Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  The two remaining wizards stared wide-eyed and shaking slightly as the red energy charged toward them. With their weakest member incapacitated, the others needed to take down and rebuild the shield without their fallen comrade. They didn’t have enough time for that.

  Scepter aloft, Farrell maintained the scream and pointed his staff forward like a lance. The red energy shadows mimicked his move. Six bolts of deep blue power flew from the wedge, aimed at the two standing wizards. Caught between maintaining the greater shield wall and reinforcing their own personal protection, the pair wavered. It didn’t matter. His assault cut through the outer barrier as well as their personal shields as if neither existed. Nerti took aim at the wizard rolling on the ground, trampling him as they passed.

  The wail slowly died as they moved closer to the main part of Meglar’s army. Halfway there and nothing too challenging thrown their way.

  Farrell checked the strength of his escorts. Satisfied they had sufficient power, he searched for the next threat. As suspected, the enemy pulled back, marshaling closer to Northhelm’s protective barricade and preparing one last assault before he and Nerti reached the gate.

  Before he could formulate his plan, he heard a commotion to his right. Turning, he saw several unicorns, peregrines, and human soldiers with their backs to the mountainside. An ever-growing number of enemy warriors surrounded them, pressing closer. Judging by how easily they dispatched the Chamdon who faced them, these “humans” had to be Muchari. He swallowed hard as he counted the gathering army surrounding them. Even super strength and speed wouldn’t save them against such a superior force.

  “Nerti, we must go help them.” He pointed toward the embattled warriors. “Veer right and make for your people.”

  “No!” Despite the pain he heard in her voice, she kept to their course. “We cannot aid them. My task is to get you to the city, and nothing can deter me from that, not even saving them.”

  It took a moment to process what he heard. “Are you mad? They’ll be killed if we don’t help them. They’re surrounded!”

  “I have eyes to see what is happening, Wizard. They were instructed not to leave Northhelm. And though their intentions to aid us were noble, this is why they were told to stay inside the mountain. Despite their plight, we must not alter our path.” The sadness in her tone surprised him, especially when she stayed the course.

  With a wave of his hand, he bound the staff generating the shadow escort to Nerti. “Ride straight for the gate. The staff will ensure the shadows help you make it there safely. I’ll join you once I free your friends.”

  Without waiting for the argument he knew he would get, he leapt from her back.

  “No! Wizard, you must not deviate from our path!”

  Though he heard Nerti’s order, he ignored her. Saving the others required all his concentration.

  Chapter Three

  FARRELL COMPLETED his somersault and drained power from the silver bracelets. Rose-colored energy swirled around him and formed a galloping centaur that enveloped him in its protective embrace. He fed the shield enough energy to keep him safe from all but the strongest attacks. Enough, he hoped, to reach the trapped Northhelm warriors.

  His jaw tightened as he spotted a small knot of low-grade wizards standing back from the fight. Of all Meglar’s people, he despised the Chamdon handlers the most. He planned to make the cowards pay.

  Following the orders given, the warped creatures charged Northhelm’s defenders with a frenzied abandon. Killing the handlers wouldn’t stop the attack, but it would prevent anyone from redirecting the Chamdon toward him. Not to mention it made him feel better.

  Rounding toward the handlers, he fired balls of energy at the unprepared men. Wizard’s fire striking flesh never ended well for those hit. Today was no exception. The hail of blood and body pieces sizzled on contact with the energy protecting him. Too bad the fight didn’t end with their deaths.

  Locked into carrying out their last command, the Chamdon ignored his approach. Exploiting this weakness, Farrell sent short, deadly blasts of green energy at their rear, tossing bodies out of his path. Racing into the gap, he felt the expected attacks.

  Snarling like feral dogs, the creatures barely resembled the humans they’d been before Meglar twisted them with dark magic. A Chamdon, its dark, blank eyes devoid of any trace of humanity or reason, locked its gaze with his, then carried out its order and attacked. Blasting the beast before it reached him, Farrell ended its tortured existence.

  Attacks hit his armor like rocks. None threatened to harm him, but each one slowed his approach, if only a little. A claw snagged the air, nipping part of his rear flank. The hand vaporized on contact, but it sapped his momentum again. He couldn’t let himself be stopped, not in the middle of the sea of Chamdon between him and the warriors. Even his centaur armor wouldn’t protect him indefinitely.

  Racing full out, he plunged deeper into their ranks. As fast as he ran, Farrell didn’t escape unscathed. His exposed flanks bore the brunt of the attacks from those he tried to slip past. A dead Chamdon fell backward, causing him to stumble. The small stutter slowed him just enough for two creatures to his left to leap for his legs. Bracing for another stumble, he watched as five red energy unicorns overtook him, churning the Chamdon into the dirt.

  “Your courage shames me, young one.”

  He beamed at Nerti, silently thanking Lenore. “And your timing is impeccable.”

  Blasting his way deeper into their ranks, Nerti moved in front of him. “If you ride to the aid of my friends, I am required to assist you. Rejoin me, and let us have at these foul creatures.”

  Using Nerti’s pull, he soared over the energy escort. The centaur dissipated, energy flowing back into the silver bands as he settled onto Nerti’s back. His image reappeared on the backs of the five energy unicorns.

  Nerti lowered her horn, cleaving a path through the enemy. He lowered his staff, the images mirroring him, and all six staffs erupted in blue light. Blazing lines of energy filled the air with the smell of burnt flesh as bodies flew out of their way. He repeated the assault until he cleared a path deep into the Chamdon ranks.

  “If you have any way to warn your friends, let them know to gather directly in front of our position,” he told Nerti. “I’m going to clear our path to the mountain.”

  Before she replied, he stowed his staff and drew the small bow and arrows from his pocket. When he nocked an arrow, the five energy doppelgängers did the same. In unison, they aimed to his left. He cast a spell on his arrow and sent it and the others on their way.

  The twang of bowstrings launched six white shafts of energy toward the mound of rock ahead. Armor, bone, flesh—nothing stopped their flight. A trail of energy hung in the air where they passed. The arrows lodged in the mountain face, impossibly aligned vertically, exactly two feet apart.

  Not waiting for the first volley to find their target, Farrell repeated his action to the right. Two rows of white energy hung in the air, stretching from his position to the mountain face. In the center of the lines, the defiant Muchari, unicorns, and peregrines stood, guarding the fallen body of a peregrine.

  Stashing his bow and arrows, he retrieved his staff. A pale white glow emanated from its tip. The energy trails elongated until they formed a solid wall, cutting off those Chamdon inside from the rest of the army on the other side.

  He hoped that gave the defenders a bit of a breather.

  “Nerti, make for your friends. Trample all in our path.” His voice betrayed a touch of weariness.

  “With pleasure.”

  He raised an eyebrow at the hint of glee in her response.

  Despite the danger he and Nerti represented, the Chamdon never turned. The pair shoved aside or crushed anyone in their way. As Nerti plowed into their enemy, he reached into his pocket and removed a handful of small white stones.

  Funneling energy into the rocks, he divided them between his hands and flung them forward. Once on the ground, they expanded until they r
eached the size of a large dog. Bouncing around, the new, larger stones ricocheted off the shimmering white energy and crushed anything they struck.

  Nerti’s speed astonished him, especially given the added burden she pulled. As the distance between them and her friends dwindled, the space between the lines increased. Farrell focused green wizard’s fire at the densest groups of Chamdon. Stragglers wouldn’t do for his next move.

  The trapped warriors redoubled their efforts and pressed forward. In a whirl of motion he’d never thought possible, they set upon the remaining Chamdon. In their center, a tall warrior leapt from the back of his unicorn and landed amongst the startled enemy. Blond hair swirled about him as his silvery chain mail spun almost too fast to follow. He easily dispatched any Chamdon within his reach.

  Amazing. Farrell caught himself staring.

  “Indeed. Miceral is our greatest warrior. He is eager to meet you.”

  Eager to meet him? Huh? He shook off the confusion and embarrassment at being caught gawking and lashed out at one of the few remaining Chamdon. From Nerti’s back, he plucked the short staff, and their escorts disappeared. Leaping down, he put the dowel in his belt and turned back the way they’d come.

  Enemy soldiers poured through the open space where he had fired the arrows. Farrell raised his hands and the white walls moved toward him, growing in density. He connected the ends when they passed the charging enemy, creating a solid wall that blocked any further progress. Then he raised the top until it closed over them, forming a semicircle of protection.

  True to their nature, the Chamdon beat against the wall, howling in their attempt to carry out their orders. Shaking his head, he turned away. Senseless.

  “That will hold them until—” He found himself face to face with the blond warrior who’d captured his attention. Staring into the piercing blue eyes, he almost forgot to finish his thought. “Um, it will hold. My apologies. I didn’t mean to stare.”

  The warrior laughed. “Of course you did.” His deep voice sent a shiver through his body. When the man smiled, Farrell extended a hand to hide his embarrassment.

  “I am Farrell. That was amazing, watching you and the others

  fight.”

  “Not so impressive as what you did to reach us. We would not have survived had you not come.” He grasped Farrell’s hand and pulled him into an embrace. “I am Miceral, and you have my eternal thanks.”

  That’s not all I’d like from you. His thought almost left him with an embarrassing condition, so he broke the hug and moved toward the fallen peregrine. Others attempted to treat a deep gash in the raptor’s side. Blood covered much of the peregrine’s body, and he saw off-white bone through the rent flesh. Field medicine wouldn’t save him, and it appeared none of those helping possessed a healer’s gift.

  “Let me through, please.” He used his staff to gently but firmly move others aside. The pain in the peregrine’s eyes made him wince. Kneeling beside the stricken raptor, he reached out mentally. “Peregrine, I am also a servant of Honorus. Your wound is grievous, and although I’m not a trained healer, I possess enough of a healer’s gift that I believe I can patch you up until a true healer can tend to you. Though I make no promises as to my skill, I seek your permission to try.”

  “Waste not your talents on me. Nothing you do will enable me to travel fast enough to make it back to the gate. You, who are Lenore’s Chosen, must save the others so my death is not in vain.”

  He frowned his annoyance. “Stupid warriors. I didn’t risk my life and Nerti’s to leave you behind. We will all make it out safely. That I promise you.”

  Without waiting for permission, he held his hands, now engulfed in a deep green glow, over the bloody gash. Working as his mother had taught him, he began with the deepest wounds. First the damage to organs disappeared, followed by the torn flesh. Though featherless and covered in blood, the rent closed and the bleeding stopped.

  “Your wound is healed sufficiently that you may be moved. You are correct. You cannot travel on your own, but I would be a poor wizard if I could not overcome that obstacle.” Standing, he stamped the end of the staff on the ground next to his right foot. Underneath the massive peregrine, a cushion of rose-colored energy gently lifted him off the ground.

  Farrell turned to address the crowd behind him. “One of the company will need to pull your wounded friend. His weight will not burden you much, but there will be some extra effort needed.”

  A peregrine head appeared just to the left of his ear, the beak of the eight-foot raptor mere inches from his face. The black-mottled feathers tickled his skin.

  “Chosen of Lenore, I am Grohl. Before you lies my brother, Takala. I will bear him wherever he needs to go. Know this,” he said, turning Farrell around with his beak. Everyone else, including Nerti, stood behind Grohl. “From this day forward, you will forever be a brother of mine. You are part of my family until the line of Rothdin, my sire, ceases to be.” He bowed his head.

  “Mighty Grohl. It was a simple task, not worthy of the honor you do me. Still, I will do all I can to be worthy to be called your brother.” Farrell bowed to Grohl.

  By now, the bodies of their enemy covered every inch of the barrier. Chamdon continued to hack in futility at the white energy.

  Miceral walked over and pointed to the barrier. “How long will that hold?”

  “As long as I want it to. But as long as it remains, we’re stuck here.” He mulled how best to proceed. “So far, they’ve not brought any wizards, but I suspect several lurk at the edge of these beasts. They’re in no rush to attack, given that I’ve killed five of their number. Likely they’re gathering as many wizards as they can before they make a move.”

  Miceral smiled at him, twisting Farrell’s stomach and his tongue in knots. Turning to cover his embarrassment, he focused on how many allies he needed to shepherd to the gate. Ten unicorns, including Nerti, nine Muchari, and six peregrines. Takala would obviously be pulled along, but what about the others?

  “Forgive my ignorance.” He turned back toward Miceral. “But how fast can a peregrine run? Can they keep up with Nerti?”

  “No one can keep up with Nerti, Prince Farrell.” This came from a unicorn standing next to Nerti. “But our feathered friends are quite fleet of foot when the need arises.”

  That helped. “Here is what I propose. I need the unicorns to assemble in a wedge on either side of Nerti. She’ll take point with four of you on each side. Peregrines in the center. Grohl, you stay directly behind Nerti. The rest of you cover our rear.” He pointed to the uninjured peregrines.

  Hearing no objections, he took the staff from his belt and found two more in his pocket. “I need nine unicorns to pull the energy shield. The tenth has to keep out of formation.”

  “Why is one unicorn not involved?” Miceral asked.

  “Because once we get moving, someone needs to take me to the back so I can protect our rear.” He gave Miceral a nervous smile. “That, and ten is the wrong number for creating a wedge.”

  “Klissmor and I will take you.”

  Despite himself, he blushed. “That will be great . . . er . . . acceptable.” He nodded slightly toward the still-smiling warrior.

  Please, Honorus, let him be the one.

  Shaking off his desires, he turned to address the others. “I assume you are all attuned to the shield so you can pass through?”

  Several unicorns and soldiers nodded. “That is what we were told,” Miceral said.

  “Good. Then we don’t need to do anything fancy. Once we start, just stay in formation behind Nerti and make for the gate. As long as we’re surrounded by the escort, nothing short of a powerful wizard can reach us.

  “I’m going to use the barrier as a weapon to clear a path. Nerti, follow behind it, grinding anything in your way. I’ll watch for and deal with their wizards. Questions?” Hearing none, he walked toward Nerti.

  Before mounting, he stopped to look into her green eyes. “How are you? You’ve handled quite a bi
t. Do you need more time to recover?”

  Nerti looked hard at him, and he felt as if she searched his mind. He relaxed when her expression softened. “Your concern for me is appreciated, but I might ask you the same.” Before he could protest, she added, “I am up to the task Lenore gave me, just as you are for yours. But before we go, I must thank you. Klissmor is my mate. He and I have been companions since the time Lenore set us here to protect Her creatures. I have no words to thank you properly, nor can I repay your gift. But from now forth, I shall bear you wherever you need to go.”

  “You honor me, Nerti, but in this I am not worthy. You are Lenore’s to command, as I am the servant of Honorus. I cannot accept your offer, though I’m honored beyond words that you would consider me worthy to bear.”

  “The choice is not yours, nor is it mine. Centuries ago, it was told to me by my Lady whom Klissmor and I would be bound to. Klissmor found Miceral long ago. In you, I am certain I have found my rider. Like it or not, we are bound together.” She moved around so he could mount. Before he could get settled, she added, “Miceral asked that I tell you this: He is glad I am bound to you as well. He is quite taken with you, Farrell, as much as you are with him.”

  He tried to hide his surprise, but without thinking, he turned toward Miceral. The handsome Muchari grinned happily at him. Embarrassed, he gave Miceral a smile and a small wave.

  Focus, you fool. It took him a moment to force all thoughts of Miceral, Nerti, and Klissmor from his mind. There would be time for that later.

  Passing a short staff to the Muchari on either side of him, he took a deep breath and removed two more silver bracelets from his pocket. The old ones merged into the new ones, thickening and widening.

  “Ready?”

  He received a chorus of “aye,” “yes,” and “let’s do this” in response.

  Touching the three staffs with his mind, he said a silent prayer to Honorus for strength. “Wait for the shield to lead the way, and then take off. The escort will appear after the first step. Stick to the path and maintain formation.”