Third Power

by Robert Childs

  Where the dark pool of blood ended there began tiny, clawed footprints with wide smears to either side. They led away from the body and then ended in a large spattering beneath a broken window. The wizard crossed the room to the trail and kneeled down.

  “A parasite of some kind.” He pointed to one side of the footprints and then to the other. “These smears are its wings, no doubt.” The old wizard’s head came up suddenly and he cursed himself for underestimating the sorcerer’s cunning. Despite their losses, he knew the escape from the palace had been altogether too easy. Azinon had wanted them to escape with the emperor from the very start.

  Haldorum looked to Haze. “What is the hour?”

  “Perhaps a quarter turn to midnight.”

  The time of dark passing, the wizard thought. The time when Azinon can open a portal of his own.

  “It has been many hours since this parasite emerged. He knows where we are. We have got to move—now!”

  “You two,” Haze said to the guards to his right, “sound the evacuation immediately.”

  The two men disappeared even as Haldorum rose to his feet and began motioning for everyone to clear the room.

  “But what of the Emperor?” General Duva exclaimed.

  “Move!” Haldorum shot back, shoving him out the door. “There is little time until midnight. You see to the Resistance and I will take care of things here.”

  Everyone poured out of the Emperor’s chambers, and all but Haldorum set out immediately at a full run, each in a separate direction to spread the word and hastily gather up what things they could. Haldorum turned beneath the light of the full moon and sadly looked upon the structure that housed the body of the former great leader of the races. They would all continue to fight on, he knew, even in the face of what could only mean certain failure. With the last of the imperial line gone there would be no way to fulfill the millennium-old prophecy.

  Haldorum walked a few steps to his left and took down the torch burning atop the pole there, and then with great sadness he said, “You will be sorely missed, Your Majesty.” The torch swooshed through the air as the old wizard tossed it in the open door of the Emperor’s chambers. Within moments, the furnishings were ablaze.

  “Sorely missed, indeed.”

  The steady trumpeting of the horn brought him about and made him remember where he was. It was the signal for the evacuation and the sound stirred the entire encampment into action. Haldorum headed west, for the fringes of the camp, already preparing the spell that would open the largest portal his abilities would allow, when screams and shouts of alarm issued from center camp and brought him about once more.

  Scores of jalkora flooded through the green light of the coruscating portal in wave after killing wave, their hideous faces screeching blood lust and their huge pincers slashing wildly at the air. They pursued with long strides anything that moved, cutting down men, women, and horses alike, as well as smashing carts and wagons and rending gaping holes in wooden structures as they went. They spread out from the center of camp, moving in all directions like maddened animals, wreaking havoc and bent on destruction.

  The first of the men-at-arms appeared on horseback with their swords resting secured at their hips and their lariats balanced on nimble fingers.

  One chitinous monstrosity smashed a tremendous hole through the side of a wooden wall and answered the terrified screams of the women and children inside with its own bloodthirsty cry. It took a mighty step forward and raised an arm to strike when a well-aimed lasso fastened around its neck. The man-at-arms rushed by at a full gallop with the opposite end of the rope secured around the horn of his saddle. The Jalkora opened its mouth to scream in rage just as the rope snapped taut and ripped its head from its shoulders. The headless torso flailed for another long moment, its hot, ichorous life fluid spraying upward from the exposed arteries, before collapsing like an unstrung marionette.

  A second man-at-arms galloped through the screaming beasts and took the life of yet another, only to have his mount cut out from under him as he passed too close to another of the beasts. The Resistance soldier rolled to his feet with his sword already in hand as the monster charged. A skillful fighter, he ducked a sweeping blow from a claw that he returned to the Jalkora’s forearm to no avail. The other men-at-arms pressed their attack into the throng of battle; two died immediately while another went down with his mount as a roped claw yanked the horse off its feet. The tide of battle turned dramatically in favor of the enemy in the next minute, as there were simply too many for so few prepared to fight. The portal’s light surged, and still more of the hell spawn charged through.

  The jalkora rampaged to all parts of the Resistance, catching most so unawares they either died on the spot or fled without so much as the time to salvage their weapons. Those who were able moved to the location designated for emergency evacuation, but most simply fled from the savage warrior-beasts in whichever direction they could.

  Not far from the center of camp, General Duva engaged two of the Jalkora, his only weapon now a spear he had seized from the ground when his sword had been knocked away. It was a near useless weapon against the chitinous armor, but to turn his back and run was equally suicidal. The general backed away as quickly as he could, swinging and thrusting with his spear as the monsters pressed closer toward him. He then lunged for the first but a claw clamped down on the shaft and a second severed the end of his spear with a loud snap. Without a weapon, General Duva pitched what was left of his spear at the jalkora and grimly waited the few seconds it would take for death to take him. The two towering monsters pressed in with savage anticipation of a kill, their dark eyes glinting in the moonlight and their claws poised to strike. There was a momentary flash of blue light as a bolt struck the closest of the creatures and it exploded into a dozen pieces, spraying thick ichor and body parts in all directions. The other creature turned as the legs of the first, no longer attached to a torso, fell in opposite directions, and was in time to raise a pincer in defense before the second bolt struck it in the shoulder, blowing its socket wide open. The monster’s scream of pain ended abruptly as Haldorum’s third bolt struck it square in the face and exploded its head like a pumpkin.

  General Duva looked up from the ground where the first explosion had thrown him and slowly lowered his arm he had instinctively raised to protect his face.

  Haldorum ran up to him asking, “Are you all right?”

  The general appeared stunned and amazed at the wizard’s power--as well that he was still alive--before taking Haldorum’s offered hand and climbed to his feet. “Well enough to fight,” he said.

  “Have you seen Sonya anywhere?”

  “Not since she disappeared earlier this evening.”

  The old wizard cursed silently and then paused a moment before saying, “Go back the way I came, and when you reach the stables you will find a portal there. Get as many through it as you can. Here –“ he tore a pouch from his belt and placed in the general’s hand – “release the dust in the portal if any of the jalkora get near. Now go!”

  The two men ran in opposite directions, one for the outskirts of the camp and other for the center. Haldorum moved like a man half his age as he searched for Sonya, and barely in time was he to raise his staff as one of the jalkora, all four pincers dripping with the blood of who knew how many men and women, lunged out from behind the cover of a tent only half standing. The bolt struck the creature in the midriff and suddenly it was no more. The old wizard whirled as another charged and loosed another bolt, cutting the beast in half. Certain his path was clear once more, he set off at a more cautious run.

  Haze and Kamarine dived for cover behind the rampart just as a score of mounted cavalrymen charged by them with lowered lances. The warrior and assassin each drew up to their knees and peered over the edge just as the first lances met with the line of jalkora. Sparks flew as steel met the hides of the powerful monsters but not a single beast died in the charge.

  “Damn!” Haze swore. With
fire in his eyes, he moved behind the wooden stinger, a massive crossbow set upon a wheeled tripod. Carefully he aimed and then fired, the recoil enough to throw a smaller man, but Haze held his ground. The projectile slammed into one of the jalkora and momentarily staggered the monster but did little more than draw its attention.

  The color drained from Kamarine’s face as the fearsome hell-spawn turned and charged their place of protection. “You just made a bad situation worse, my friend,” he said readying to flee.

  “That armor they call skin makes them nearly impenetrable,” Lurin said running up beside them, “but only nearly.”

  With skill that rivaled the best archers in the land, the woodsman drew back on his bow and loosed. The arrow whistled briefly as it cut the air and then buried half the length of its shaft in the crab-like socket of the beast’s eye. Lurin smiled grimly as the jalkora dropped and skidded to a halt face first without another sound.

  “Can you bring them all down?” Haze asked..

  “Not unless you can get them all to stand still and smile in my direction.”

  “That is quite all right, woodsman,” Kamarine assured him with a pat on the shoulder. “I am not really—by the powers of light!” he cried pointing.

  Each followed the assassin’s finger and none witnessing could hide the disbelief from their faces. Steve brandished a white-hot length of steel in his right hand, and screamed as he mindlessly attacked the next jalkora within reach. Kayliss was not far away, tearing and rending apart the monsters about him even as more still closed in on the pair from every direction. Where steel had failed, it seemed the great cat’s claws did not. Twelve-hundred pounds of tigrine flesh leaped onto an unfortunate monster’s back and bore it to the ground. The creature screeched in agony as Kayliss held the creature’s head down under one massive paw and hooked the claws of the other in at the neck. With a sickening spray of gore and clinging sinew, the jalkora screeched in agony as the tiger ripped away the entire back plate of its carapace.

  “They are going to be slaughtered!” Haze exclaimed even as Steve brought down two more of the jalkora. His blade, charged with an impressive magic none had ever witnessed before, cut through the chitinous monsters like hanging bed sheets, but two more converged on the man and tiger for every one that died.

  “Look out!” Lurin cried in warning.

  Haze and Kamarine dived in opposite directions just as a pincer crashed down between them.

  Sonya raced from the field with Jiv clinging tightly to her shoulder. From her position she could see the luminescent green light shining in the distance near the center of camp, as well as hear the sounds of fighting and the terrified screams of those trying to flee. Unarmed men and women already passed her in their retreat, some only half dressed, as they ran with no other goal save to get away from the chaos and bloodshed behind them.

  Sonya ran past the tents of the enlisted, the border marking the outskirts of the camp, until she came to the main road. She turned there and ran for the center of the camp but horror struck her in less than fifty yards. She stopped dead in her tracks and nearly threw the sprite on her shoulder with the suddenness of it.

  Jiv scrambled back to the top of her shoulder and grabbed the collar of her shirt saying, “Easy, lass! Ya’ almost…”

  The sprite’s words were lost as he too saw what had so abruptly stopped her. A jalkora, towering and frighteningly huge—but what it held could not possibly be real. Sonya shook her head, not wanting to believe it. The creature turned its mottled pate in her direction to regard her with cancrine eyes. Seemingly no longer interested in its lifeless trophy, it cast aside the bloody pieces of a man it held in three of its four pincers. The monster then raised its arms to the sky and bellowed like a maddened animal triumphant before centering its full attention on the young woman standing frightened before it. With measured steps, the hellish creature stalked her, yellow eyes glaring.

  Sonya stood rigidly in place before the advancing monster, her eyes wide and her heart racing within her chest. She wanted to flee but couldn’t move. She could only watch as the jalkora closed the distance between the two of them, its pincers bloody and held ready at its sides.

  “Ya’ve got ta run, lass!” Jiv shouted in her ear.

  Sonya remained, her eyes fixed.

  “Are ya earin’ what ah’m sayin? Yer the Third Power, lass, an ya’ve got ta survive no matter what. Without ya there’ll be millions more like Scott ta die!”

  Closer still, pincers widening.

  “Are ya earin’ me, lass? Yer friends, yer family, ev’ryone ya hold dear!”

  My friends? Sonya thought, and the wall of her fear began to crumble under that realization. Steve, Kayliss, Haldorum and the others to die. And my family?

  “My children!” she shouted in alarm. Her vision filled with the looming shape of the jalkora stalking her and became her world. The fear for her life changed into fear for her children as yet unborn.

  “No!” she cried out.

  The jalkora raised its pincer to strike and Sonya threw her will at the creature with an upraised hand at arm’s length. The creature did not move, however; rather it was she who left her feet and flew backward under a wave of propellant magic. The fiery golden aura that had ignited about her faded as she hit the ground with her back twenty feet away and lost her concentration.

  The jalkora bellowed its fury and quickly came on again.

  Jiv ducked inside Sonya’s shirt collar only a moment before the young woman rolled desperately away from the creature’s upraised foot, barely escaping as its full weight crashed down a moment later. Sonya scrambled to her feet as the jalkora turned to face her. Again, she raised her hands and her aura flared to life in answer to her call. She unleashed her will a second time, and twice in less than a minute she flew backward once more. Pain wracked her body as she struck the ground, and through it all she still had the presence of mind to be frustrated. Steve had explained to her how he was able to manipulate the physical world around him and, despite her best efforts, she could not duplicate his results—in fact, this was exactly the opposite. It was as though the very execution of their powers worked in opposition.

  Of course! Sonya could have kicked herself if she’d only had the time.

  She jumped to her feet as the jalkora charged and she could see this time the beast did not intend to miss. With its arms spread wide it rushed upon the young woman and she prayed her feeling about this was right. Daring to close her eyes, she summoned her will for what would be the final time if she was wrong. Nearly upon her, the four-armed monstrosity screamed and Sonya became engulfed in golden fire as she released her will, this time upon herself. Sonya vaulted high into the air under the propelling magic, arcing to a nearby rooftop, and grunted as she hit the sloped surface with her feet. Losing her balance, she fell and rolled, nearly going over the side before catching herself and stopping the roll..

  “So much for grace,” she chided herself, and climbed carefully back to her feet. She looked over to the furious jalkora that had taken to slashing the insubstantial air in its rage. Sonya smiled smugly saying, “Sorry. You win some…”

  Her footing shifted violently beneath her feet as two more jalkora from the other side ripped out a corner of the shoddy structure she stood upon. With another powerful swipe, a section of the adjoining wall went with it. Sonya ran across the roof and dived upward toward the night sky, the fire of her power piercing the darkness and carrying her ever higher. With a little concentration, she brought herself to a slow stop, faltered, and then rose again to hover above the camp a hundred feet above the ground, her hands instinctively moving out from her sides for balance. When she was sure she would not fall, she turned her attention to the horror of the scene below. All around the dead—often dismembered—bodies of soldiers littered the ground. And these were merely those she could see in the fire light of the burning tents and wooden buildings. God only knew how many were hidden by the vast shadows across the camp. As those people who
were still alive ran for safety, a score or more soldiers she could see had recaptured their panicked mounts and were even now riding into battle with the ever-increasing numbers of jalkora flowing through the magical green gate, armed only with lariats or lances as a means of attack. She knew that somehow that portal had to be sealed if they were going to have a chance of surviving against the hellish creatures.

  On the ground below her, a jalkora snarled at the golden glow above and seized a barrel in its massive pincer. With the strength of a small catapult, it hurled the barrel and in one sudden, panic-ridden moment Sonya hurtled skyward like a golden-tailed comet until the barrel lost its momentum and fell back to the earth.

  Steve plunged a half meter of glowing steel into the chest of the jalkora, ducking a death throe swipe of its pincer, twisted once and then withdrew in time to shear off two arms of another. Behind him he could hear the concussions of Haldorum’s magic, one explosion after another coupled with the short, abruptly-ended screams of the jalkora he fought. Mixed with this he could hear the savagery of Kayliss’s battle not far away. Steve’s blade whirled like a white wraith as he slashed, ducked, and hacked his way through the pressing masses of cancrine flesh, their bodies stacking up in greater and greater numbers in what had become an arena of ichor and rent tissue. The young man’s chest heaved in ever deepening breaths but he continued to fight, spurred on by the memory of his friend’s death and shamed by his inability to kill his murderer. All around him the jalkora continued to press in greater numbers as they poured through the gate without stopping.

  Steve leaped and somersaulted once in the air to land behind one of the attacking beasts. He placed his hand on the creature’s back and the jalkora threw its arms out wide as it screamed. Following Steve’s overpowering will, it crushed the skull of another hulking monster with a downward swipe of its pincered arm and then died as the young wizard’s white hot blade emerged from its chest. Pulling his sword free, Steve whirled in time to meet the attack of two more. The first went down almost immediately, cleaved from right shoulder to left hip, but when the young man turned on the other it erupted in blue flames and dropped to the ground. Haldorum jumped over its fallen corpse and continued the fight at the younger wizard’s side. Haldorum’s staff glowed with his own magical energy and, with Haze and the others already safely evacuated, he now fought for an escape for themselves.