Fallen Ambitions

by Vann, Eric J.

  The forced step backward did have one unintended consequence: the Ogre’i, which had used its arms to protect its head and face from the volley, was now standing over the injured Grauda male, who was still lying on the ground—the same male Astrel had been trying so hard to reach and save.

  “No!” Astrel yelled, as the Ogre’i pulled a foot back and kicked the helpless male with such force Aziel thought he heard the snap of a spine. The Grauda’s body was hurled into the air and off the edge of the ridge, out of sight.

  The beast flashed them a toothy grin, its hands patting the areas the arrows had struck as if brushing away dust. But its grin evaporated when a purple streak stuck his right thigh, and a spurt of blood gushed from the wound.

  It roared, its hands grabbing the shaft of Astrel’s enchanted spear, which was now stuck deep into its thigh. It tried to snap the shaft but appeared to have trouble with the enchanted metal. Before it could pull the spear out, Astrel cried, “Recall!”

  The Ogre’i let out a high-pitched cry as his hands and legs were engulfed by an explosion of purple energy, emanating from where her spear had once been. The creature fell to one knee as Astrel held her hand high over one shoulder—the spear reappearing in her grip, ready to be thrown once more.

  The Ogre’i sucked in a harsh breath, its face contorted in pain, and Astrel abruptly halted her assault to stare at the creature. The change was slow and uneven, but its blue skin was darkening to a shade of purple… then a uniform red. The Ogre’i slammed its fists against the ground, then began banging its chest as its muscles swelled even larger. The wound Astrel had been able to inflict closed up, and the creature looked at her with a wide grin and a crazy look in its eyes.

  Astrel ducked just in time to avoid a rock it threw at her, then jumped back. The Ogre’i followed, its enhanced speed surprising the Grauda queen, but she was just quick enough to pull her shield close and block a horizontal swing. Aziel grimaced as the weight of the blow threw Astrel several feet to land hard on the ground. Whatever had happened to this beast, it was much stronger now.

  Aziel tried to stand, his legs shaking as the throbbing spread to his entire body. He shook his head, trying desperately to escape the dark tunnel enveloping his vision. The Grauda female came to him, her antennae twisting to either side as she put her arm under his and used her body to help him stand.

  The Grauda continued to pepper the Ogre’i with arrows, and several males flanked him, taking any opportunity to poke at the roaring giant with their spears. The Ogre’i kept wildly swinging his fists, and one Grauda who came too close was grabbed and thrown off the ridge.

  “Artolai Jar, Nerooth lalai,” growled a rough voice from what had once been the entrance to the keep. Aziel swung around: another Ogre’i! He didn’t understand what the creature had said, and had no time to reflect, as this Ogre’i gave another much deeper roar before joining the battle. The Grauda encirclement collapsed as they scattered to keep their new foe at a distance.

  Another loud roar pulled Aziel out of his pained state, and he saw a male Grauda duck under one punch and try to stab his spear into the first Ogre’i’s chest, only to be bludgeoned into the ground. The Ogre’i continued to slam its fists into the Grauda’s crushed body in a mindless rage.

  Aziel bit his lower lip, tasting his own blood, as a rage started to ignite within him at how helpless he was. He pushed himself off the Grauda female and steadied himself before meeting her gaze.

  “Hit me,” he ordered.

  The Grauda female stared at him, confusion in her eyes.

  “I said, hit me!” he snapped, his voice harsh as the darkness threatened to take him completely.

  The female Grauda slapped him, but he could tell she had held back most of her strength. The poor thing looked terrified. Aziel knew how the Grauda viewed him—the females especially. The very idea of hurting him for any reason must be causing a storm of emotion within her. Not wanting to put her through any more internal anguish, Aziel decided to do it himself. Taking a deep breath, he ran straight at the ruined fort wall and slammed his head against the stone.

  Pain exploded in his head, but he could feel the tentacles of darkness that were encroaching into his mind pull back.

  The female Grauda let out a panicked high-pitched hiss, and some of the closer males ran to him and tried to stop him from slamming his head into the stone again. He pushed them away—he couldn’t stop, not if he wanted to help. He ran at the wall again as blood began to trickle down his forehead. By the third time he made contact, the dark had retreated from his vision completely. Even though the numbness enveloping his body remained, it was enough of a reprieve for now.

  Aziel wasted no time. Reaching inside himself, he unleashed a wave of fire mana and channeled it into the symbols required. Sweat poured down his forehead, his body trying its best to shut down as he pushed against the symbol and directed it toward the second Ogre’i.

  A torrent of flame exploded from the symbol, its heat causing the surrounding rock to instantly crack. The Ogre’i, caught by surprise, was bathed in fire. It bellowed and flailed, its fur clothes igniting as its leather tunic melted and melded with its skin. Aziel didn’t let up; he grunted and pushed more mana into the spell. The flames roared and turned white-hot in response, their intensity causing the rock below the super-heated column to turn molten. Even the enraged red Ogre’i stopped to shield its eyes and face from the heat radiating off the spell.

  The roars of the burning Ogre’i tapered off into pained whines, before the massive creature fell to the ground with a thud where it remained motionless. Its body continued to burn even when Aziel ended the spell. Its form was almost unrecognizable now, transformed by horrific burns and exposed bone.

  Taking in another deep breath, Aziel knew he was on borrowed time. This memory was relentlessly banging on the door to his mind and was not going to be denied for much longer, no matter how badly he harmed himself. He raised one hand, readying himself to dispose of the other Ogre’i, but hesitated as he watched Astrel close in on the creature, her proximity and the look in her eyes forcing Aziel to rethink interfering. A loud and angry hiss emanated from her, which the surrounding Grauda echoed.

  Astrel jumped over a wide swing of the creature’s thick limbs and landed atop its shoulders, her spear sinking several inches into its body. She held on to the spear tightly with one hand and anchored herself atop him. Using her other hand to push her shield against the creature’s face, she twisted it away from her. The Ogre’i roared in pain and shook violently from side to side, trying to dislodge her while also fending off the other Grauda.

  But Astrel stubbornly stuck to him. Raising her scythe arms as high as she could, she let out a battle cry and ruthlessly and repeatedly stabbed them into the creature with everything she had. Her sharp blades sank into the red hide, and blood spurted from the wounds every time she pulled them out, spraying her and the ground around them in bright red blood. The Ogre’i roared again as it tried to swat her away.

  Another roar shattered through the space, this one a little higher in pitch, and Aziel cursed as another massive bundle of blue muscle appeared from within the fort. This time, it was a female, and she was even larger than the other two. His gaze shifted from her size to the enormous metal maul she held.

  It was colossal weapon Aziel was certain was meant to be wielded by both hands, but she swung it in one hand with little effort. For a moment, Aziel thought the weapon might have been hollow, but the sound and imprint it left when it hit the rocky floor relieved him of such notions. The female Ogre’i didn’t even stop to survey the field—she simply ran at the Grauda, who once again scattered to avoid being squashed.

  Finally, free of distractions, the enraged Ogre’i had had enough. Instead of trying to grab Astrel, he fell sideways, intending to crush her under him. At the last second, Astrel pulled her spear free and jumped clear. She landed roughly, sliding then tumbling across the ground, and Aziel immediately directed another jet of flames at the
red Ogre’i, hoping to get rid of the enraged menace. His spell roared, but was blocked when a giant slab of rock fell from the sky in its path. The flames seared the stone, melting its surface with their heat.

  Aziel pulled back, catching a satisfied grin from the female Ogre’i as she hefted her maul and rested it over her shoulder. Several crushed and mangled Grauda bodies littered the ground around her, and the rest had begun to retreat at Astrel’s command. The female Ogre’i glared at him, a blatant challenge in her piercing blue eyes. Their color was so light, they appeared to glow. Aziel met her gaze and accepted her challenge.

  Squaring his shoulders, he raised his hand and forced his vessel to comply. It quivered under his demand, and Aziel grunted as he struggled to form the brown earth mana needed, settling in the end for a much weaker version of the spell he had envisioned. “Entomb,” he whispered and the symbol glowed and dissolved into the ground. It was taking everything he had just to stay conscious now, his every muscle protesting his insistence at staying in the fight.

  The female Ogre’i looked around, readying herself for whatever was to come. Rocks exploded from the ground around her, and reached upward to encapsulate her.

  But to Aziel’s surprise, the female Ogre’i did not panic. She grinned and began to furiously swing her massive maul, shattering the stone before it had a chance to surround her. She was out-destroying his spell.

  A desperate hiss caught Aziel’s attention, and he turned and watched in horror as the enraged Ogre’i ignored the still retreating Grauda, focusing solely on their queen. In the few moments his attention had been elsewhere, Astrel had been pushed into a corner and her massive foe now loomed over her. The Ogre’i clasped both hands and raised them into the air, readying to turn her into another Grauda smear upon this ridge.

  As its massive hands dropped, Astrel only had just enough time to raise her shield. A tremendous metallic bang reverberated around the clearing before the ruined fort. Aziel froze, his eyes wide, his throat dry as he watched Astrel buckle under the sheer force of the strike. His blood turned to ice when he heard bone snapping and witnessed her right leg collapse under her.

  Astrel screamed, and the agony-filled sound stabbed into his heart no different than any dagger would have.

  The female Ogre’i had finally bested his spell, and roared in triumph before charging him. But Aziel had no time for her. With his head ready to explode, and his muscles screaming for mercy, he ran to Astrel—flicking blots of fire at the female Ogre’i with one hand as dark green mana formed around his other.

  The retreating Grauda quickly reversed course, the sound and sight of their queen in such dire straits overriding any orders she may have given them. The female Grauda, who herself was nursing a broken arm, hissed and directed the remaining males to the aid of their queen. They ran at the Ogre’i, any notion of self-preservation gone from their minds, their fervor pulling attention from their injured queen.

  Even with such bravery, the Ogre’i were swift in destroying them. The enraged Ogre,i smashed all who came too close, while the female swung her maul and struck a Grauda male as he tried to get in range to stab her with his spear. He didn’t have a chance to make a sound; he simply turned into a spray of blood and gore.

  Their sacrifice did give Aziel the time he needed, however. He slid to Astrel’s side, pulling her to rest her head atop his lap. The Grauda queen clenched her jaws, her face wet with tears as she struggled to take labored breaths. The pain of her injuries was overwhelming her. Aziel placed his hand on her chest. “Healing Touch,” he whispered, and energy flowed through his now glowing green hand and into Astrel.

  She whimpered, her hand reaching to grab his, squeezing it desperately.

  “You’re safe now, Astrel. I have you,” Aziel said, doing his best to keep his own struggles from her. His other hand stroked her head and hair.

  Aziel heard heavy footsteps behind him, but he kept his attention on Astrel and the healing spell. He could tell she was in less pain, the bruises and cuts all along her body disappearing before his eyes. Her leg, however, was still bent and broken.

  They were both engulfed by a shadow, and Astrel’s tear-filled eyes opened wide as she saw something behind him.

  “Lalayeth maladie,” an old voice said in that same foreign language as before.

  Aziel kept working on Astrel. He lowered her head to the ground and reached for her leg, even this slight movement requiring a significant effort from him now. Ensuring he kept his Healing Touch on Astrel, he used his other hand to align her leg properly. Astrel hissed, her claws digging into his wrists as she struggled to hold back her cries. Her whole body tensed before she suddenly fell limp in his care.

  She was still breathing, but unconscious. It was for the best, Aziel decided. Watching her in such pain was tormenting, but he knew there was no other way—he had to align her leg if it was to have a chance to properly heal.

  Another Ogre’i stood across from Aziel. This one was old, bald, and tiny in comparison to the others. The wrinkles covering its face chronicled his long life, and the right side of its face was scarred. Unless it was hiding its right hand under the thin blue and white robes it wore, it was missing an arm as well.

  The old Ogre’i steadied itself with a simple-looking staff as it struggled to stay upright. Just as Aziel thought it might topple over, the much larger female Ogre’i came to its side and placed a supporting hand on its back. She was careful, as if handling something that might shatter at the slightest pressure. Watching the Ogre’i who had fought so aggressively be so gentle was strange, so out of character for the mental profile Aziel had formed of her.

  This unexpected and sudden truce allowed him the time to take in the details of the person before him. Like the others, the female Ogre’i had twin pointed horns protruding from her forehead. She had long, unkempt blue hair, worn in two stylized braids on either side of her face, along with large and pointed ears. Aziel had to stop himself from staring at how unexpectedly soft her facial features were. It had been difficult to notice when she was fighting, but now that her expression was natural and more relaxed, she was actually quite pretty.

  She wore black leathers lined with gray furs, and a thick fur cloak attached to the metal plates on her shoulders. Aziel did not know what beast that fur had come from, but it must have been large.

  Instead of belts or straps to keep everything together, she used what appeared to be thick colored ropes threaded through large metal rings. It was a style he had never seen before, an outfit with such heavy components that only one with such obvious strength could pull off.

  Her outfit did not strike Aziel as armor, however. Although not as minimal as Astrel’s, it still kept her arms, legs, and abdomen uncovered. Aziel could not stop himself from staring at her abdominal muscles—each was large enough for him to grab by hand. Her physique was the perfect specimen of a warrior, a manifestation of pure strength, and he could only imagine the amount of training it would take to maintain such a form.

  The female Ogre’i slowly helped the older one to the ground, who sighed in relief and crossed his legs. Aziel didn’t know what was happening, but he could not take his attention from healing Astrel. He knew his body would give out the moment he stopped, and Astrel needed him. If the Ogre’i were going to give him a chance to heal her before resuming the fight, he was not going to complain.

  The first Ogre’i they had encountered leaned against a large boulder at the edge of the clearing, its skin now reverted back to its original blue—at least those patches of skin that were not coated in blood. It sat on the ground, its eyes withdrawn, its wounds finally catching up to it. But Aziel could see its wounds already healing, slower than his Healing Touch or Soul Rejuvenation, but fast enough that he was certain it would recover.

  Aziel caught himself as his head slumped forward. Just as he began to slide again, a poke from the old Ogre’i’s stick woke him up. He shook his head, exhaustion slowing his every thought.

  “Just a li
ttle bit more, Young Master,” the old Ogre’i grunted, and Aziel glanced at his tired face, noticing his white eyes for the first time.

  “You know me?” Aziel asked, his voice light, barely audible. He remembered the Ogre’i from the throne room, Neruul. He had those same eyes, yet the being he remembered wasn’t so small, so damaged.

  “I do,” the older Ogre’i responded before glancing at the still-unconscious Astrel. “Once she is out of danger, embrace your memories. You have my word, the young queen will be taken care of.” He glanced at the other Grauda, who were still glaring at the Ogre’i. “We will tend to the others as well. Won’t we, Kavali? It’s the least we could do after such a mess.”

  The female Ogre’i, who Aziel presumed was Kavali, grimaced at that before glancing at Aziel with those stunning blue eyes and letting out a throaty grunt.

  A sound akin to gravel scraping against gravel came from below his hands, and Aziel watched as Astrel’s leg began to shift as it set itself back in place.

  “Good,” the old Ogre’i said with a slight smile. “We have much to discuss—but first, let go. Learn of your own history.”

  Aziel kept pushing more of his mana into his spell. He felt no pain now. Everything was numb, his mind, his body, everything…

  The older Ogre’i reached out, his blue hand enveloping Aziel’s. “Let go,” he said once more, the tenderness of his voice breaking down the last of Aziel’s will. With a shuddering breath, Aziel did as he was asked, and his mind and body finally yielded to the inevitable.

  Chapter 19

  “Quickly!” Aziel heard a deep voice shout, followed by a mixture of heavy and light footsteps.

  A group of Ogre’i, Grauda, and several Valkyrie stormed through a circular opening and into the cavernous chamber he found himself in, followed by a pair Aziel recognized.