Mastering the Elements: Elwin Escari Chronicles: Volume 2

by David Ekrut

  “And I should trust you?” Elwin accused. “You stole my one chance to—”

  “I came back,” Jax said. “For you.”

  “Only after discovering your coins are fake. Tessaryn told me the truth.”

  “But that is not why I returned,” Jax insisted. With his free hand, he dug a roll of parchments from his cloak. “I came to help.”

  “Then lower your blades. Show me how to get to the orb without being turned to ash.”

  Jax’s eyes looked over the row of orbs, then flickered between Bain and Elwin several times. “We can take the orb and whatever else we want. But not with him. He is a tyrant.”

  “I can stop the dragons,” Bain pleaded. “That is what we all want. Sometimes, we must do terrible things for the greater good. Nothing in life is black or white, and above all, kings must rule from swaths of gray.”

  “Lies,” Jax said. “This thumping piece of dung only wants power.”

  “Enough,” Elwin said. “You want me to believe you? Give me those parchments. After I retrieve the orb, we can discuss who is and isn’t to be trusted. But I get the artifact. Do we agree?”

  “Please, listen to me,” Jax said. “You can have the orb, but not until he is dealt with. I had the chance to kill Brinnon, and I didn’t take it. Letting him live was the worst decision of my life. He has gone on to do unspeakable things.” Jax pointed his saber at Bain for emphasis. “In his name.”

  Elwin looked back and forth between Jax and Bain. He couldn’t trust either of them. Jax had already lied to him, and Bain was … Dragons take him, the man was a tyrant—a murderer.

  “Fine,” Jax said, finally lowering his blade. “You win. I will tell you how to get the genuine artifact. It is that one.” He gestured to a sphere close to Bain, but far enough he would need to turn his back to Jax to reach it.

  “How do we get through the trap?” Bain asked.

  “So long as you do not touch any of the decoys, the trap will not go off. If you do, we’ll all be engulfed in flames.”

  Elwin exchanged a glance with Bain. Though it differed from the instructions Bain carried, this latter part could be true. The only way to be certain would be to see the pages Jax held.

  “You don’t believe me,” Jax said with exaggerated annoyance. “Step aside, then. I’ll grab the orb myself.”

  No one moved.

  “Jaxton,” Bain said, at last. “I have studied all of these orbs and know this one to be false. That one on the end near Elwin is the genuine artifact. Can I truly just pick it up?”

  Elwin saw surprise on Jax’s face. The puzzle was as easy as picking up the Orb of Incantia first. Bain had called Jax’s bluff, and everyone knew it.

  “Sorry, Elwin,” Jax said. “But I can’t let him have it.”

  A dagger appeared in Jax’s palm. The moment Jax threw his blade, Elwin leapt for the orb. The dagger struck the sphere. The artifact fell from its platform and bounced when it hit the cavern floor. Elwin dove for it and missed. The crystalline ball rolled rapidly away. As Elwin stood, another dagger struck the orb, hitting the artifact at an odd angle. It hurtled toward the mouth of the cave.

  Jax ran in a path to intercept the orb. Daren charged for Bain, who drew his own jagged sword and met the other warrior with a confident grace. But Daren was too strong. His heavy blade sent Bain to his knees. If Elwin did nothing, Bain would die. But didn’t he deserve whatever happened? Whatever else Bain was, he killed for power. He was also Elwin’s father.

  Taking a deep breath, Elwin held out his hand and incanted a telekinesis.

  ~

  Bain watched Jax calculate the odds and knew violence to be inevitable. The younger Fliste was truly remarkable at reading people and circumstances. Pity fate had forced them to be enemies.

  “Jaxton,” Bain said. “I have studied all of these orbs and know this one to be false. That one on the end near Elwin is the genuine artifact. Can I truly just pick it up?”

  The boy’s eyes widened, but he recovered quickly. “Sorry, Elwin. But I can’t let him have it.”

  Jaxton produced and threw a dagger with practiced skill, but Bain could do nothing to stop it without taming. The small blade struck the orb and knocked it to the ground.

  As Bain moved to intercept it, the Kalicodian rushed him. Bain had just enough time to draw his own blade and deflect the first blow. Daren’s second strike sent him to his knees. He rolled to his feet and returned a strike, but the larger man was swift for his size. After several quick exchanges, Bain felt weary. Perhaps he was still fatigued from his concussion, but he knew from years of battles, he was outmatched against this man.

  There was only one way out of this.

  Bain seized all four Elements and burned his essence to slow time. He’d discovered this taming by accident, but the talent had saved him a hundred times over the years. With so many dragons near, he could not hope to walk away from this unscathed. But he wouldn’t need to.

  In front of him, Daren slowed. Bain considered ending the Kalicodian, but he could not bring himself to destroy such a perfect warrior. Elwin would need strong companions in what would come. Bain tamed flight and surged away from Daren.

  Behind him, Elwin chanted. Though Bain only knew the few words Abaddon had taught him, he recognized the Words of Power. The orb had changed paths. It had been bouncing toward Jax, now it surged toward the wall. Bain flew and intercepted the Orb of Incantus. It sang with power beyond imagining. He hadn’t noticed the eloiglyphs before. Now they were aglow.

  His essence doubled then tripled in size, rapidly increasing beyond imagining. It continued to grow, despite the burning of his essence to slow time. He felt every Element stir within the confines of the aerie and beyond. More, he could sense Elwin’s essence as easily as his own, as well as those energies of the essences trapped within the orbs across the cavern. He felt invincible. Immortal. He could defeat every dragon on his own.

  One appeared outside. Then another. Still more came. Dozens circled nearby. His essence stopped growing. The growth slowed and began to deplete once more.

  No. Not invincible yet. He could not fight so many. Neither could he flee.

  But he had all the components to return Abaddon to Arinth, a powerful essence for the spending and the body of a blood descendent as a construct for the Father.

  “I am sorry, Elwin. When it is all over, I pray you will understand why the sacrifices we make this day are necessary.”

  Bain focused his will and spoke the incantation Abaddon had forced him to recite so many times over all these years. The only one of worth he knew. All the practice had been for this moment.

  The time to bring Abaddon back to this world had come at last.

  ~

  Elwin felt the Elements stir just as he sent telekinetic energies against the orb. Bain became a blur, tamings surging around the man. He reappeared between Jax and Daren with the orb in his hand. In another flash, he moved to the far end of the cavern, hundreds of paces away.

  A dragon appeared in front of the cavern and another one just inside. Despite being blocked in, Bain did not seem concerned. He landed as if he was all alone, a contented smile upon his face.

  Bain spoke an incantation. It was a series of complex utterances and phrases, beyond that of anything Elwin had ever heard.

  The first dragon rushed forward. Elwin flattened himself as it flew over him. Fifty paces away, he saw Jax and Daren do much the same. When the dragon passed, Daren stood and ran for the portal. It was a thousand strides away. Elwin met Jax’s gaze. The other man stopped.

  “Come on!” Jax called. “We need to go!”

  Elwin took two steps after the man and stopped. He could still hear Bain’s chanting. Should he stop him or help him? Dragons take him, what should he do?

  “Curse you, kid,” Jax yelled. “Let’s move!”

  “You go,
” Elwin called, at last. “I have to finish this.”

  Though he didn’t quite know what this was, he knew the words to be true. If Bain truly knew how to stop the dragons, the war with the dragons would soon be over. But only if Bain finished the incantation before the dragons stopped him. Elwin glanced back at Bain, still standing near the wall. The dragon would be upon him soon.

  There was desperation in Jax’s voice. “There are thumping dragons, you idiot. You’re just a thumping kid. Look out!”

  Elwin turned in time to see the second dragon land inside the cavern. It’s body was more blocky than the first dragon. It moved more swiftly at a run than while flying. Jax dodged the colossal feet as they stomped down. Between its legs, Elwin saw Jax rising, boots running in the same motion.

  Elwin would be trampled. He wanted to reach for Air, but he resisted his instincts. Instead, he forced his breathing to be calm. He’d been practicing the incantations. It was time to put them to use.

  Forming the image in his mind, he held out his hands and incanted the fire burst with all the will he could muster. A gout of flame arched from his palm. Molten fire struck the dragon’s face. Its roar shook the cavern. The dragon fell. Its long neck swung wildly in both directions. It slid toward him, thrashing its head to douse the flames.

  “It worked!” he said. “It thumping—”

  The dragon rolled toward him like an avalanche of teeth and claws. If he didn’t move, he would be crushed.

  Elwin glanced to the orbs and incanted the dimensional folding. He reappeared a second later. Heart racing. The dragon was half the cavern away. Only a few steps for the massive beast. But it didn’t see him. It clawed at its charred face, speaking an incantation.

  The dragon vanished. With his essence, Elwin felt the Air stir, moving into the space the dragon had occupied a moment before. It had incanted out of the cavern. Looking around, he saw Jax and Daren were gone now, too.

  “I did it,” he said, still not believing his own words. “The thumping dragon ran from me!”

  Only one dragon remained, still flying toward Bain. Elwin began the dimensional folding but froze. Two more dragons appeared inside the cavern. A third. Then a fourth.

  The incantation died on his lips. Even if the fire burst worked again, he could not fight so many. As the dragons rushed forward, Elwin knew he and Bain would soon be destroyed.

  ~

  Bain felt a deep sense of pride at watching Elwin defeat the dragon. Seeing his son incant safely away, Bain felt instant relief, quickly followed by rising dread.

  Soon, he would have to sacrifice all to bring Abaddon back. Elwin would suffer from this. Had his son but stayed hidden, it never would have come to this. The Seeker of Souls had given him an order, and Bain dared not fail. The costs were too high.

  Several dragons appeared around the cavern. Each pivoted toward him. They moved as one. He had seconds before they were upon him.

  He tamed all four Elements once more, burning his essence. The dragons slowed for a few heartbeats. Bain pushed all his will into the chanting. But the dragons tamed the Elements. Their movements sped to match his.

  The closest one spoke an incantation Bain didn’t recognize. Pain lanced through his feet. Bain pushed through the agony crawling up his legs. He focused on nothing but the words. Just a few more seconds.

  But no. He wouldn’t finish. The dragons would have him. Then he glanced down and saw the bronze color moving up his legs.

  ~

  None of the dragons glanced in Elwin’s direction. All rushed toward Bain. As soon as he acted, that would change. He had one chance to stop them. If he failed, Bain would die. For a heartbeat, he considered letting them. He couldn’t. Bain had been earnest. He wanted to restore Arinth and save the elementalists. Whatever else the man was, that was true. Once he was finished, Bain could answer for his crimes.

  Bain’s movements sped up. Seconds later, the dragons did as well. They moved faster than his eyes could track.

  How in the abyss? But he knew. He’d done this before. The moment he tamed, this battle would change.

  Cursing himself for a fool, Elwin drew all four Elements and burnt his own essence to match their speed. Only a single dragon glanced his way. It changed directions, but Elwin focused on the lead dragon. He recognized the transmutation it spoke.

  This was the only incantation he knew how to counter. But there had been no chance to practice. If he failed, this would be over. Pushing away his worries, he focused.

  He readied his will then spoke the words.

  Maintaining his taming and incanting the counter took every ounce of effort. He focused on Bain and the dragon’s chanting. Bain’s feet turned to bronze. It quickly took his ankles and knees.

  Elwin’s essence vanished at an alarming rate. Within seconds, he would be drained and fall unconscious, left to the dragon’s mercy.

  He articulated the words. At the height of the incantation, he pushed his will onto Bain. To Elwin’s surprise, the bronze stopped at Bain’s thighs. More quickly than it had began, Bain’s legs returned to normal.

  But Elwin was out of time. The dragon was on him. It was speaking the words to steal his essence.

  ~

  Bain felt a moment of panic. He would die. And he could do nothing to stop it. If he stopped the ritual to bring back Abaddon, the backlash of the failed incantation would destroy them all.

  The ache in his feet vanished. He could move his boots once more. It was Elwin, he realized. His son had saved him. No, not saved, only delayed the inevitable.

  The dragons still came for him. They all spoke incantations.

  He needed to stop them, but how? Then he remembered the reserve of power just out of reach. Once more he felt the essences trapped within the orbs. He pulled at them. The Orb of Incantus pulsed in his grip. A flood of power surged into him. The moment they joined his essence, Bain burned the energies.

  Time slowed to a stop. The dragons moved at a crawl. Across the cavern, Elwin all but froze as did the dragon bearing down on him. He felt Abaddon’s beckoning. The incantation was almost ready.

  Bain felt himself smile.

  ~

  Elwin incanted a dimensional folding and tamed flight at the same time. Just as the dragon reached for him, it vanished.

  The cavern materialized around Elwin, the dragons and Bain now far below him. A torrent of Air energies swirled around Elwin. The force pulled him toward Bain. He fought it, burning more of his essence. He would soon be depleted and fall to his death.

  Bain’s essence became visible. Thin tendrils of light rose from the orbs. The wisps streamed toward Bain and merged with the man’s essence. It was enormous and growing. A dragon swung at Bain. The man blurred from its grasp, concentration never waning. Bain’s words sounded inhuman, too fast to understand. His voice became louder, echoing through the cavern.

  Elwin felt his own essence drift toward the flow of energy below and moved away, pushing his essence as far from the tide as it could go.

  Bain’s essence vanished.

  The pulling force cut off so abruptly, Elwin flew half the distance of the cavern before he realized. Below him, the dragons stopped advancing. Everyone slowed to a crawl.

  Elwin stopped burning his essence as well. The scene below sped up once more. Elwin knew all the dragons would look up and see him taming flight, but no eyes glanced his way.

  They all stared at Bain, confusion clear in their expressions. Black fog swirled about Bain, circling his body and limbs. It was slow at first, but gained speed by the second. After a few heartbeats, Bain could no longer move. The fog held him stronger than shackles.

  Behind Bain, the air split. An invisible door opened, framed by dark fog. Thick air rolled out like a carpet. A man in blue silks emerged in the opening. Though translucent like an essence, Elwin knew him immediately.

  A
baddon stepped across the threshold of the shadow realm and into this world.

  ~

  Bain spent his will, finishing the incantation. How had he not died? He could feel his essence drained, but not entirely gone. Had it been the additional power he had taken from the orbs?

  The doorway to the Father’s realm opened. Abaddon stood before him, as he had so many times over these decades.

  “It is almost finished,” Abaddon smiled. “Speak the final words and link the incantation with Elwin.”

  “No,” Bain said. “You cannot have him.”

  “What? You would deny me? This is why I had you seek him. I carefully orchestrated this moment for millennia. I need his body. One that is true and my direct descendent.”

  Bain shook his head, “You need a body. You may have mine instead.”

  Abaddon’s expression softened. “I foresaw this possibility, but I never believed you would give up immortality for him. Is this truly your wish?”

  “Aye. But I need a promise from you.”

  Abaddon nodded. “Of course.”

  “Destroy the guardians. Kill every one wearing their crest.”

  “Very well, my child. It will be done. I will make a place for you in my realm. You will witness their destruction first hand. Speak the words and open your will to my own.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered. Then he gave himself wholly to the Father.

  ~

  Elwin watched in horror as Abaddon merged with Bain’s form. The man’s body spasmed. He dropped the Orb of Incantia. It rolled along the ground, away from him. This would be his only chance. He needed to go for it, but he could not make himself move.

  Then his chance passed. Bain’s body stilled. Black eyes surveyed the room. Much like Elwin, the dragons stared on, unmoving.

  Then, the closest dragon began speaking an incantation.

  Abaddon incanted immediately. The dragon’s mouth turned to stone. Mid-incantation, Abaddon changed his inflection. He punched out. Elemental energy merged with the power of the incantation. It rippled off his fist and struck the dragon’s jaw. Its face exploded in a spray of dust.