Wizard Gigantic (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 9)

by Rodney Hartman

  Richard’s soul grew warm, then hot to the point of burning. He fell to his knees. Images of the destruction of the giant’s Heart-stone formed in his mind. He saw his brother, Gaston, touch the tip of his phase rod to the Heart-stone. The phase rod was the one Richard had given him. It was one of the phase rods with the taint of the demon Dalinfaust in it. The demon taint consumed the life force of the Heart-stone. The yellow gem shattered, taking part of the demon taint with it.

  Part of the demon’s still in the gem dust, Richard thought. It’s trying to destroy my soul. I can’t fight it.

  “You’re trying to do it all by yourself,” came Nickelo’s voice through the pain. “You have others who are willing to help you. Use them. Do not try to do it alone.”

  “What others?” Richard groaned as the burning agony continued eating away at his soul.

  Something on his left hand tingled. He sensed silver eyes and silver hair.

  Chapter 55 – At Her Mercy

  ____________________

  Struggling to bring the Lady’s staff between Crendemor’s descending blade and her exposed head, in a moment of clarity, Jeena knew she’d never make it in time. An image of Richard in her mind gave her hope.

  We are bondmates, came a last fleeting thought. We are connected for all eternity. I will be with him in the next life. That is all that matters.

  A blur of white fur came out of the cavern floor. Finger-length fangs fastened around Lord Crendemor’s right hand, snapping it off at the wrist. Crendemor’s hand and the magic longsword it gripped fell to the floor.

  The dark lord’s reflexes were quick. Screaming in pain, he whipped a dagger of dark metal out of his belt with his left hand and plunged it into the dolgar’s unprotected side. The spirit-wolf howled, shimmered, and dove back into the stone floor.

  Striking out with the Lady’s staff, Jeena caught the dark elf in the chest with the blue gem. Magic shot out, sending Crendemor reeling back and to the floor on his back. Jeena was on him in a second. She slammed her left knee into the bleeding stump of the dark elf’s wrist.

  Crendemor howled in pain and stabbed upward with his dagger, cutting a long gash across Jeena’s chest and forcing her back.

  Down on both knees, Jeena ignored the burning pain in her chest and pushed every bit of Power she had left in her reserve into the gem at the top of the Lady’s staff. She raised it in both hands for one final overhand blow against the elf who’d killed her family. She sensed Crendemor drawing Power from his reserve for a counter-spell, but it was obvious he would be too late. She knew it, and he knew it. She could almost smell the stench of his fear as he stared at his pending doom.

  Down came the staff.

  Then time froze.

  Jeena tried to move her muscles, but to no avail. Her enemy was below her. The Power in the Lady’s staff was ready to destroy him, but she couldn’t move.

  Neither can Crendemor, Jeena thought. His eyes are frozen in fear.

  While her eyes couldn’t move, Jeena could sense what was happening around her. Everyone and everything was frozen. Streaks of plasma and magic energy were frozen in midair. Red Wing was in the process of stabbing a Dragar through the neck with the point of her wingtip. Stella had one of the golems raised above her head in her strong arms, ready to hurl it to the floor. Timerman was on his back, firing wildly at a Tharg firing down at him. The gnomes Kester and Calatron were trading spells with four Dragar casters. Jeena sensed Snowy in the void, no longer wounded, coming up under a squad of Thargs.

  What’s going on, Jeena wondered.

  “Don’t you know?” asked Danny.

  “Danny, you’re not frozen,” Jeena thought back. “What is happening?”

  “No one is frozen,” said Danny. “Time has slowed down, or rather your mind has sped up. I am a battle computer. I think at nanosecond speed. To me, everything is always slow.”

  “Well, I am not a battle computer,” Jeena said. “How is my mind able to work at nanosecond speed?”

  “Why? Because you are connected to your bondmate. His mind goes into hyper-mode sometimes during the thick of battle. I am in contact with Nickelo. Our Rick is in the overlapping areas of the three time-bubbles. He is hurt and dying. He needs you.”

  Reaching into the gem of her ring, Jeena sensed a burning pain. She sensed her bondmate asking for something. She didn’t know what, but the Lady’s staff did.

  The Power in the blue gem at the top of the staff tried to go to the red gem in Jeena’s ring. It couldn’t. The Power was part of her spell; the spell that she knew would destroy Crendemor once and for all. He was at her mercy.

  Jeena knew she had another choice to make. Again, it was no choice at all. She gathered the Power in the staff and sent it through her ring’s gem to her bondmate. She sent everything she had, leaving none for herself.

  “Live, my bondmate,” she whispered in her mind. “I will see you in the next life.”

  Then she waited.

  Chapter 56 – Dark Pool

  ____________________

  Reaching out through his ring’s gem, Richard touched Jeena. She was frozen in time but somehow able to acknowledge his touch. The Staff of the Lady that she held in her hands offered itself to him.

  Using a link from the staff to Jeena, Richard pulled Power from the staff. He did not keep it for himself. Instead, he took it into the adjacent purple time-bubble. There he found Shandria, also frozen in time, but also aware of his presence. Using the link to her that she’d given him long ago during his training, he pulled Power from the staff she carried. The Power came willingly, merging with the Power he’d gotten from Jeena’s staff. Knowing he was far from done, Richard pulled the combined Power of the two staffs into the green time-bubble. Locating Mia through the link he’d created when he’d formed the Circle on the Mengaza, he pulled Power from her reserve and merged it with that of the two other high priestesses.

  The three sources of Power fed on each other. Richard jumped the Power from one high priestess to the other. The Power increased with each jump. He instinctively knew it still wasn’t enough to do what needed to be done. Reaching into the time-bubbles, he ignored the boundary of time. He found the blue, red, and yellow seed parts in the past and drew Power from them. Strangely enough, they gave it willingly to him, as if recognizing his need. He connected the three staffs of the high priestesses, which were really one staff with the three seed parts that were no longer there. Bands of blue, red, yellow, green, orange, and purple energy drew everything together until they were a single source of Power.

  “You’ve created a Circle,” said Nickelo. “This is not part of the algorithm. You are outside the parameters. I do not know what will happen.”

  “Neither do I,” Richard thought as he pulled the combined Power into himself. He wrapped it around the demon taint threatening his very soul. Explosions of multicolored energy tried to rip him apart, but his self-heal repaired the damage as soon as it occurred.

  The pain was more than any man should bear, more than any man could bear, but bear it Richard did. He was an emp-healer. He was used to bearing pain.

  The demon taint fought back, drawing energy from sources unseen.

  Richard’s pain increased, but ever so slowly the demon taint drew back. As it retreated, the combined Power of the three high priestesses, the three staffs, and the three seed parts grew stronger. Blue, red, yellow, green, orange, and purple energy surrounded the demon taint, preventing its escape.

  The demon taint tried to force its way free one final time. It failed. Then it was no more.

  With the destruction of the demon taint, Richard sent the blue, red, yellow, green, orange, and purple energy into the pouch gripped in his hand. He merged the shattered gem pieces of the Heart-stone together while healing his battered soul at the same time. With the speck of yellow in Rembis’s vial as his guide, he used its energy to jumpstart the Heart-stone back to its former self. With the healing of the Heart-stone, Richard released the blue, red, yellow,
green, orange, and purple energy back whence it had come.

  The pain within Richard disappeared. He grew weak, falling to the cavern floor face first. The pouch and the vial fell as well. The leather pouch tore open revealing the yellow Heart-stone within. His dazed eyes made out something inside the gem. The something was a flower.

  It’s Glory’s flower, Richard thought. It’s part of the Heart-stone now.

  “The gem isn’t whole yet,” said Nickelo. “You have to complete the process to free the angel. You must complete the healing.”

  “I did heal it,” Richard said. “The demon taint is gone. It’s in one piece. What else am I supposed to do?”

  A speck of yellow flashed on the cavern floor near the pouch. Amongst the shattered glass of the vial was a missing piece of the Heart-stone. Although weak, he reached out toward the glowing speck with his right hand.

  “I’ll merge it with the gem,” Richard told his battle computer. “Then everything will be done.”

  Before Richard’s fingers could touch the glint of yellow in the broken glass, a voice that wasn’t a voice echoed off the cavern walls.

  “No,” said the voice, grating of evil. “You shall not take my prisoner. The rules allow my master to have a sacrifice. The rules cannot be broken. The angel must remain here.”

  A line of black liquid stretched out from the pool of water at the cavern’s center. The dark liquid snatched the speck of yellow off the floor before Richard’s fingers could grab it. Although the blackness appeared like water, the fact that it wasn’t grew obvious as the line of liquid with the gem speck drew back into the pool. The dark pool rose to form a ten-meter-high shadow of deepest black. The shadow had three horns and six flaming red eyes. The shadow gripped a multicolored battle axe in its right hand. In its left was a glowing speck of yellow.

  Raising its battle axe to the height of the ceiling, the black shadow turned and faced the chained angel. “I told the master you were too dangerous to be allowed to exist. An elf friend will serve as a sacrifice just as well. It is time for you to cease existence, Angel. It is time to cease now.”

  The axe came down, heading straight for the yellow-haired angel’s head.

  Chapter 57 – Duel of the Giants

  ____________________

  As Amir watched the black shadow raise its battle axe, time seemed to go into slow motion. Perhaps it was the demon’s aura freezing him in place. All Amir knew was that he could move neither arms nor legs. It was only sheer force of will that kept him from falling to his knees.

  The demon’s as large as a giant. It can’t be stopped. The angel is lost.

  Amir didn’t need to look at the wizard scout lying helpless on the floor to know there would be no aid coming from that direction.

  Rick’s still recovering from healing the Heart-stone. There’s nothing he can do.

  A voice that wasn’t a voice came to Amir’s mind. He instinctively knew it was the voice of the angel.

  “You must save the Heart-stone,” said the angel. “When the demon destroys me, it will be momentarily stunned. Take the splinter of me that is in its hand while it is weak. Grab the wizard scout and the Heart-stone and escape to your friends. The wizard scout can merge the gem splinter with the Heart-stone later. You are a gem-seeker. You can use the Heart-stone to save your world.”

  Anger and determination freed Amir’s muscles. “No. I won’t run.” He tightened his grip on the handle of Glory’s sledgehammer. The wood was warm. “Glory wouldn’t run. Neither will I.”

  “Don’t be a fool,” said the angel. “The demon is in giant form. You have courage, but your muscles are no match for the demon. Only the strength of a giant would suffice. Run now before it is too late.”

  The demon’s battle axe began to fall, heading straight for the angel’s head.

  Only the strength of a giant can stop it, Amir thought.

  Reaching into the depths of his body, Amir sought out Mia’s polymorph spell. He found it and latched onto the thread of magic that was the spell’s keystone. He wrapped the keystone thread with Power.

  This is for you, Glory. You wouldn’t run. Neither will I. You taught me well.

  Jerking hard, he broke the thread of magic. As soon as he did, the spell unraveled. In less than the blink of an eye, its effects disappeared. The cavern and everything in it grew smaller. Suddenly, Amir was as large as the dark-shadowed demon.

  Thrusting out his now giant-sized shield, Amir caught the strike of the demon’s battle axe on the shield’s center. The blow drove Amir to his knees. His shield cracked, but the axe did not reach the angel’s head.

  With the shattered shield sliding off his numbed arm, Amir rose to both feet. He still held Glory’s hammer in his good right arm. Swinging a blow of his own, he struck at the demon’s head.

  The black shadow raised its shield of fire, deflecting Amir’s blow to the side.

  “Foolish giant,” snarled the demon. “Do you think growing in size will help you? I can become a hundred times as large as this if I were outside.”

  In spite of the situation, Amir laughed. Where he found the courage he didn’t know, but laugh he did. “You are not outside, demon. You are here with me, and today you will meet your doom.”

  The demon roared and lashed out with its battle axe.

  Amir dodged below the strike and made a short jab with his hammer. The blow caught the demon just below the knee.

  The demon drew its leg back without appearing to take any damage. Whirling to its right, the demon raised its axe and struck out at the still recovering human sprawled on the cavern floor.

  Too far to help with his hammer, Amir drew on the teachings of Shaman Blackroot. He drew Power from his reserve and cast a defensive shield over the helpless wizard scout.

  The demon’s blow was too strong for Amir’s defensive shield. The shimmering in the air above Richard started to give, but it held long enough for the human to roll out of the way. The demon drew back its right arm for another strike.

  In desperation, Amir dropped Glory’s hammer and jumped on the demon’s back, forcing it to the ground. Glancing at Richard, Amir shouted, “Free the angel. I’ll handle the demon.”

  Rolling on the stone floor, Amir succeeded in getting both arms wrapped around the black shadow’s neck. He spotted Richard rising to his feet and making for the boulder where the chains holding the angel were attached.

  He’s not going to be able to do it on his own, Amir thought.

  Reaching out with his mind, Amir touched the boulder and asked it to release its grip on the angel. The boulder tried to comply, but Amir sensed flows of multicolored magic forcing the stone to do the demon’s bidding. A glint of yellow in the demon’s left hand caught his eye.

  The gem speck. I’ve got to reach it.

  Releasing the demon’s neck, Amir grabbed for the creature’s left hand. The black shadow shifted into a serpentine shape and wrapped around Amir’s arms and legs. Part of the serpent wrapped around Amir’s neck, cutting off his supply of air. The touch of the demon burned. Amir wanted to scream, but nothing could escape his lips. An image of a brown-haired giantess with a yellow flower in her hair flashed in his mind.

  I’m sorry, Glory. I failed. You would have done better.

  Everything around Amir started turning black as the demon-serpent tightened its coils around his neck. Red dots danced before his eyes. He tried to struggle, but to no avail. A feeling of acceptance washed over him. He knew the feeling.

  It was the acceptance of death.

  Chapter 58 – Choices

  ____________________

  As the two giants struggled behind him, Richard made his way to the boulder that was acting as the anchor for the angel’s chains. He sensed a line of Power from Amir reach out to the boulder. He sensed the giant asking the stone for help.

  The stone’s trying, Richard thought. It’s just not strong enough.

  Richard struck at the multicolored chain with his phase rod. The brerellium s
teel with its creallium core bounced off without doing any damage.

  “It is not a physical object,” said Nickelo. “The chain is a spell.”

  Turning to the angel, Richard shouted, “Help me!”

  “I cannot,” said the yellow-haired angel. “I am incomplete. I can do nothing.”

  Spinning around, Richard spotted Amir’s torn pouch on the stone floor. He dove for it, grasping the gem inside and pulling it out. The outline of a flower was visible within the crystal. As soon as the gem made contact with his gloved hands, Richard felt for the rough spot in the gem where the speck of yellow belonged.

  “You still need the gem speck,” said Nickelo.

  “Don’t you think I know that?”

  Richard turned toward the struggling figures rolling around on the floor. A gigantic dark serpent was coiled around Amir’s torso and neck. Amir’s eyes were open and his face was a deep blue. The serpent turned its head to stare at Richard. The snake head had three horns and six red eyes. All six burned with a hate far beyond anything Richard could comprehend. A length of dark shadow resembling an arm and a hand protruded from the serpent just below its head. A flash of yellow came from between the serpent’s fingers.

  Snatching his Deloris blaster from its holster, Richard aimed at the serpent’s red eyes, pulling the trigger until the pistol was empty. The seventeen creallium rounds with their surrounding phase energy did their job, tearing away at the demon’s head until goo dripped from its empty eye sockets.

  The demon-serpent hissed in pain and released its grip on Amir before reverting to the shadow form it first had. The demon’s shadowy face wavered, and the empty eye sockets refilled with red.

  “Foolish mortal! Do you think you can kill me so easy? I am equal to any of the four brothers. I serve the master. You may be his variable, but in this place, I control the algorithm. I will turn you into my time-commando. You will serve me. I will become the master. Now kneel and feel my mercy.”