  A mass of zombies ahead of Zylor appeared to be having difficulty moving. He hacked into them and suddenly he was surprised at how heavy his legs felt. His battle axe felt like it was a hundred times heavier, too. It took tremendous effort to do anything, including breathe. Sheer determination and blood lust kept him moving forward, but the going was very slow.

  Kazin noticed Zylor’s decrease in speed and his extreme effort in wielding his weapon. He realized something was wrong and used magic to make Zylor stronger. The minotaur moved somewhat easier, but something still slowed him down. It occurred to the mage that Zylor was possibly under some sort of spell intended for the zombies. Flashes of light appeared again, but they seemed weaker than before. A light cry of dismay was heard not far ahead past the throng of zombies. Kazin threw a quick look back to confirm that Harran and Sherman had things under control and directed his attention up front. Zylor was on one knee, weakly swinging his axe at a zombie who fared no better than he. They looked like two warriors who had fought to exhaustion but did not want to give up. Had Kazin’s spell been canceled? Even Olag was becoming fatigued. His arrows were flying off target.

  Kazin pointed his staff at the milling zombies in front of them and picked them off one at a time, sending them from the bridge with high intensity fireballs. As the crowd of zombies thinned, Kazin could see glimpses of someone in a blue robe who was huddled down on the bridge. The individual was casting some quick spells at the screaming bat things that stunned them with a bright flash of light. Any flying creatures near the flash were immobilized and fell silently into the dark expanse below. Zombies were not only between Kazin’s group and the individual, but they were also massed beyond her as well, blocking her escape. All of them were virtually immobile, suffering from the same debilitating condition that was affecting Zylor and Olag. It didn’t affect Kazin yet - his magical ability making him more resistant to the magic - but he could feel it in the air around him. Thankfully the dwarf and warrior were still far enough away to be unaffected. Kazin marveled at the cloaked figure’s ability to hold off all of the enemies single-handedly.

  The blue-cloaked figure cast some more immobilizing spells at the winged creatures. These spells were not as intense as before and the figure moaned in fear. Her magic was weakening.

  “Don’t worry!” called Kazin. “We’ll get you safely away!”

  The cloaked figure sprang to her feet, startled. She had been so intent on the bat things she had forgotten about the zombies around her. Only the glint from her eyes could be seen as she stared at the newcomer. One of the bat things chose this opportunity to swoop down on her but Kazin reacted in time. The cloaked figure tensed as Kazin shot a lightning bolt at the creature and blasted a hole right through it. The creature bounced off the cloaked figure and fell to the side to disappear forever.

  The cloaked figure flinched at the unexpected contact but stood firm. She now realized this was not another monster but an ally. She threw back her hood to reveal a young, beautiful face with many small freckles and dark blue eyes. Her shoulder length hair was a vibrant red, more vivid than any red hair any of the companions had ever seen. Her eyes were fearful but there was gratitude in her face.

  “Who- who are you?” she asked.

  Kazin took care of the remaining zombies between them and cast a shield over the woman just as a group of bat things swooped down on her in unison. They smashed into Kazin’s shield and flew back, screaming in anger.

  “My name is Arch Mage Kazin,” said the mage as he checked behind him once more. The barrier of immobile zombie bodies that Harran and Sherman had created prevented any further attack from the rear. The dwarf and warrior were catching their breath and eyed the bat things around them in suspicion. “Can you cancel your spell on my companions?” asked Kazin, indicating Zylor and Olag. He could have done it himself, but he wanted to gain the woman’s trust.

  The female spell caster wrinkled her nose. “Those creatures are your companions?”

  Kazin grinned weakly as he shot a fireball at another bat thing. It shrieked into the depths below. Most of the others were holding their position, waiting for an opening. “Yes, they are, believe it or not. I assure you they won’t hurt you.”

  The female spell caster looked doubtful.

  “Look,” said Kazin in exasperation, “I could give you all kinds of reasons why I trust them, but this isn’t the time or the place. I want to get away from here as much as you do.”

  The spell caster blinked and nodded. “O.K.” She thumbed over her shoulder at the throng of zombies that blocked their path. “Can you get through that?”

  Kazin nodded and smiled. “If you release my friends, we’ll do just that.”

  The spell caster nodded. She lifted her hand - she carried no staff - and chanted. Zylor and Olag, who were sitting, weak and exhausted, rose to their feet. Zylor strode forward and the spell caster tensed as the minotaur approached, glaring malevolently. She was prepared to cast a spell on him the instant he made any sudden movement, but he calmly squeezed by her, his weapon lowered. Once past, he growled and raised his battle axe. Then he charged into the throng of zombies. To everyone’s astonishment, Zylor took one mere swing and a dozen zombies were thrown into the air. Pieces of them flew so hard and fast they took out a number of the bat things in the process. It was at this point that Kazin realized what had happened. He had assumed that his earlier spell to make Zylor stronger had been canceled, but it was still active because of the pendant the minotaur wore. It ensured that Kazin’s spell remained in effect, even after the other spell caster had removed hers.

  It took only moments for the minotaur to finish off the zombies. The end of the crosswalk was just beyond. Everyone hurried to the ledge where the golden door awaited. Olag took care of any bat things that ventured near with his arrows while Kazin opened the door. Everyone eagerly stepped through to the other side.

  High above the combatants, a large, dark cloud coalesced and writhed in impotent fury as it watched the companions exit the area. For hundreds of years it had accumulated strength from the evil spirits of many of the dead beings in this forsaken place, and it had been poised to finally take control of the first figure to come along in many years. It was very close to succeeding when Kazin and his companions showed up to intervene. Startled by the untimely arrival so shortly after the arrival of the cloaked figure, the cloud had retreated high up and out of sight in the darkness to watch the outcome of the situation, and, seeing the newcomers drive back the zombies with tremendous effort and zeal, it realized too late that it would not escape this place this day. Silently, it vowed not to hesitate the next time. With great anger, it realized it might not see another time traveler for centuries to come, if ever. This only made it more determined to act the next time.

  Outside, the bright sunlight was a stark contr
ast to the damp, dark fogginess of the time travel bridge and forced the companions to blink and squint to get used to it. The door disappeared behind them, so they examined their surroundings. They were at the edge of a mountain looking east at the rising sun. The wind was brisk and cold. The terrain below them was green and lush with pristine forested lands. The southern edge looked slightly more barren as the forest gave way to scrub brush. South, beyond that, was the beginning of a desert.

  Harran was the first to speak. “Unless I miss my guess, we’re on the eastern face of the Five Fingers Mountains.”

  “It’s not where, but when that I’m more concerned about,” said Kazin. “I can only hope my spell was accurate enough to send us back to the right time in our history.”

  “Why do you want to be in the past?” asked the female spell caster.

  The others all turned to the stranger in unison.

  “I’m sorry,” said Kazin after a moment. “I guess we should introduce ourselves.”

  The stranger looked around at the companions. “I think I already know who you are - at least I know about you, but not your names.”

  “How so?” asked Sherman.

  The spell caster turned to glance at the big warrior with penetrating blue eyes. “My father wrote about you. You’re the ‘Guardian’. Am I right?”

  Sherman rolled his eyes. “Not that again.”

  The spell caster turned to Kazin. “And you’re the dragon mage.” She turned to the dwarf. “And the dwarf is ‘the frozen axe’. I saw how your axe shattered the zombies. And the minotaur,” she looked up at the towering beast, “is the ‘head of horns.” At last she regarded the skink warrior speculatively. “But you don’t fit somehow.”

  “You said your father wrote about us,” interrupted Kazin. “Did he by any chance write the ‘Book of Prophesy’?”

  The stranger nodded. “Yes. How did you know?”

  “We met briefly,” said Kazin with a distant look in his eye. “Once.”

  “Suppose you tell us your name,” prodded Harran. “My name is Harran Mapmaker.” He decided he liked the young spell caster.

  The stranger held out her hand and smiled. “I’m Amelia.”

  As they shook hands, Harran introduced the others by name. Although nervous about the skink warrior, she shook his hand quickly and then wiped it off on her robe. As Kazin shook her hand, he studied Amelia’s eyes and recognized something familiar about her but couldn’t place it. He asked her what she was doing on the dangerous swing bridge.

  “I asked you first,” she said sweetly, her smile catching him off guard.

  He decided to take her into his confidence even though Zylor glared at him for doing so. He gave a brief description of his quest and why they were on it, saying only that they hoped to undo what was causing the disappearances in the future.

  Amelia’s smile faded as he talked. “I see why you need to do something about it,” she said when Kazin had finished. “I would try to do the same thing. As for myself, I was just going back to study some gaps in the histories that my father missed. Call it a bit of research, if you like. I know better than to interfere. I just observe from a distance. I’ve been time traveling for a number of years now.”

  “How do you know you haven’t changed the course of history on one or more of your expeditions?” blurted Sherman. He looked at Kazin for support. “This could be the reason things are going wrong in your time!”

  Kazin raised an eyebrow and regarded the spell caster. “That’s a legitimate question, Amelia.”

  Amelia looked indignant. “I wouldn’t chance a serious catastrophe like that! I have a magical safeguard to prevent such an occurrence! If anything, it’s you who are the cause of the problem you now face!”

  Kazin held up a hand to calm the spell caster. “Relax. I’m not trying to point a finger. If you say you’re safe guarded against altering the time line, I believe you. We just have to keep our minds open to any possibilities, that’s all.”

  Amelia’s temper subsided. “Since you saved my life, and your quest is more important than my research, I’d like to repay you by helping you solve your problem.”

  Zylor growled. “There will be many dangers to face. We have no time to look after you as well.”

  Amelia glared at the minotaur. “I can take care of myself!”

  “Like you did on the bridge?” leered the minotaur.

  Amelia reddened. “I’d have gotten out of there eventually. You’ll need me on this quest.”

  “What have you to offer?” asked Olag.

  “I notice you don’t have your healer with you,” said Amelia. “I have the ability to heal using magic and herbs.”

  “Are you a cleric?” asked Sherman, referring to the white mages who had that magical ability.

  Amelia shook her head. “No, not exactly. I also have some offensive magic.”

  “Like a grey mage?” asked Harran. Grey mages could do both offensive magic and defensive magic, but their magic was far weaker than either the black or white mages, who concentrated on only offensive or defensive magic respectively.

  “Sort of,” said Amelia vaguely. “But my magic is stronger.”

  Zylor sneered. “Likely story.”

  “I also have the one thing you need to avoid altering history,” snapped the spell caster. “I have the orb of seeing.” She withdrew a milky white orb from the pocket of her robe, the item barely the size of her palm. “This orb can determine if any object, living or inanimate, will impact the future, and whether interaction with said objects will change the course of history. All I have to do is visualize the object or person within the orb and it will tell me if an action concerning it will cause an imbalance.” She looked at the companions defiantly. “And don’t try to steal it from me. It works for me and only me!”

  “Where did you get such an artifact?” asked Sherman. “Did you find it on one of your expeditions?” He was still suspicious of her.

  “Of course not!” spat Amelia. “That would certainly change history! My father made it in conjunction with my mother.”

  “She was a spell caster too?” asked Harran.

  “Yes,” said Amelia proudly. “She was the most powerful spell caster in the history of the mermaids!”

  “She was a mermaid?!” exclaimed Olag, aghast.

  Amelia reddened. She had inadvertently given away a secret she had hidden from everyone else until now. Only she and her father knew. “Yes,” she said meekly.

  “That artifact, and your abilities, would certainly come in handy, Amelia,” said Harran, looking at Kazin for confirmation.

  Kazin nodded slowly. “Harran’s right. I think our chance encounter was very fortuitous. I would be remiss not to have you along on this quest, Amelia.”

  Zylor grunted but did not argue. “You’ll have to fend for yourself, mage.”

  Amelia stood her ground. “As long as I don’t have to bail you out of trouble all the time.”

  Zylor laughed. “You have spirit. I’ll give you that.”

  “Come on,” said Kazin. “Let’s break camp a little way from here where there’s less exposure to the wind. We could all use a rest.”

  “Agreed,” said Sherman.

  “Follow me,” said Harran. “I can see a way down to an area with decent cover.” Dwarves were at home in the mountains. They were the most skilled at mountain navigation, both inside and out.

  Within an hour they found a level area sheltered from the wind. It was a comfortable spot with plenty of dead brush available to make a fire. Not long after, a pot was boiling with fresh mountain water extracted from a nearby spring. Two rabbits were caught and killed in some nearby thickets thanks to Olag’s expert bowmanship. Amelia warned them that to kill too many rabbits in this location could also alter the future but assured them it was safe to shoot a few here according to her orb.
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  Amelia made herself useful in preparing the meal and spicing it up with some local herbs that none of the others would even have thought of using. Her herbal skills were impressive as they sipped their stew.

  “This is incredible!” exclaimed Sherman. “I’ve never imagined anything could taste so delicious from ordinary vegetation growing right around us like this!”

  “I agree,” said Harran. “The hill dwarves could learn a lesson from this.” Hill dwarves were the ones who lived outside the mountain, while the ordinary dwarves lived inside the mountains.

  “It’s the least I can do for my rescuers,” beamed Amelia. “Thanks again for getting me out of that predicament earlier. Your timing was perfect.”

  “Think nothing of it,” said Kazin. “We would have done the same for anyone in those circumstances.”

  “Anyone?” asked Amelia, her eyes sharp.

  “Yes,” nodded Kazin. “Even those we consider enemies. Because if we didn’t, they would have had their bodies taken over by spirits - who reside in the bodies of those zombies - and would do their best to rewrite history. They would use that individual’s body to go back and save themselves from dying an untimely death and live instead, changing the course of history in the process.”

  “Good answer,” said Amelia. “You understand the real danger on the bridge. The bat things try to knock you off the bridge merely to add souls to their collection. You would then become a zombie like the thousands of others that have had an untimely death. The zombies, on the other hand, try to take a fresh body and use it to go back in time to change the past so they don’t die the untimely death in the first place. The bat things don’t really care if the zombies succeed, because if the zombies save themselves, they can cause countless others to die untimely deaths because of history being rewritten. This gives the bat things even more spirits to control. The more malevolent the spirit, the more tenacious the zombie, the more deaths that spirit can cause if it prevents its own premature death and goes on killing in the real world.”