by Adrian Juhl
Chapter 7
The wind became a strong gust that lifted everyone into the air, and transported them over the small fields, deep into the ancient forest beyond. What should have been a trip of half a day lasted only minutes? As they landed in a small clearing, a voice thundered at them from the trees.
"And so the children run to their mother!" the voice boomed from the shadows.
Gaiana stood firm. Magic coursed through her as she thrust her staff out. The ground shuddered, creating a great earthen wave that rippled outwards.
"Mayrin! Enough of this slaughter. This is not our way."
"Don't presume to command me, Druid Mother! Our way? Indeed, this is our way. Did we not let these trespassers enter our world with a promise of harmony?"
The wind picked up around the group, encircling them and pressing hard against their chests, forcing them off balance.
"Was it not our compassion that permitted their ingress into our sacred land?"
In a frenzy, the trees whipped their branches, aided by the gusting wind. The sound deafened the group of humans.
"And did we not give our trust when we altered the ancient treaty? We are not to blame for the despair these people have brought upon themselves!"
Gaiana planted her still glowing staff firmly into the ground. The wind calmed in obedience and dissipated. "You had no right to slaughter an entire race for a simple misunderstanding or the disobedience of a few."
"We did no such thing, even now the plague of humans cower in their towers."
"What do you mean?" Marcus stepped forward interrupting the conversation. A strong wind blew him backwards off his feet. He groaned as he struggled to stand, gasping, "We saw them with our own eyes, all of them dead."
"Stupid man! We simply placed them into a slumber so that your foolish Elementals would leave the sacred lands and return to their towers."
"You sent the abominations to attack us!"
"Your quarrel with those aberrations is no concern of ours. You should never have abandoned your post."
Marcus stood, drawing his wand; the air began to crackle around him. "You're lying, Mayrin. The Abominations are yours to command and one day I will prove it."
"Do what you wish, human, but mark my words, should any human foul our sacred plains again, we will destroy you all. We are done here. It would be best for you to make haste and pass our warning on!"
"Is that a threat?" Marcus shouted at the top of his voice, but Mayrin was gone.
One of the Rangers interrupted from behind. "Does it matter? Can't you hear them? We have more important things to worry about!"
Dalynia clenched her wand, its magic enhancing her own. "You just had to have your say, Marcus. Mother, we need to leave now."
"Never fear, Dalynia, the winds will carry us from this place soon enough."
Gaiana's eyes began to glow as she concentrated, ignoring the grunts and roars that fast approached. The glow faded as her features paled. She turned to the Rangers, her outward calm shattered. "She doesn't answer my req-"
Suddenly a hole opened beneath Gaiana, interrupting her sentence, and a raging beast dragged her down.
"Gaiana!" Dalynia shouted as the Rangers fought off the charging beasts that were now upon them.
Rheea placed her hand gently on Dalynia's bronze skin. "There's nothing we can do for her now. We need to get what remains of our people and yours to safety. You are the Druid of this world. It is up to you now." Rheea's eyes began to glow as Dalynia stared deep into them. "You will never fear conflict again. Instead, you'll see only a challenge that can't be lost. Take charge now and lead us to safety."
Darius observed his mother as the magic in her eyes faded. Beneath them, the tunnel the creatures had used began to shudder. Darius clenched his fists and brought them together forcefully. The tunnel collapsed immediately, crushing the abomination inside.
"Nice work son," Titus beamed. "I knew it was a good idea bringing you here."
Darius smiled with pride, watching his dad's eyes begin to glow.
"Everyone come close and get down! I have an idea."
"Oh dear." Rheea shuddered. She raised her arm and fired a blue magical bolt into the darkness. A scream of pain rang out as a half-human creature fell from the trees.
Energized and confident now, Dalynia took charge, shouting as hard as she could, "You heard the man, get down now!"
Suddenly, the earth began to rumble and swell. Titus called out to Darius. "I may need a little help, son."
Darius and three other Elementals came to stand by Titus. Their eyes began to glow, urging the earth forward. It carried them quickly, a ground swell that overwhelmed everything in its path. The Rangers surrounded the Elementals, firing volleys of magical arrows into the attacking swarm. Wizards filled the sky with lightning, fire and ice. Blue magical bolts fired upwards, colliding with the flying abominations before they could assist the ground contingent. Summoners gestured frantically, continually resupplying the Rangers with arrows.
A large, clear path trailed behind them as they reached an open plain. In the distance, they could see the safety of their floating towers. The surge began to slow until it stopped beside a large lake. Exhausted, the Elementals collapsed, their magic spent. The Summoners and Wizards had also depleted theirs. Darius tried with all his might to keep moving them to safety, but the task was too immense.
The Rangers drew their swords. The amulets around their necks began to glow as another wave of abominations descended upon them. Time slowed as the men moved through the motionless creatures, their swords making quick work of them. One by one, the power of the amulets dwindled.
"Regroup!" Dalynia ordered.
The Rangers fell back just as time resumed and the abominations collapsed, dead from their injuries.
"We are going to have to run through the path the Rangers made. Get ready!"
Before they could respond, death struck from above. Darius watched in shock and disbelief as razor-sharp talons plucked Titus and Rheea from the ground, lifted them high and tore them apart with a single stroke. Their broken bodies rained from the sky as the abominations discarded them. Dalynia grabbed Darius, but stone rose from the soil beneath him like quicksand, gripping him in place.
"Darius, we can't help them now. We need to retreat!"
Gwin grabbed his arm gently but even her power could not penetrate his grief. She pulled away and shook her head. "There's nothing we can do for him. Dalynia is right. We must run to safety."
"Safety? The only safety we have is the one we create. You want your precious soil, Mayrin?" Darius raged at the sky.
The earth began to rumble in a great quake. Around him, creatures fell to the ground, unable to stand. The avian creatures in the sky fled from his wrath.
"Take your precious, sacred soil!"
He lifted his arms, grief and anger guiding him. Suddenly, the topsoil became a great tidal wave, crushing everything in its path. The ancient forest seemed to shudder in fear at the approaching wave, fueled by the fury of the young Elemental. The wave ended, creating a small hillside before the forest.
"Treaty! Here's a change to your sacred treaty!"
Blood streamed from Darius' eyes and nose as the ground beneath the party roiled.
"Everything behind me belongs to us. You! You can keep your barren, stone desert!"
Dalynia strained to see what he meant. Her curiosity turned to horror as she surveyed the area. The great wave had stripped away the topsoil leaving solid bedrock as far as the eye could see. She had no time to ruminate as the ground lifted her. Still guided by grief and fury, Darius strained as the earth obeyed his will, propelling upwards to form a great mountain range.
The lake beside them was already beginning to freeze when Dalynia touched the young man's shoulder and counseled, "It's over, Darius. You saved us all."
Dalynia looked at Gwin, silent conversation passing b
etween them. "Yes Dalynia, you're right. He must not remember any of this."
Dalynia lowered her head, tears streaking her face for Darius' loss.
Gwin sighed deeply. "Heaven help us all if he were to suffer such grief again, once his powers have matured. We must find him a wife. Someone who has witnessed the events of today so they know what he's capable of, and understand what they must keep from him."
She closed her eyes and searched through the group, her mind's eye stopping at Leticia, a young Summoner of like age. She nodded to herself, smiling.
Dalynia turned to her people, her eyes focused in the distance. After a few moments, they dimmed.
"It seems we are safe once more. Apothecary John has done a good job clearing out the abominations in the valley and your people await your return. We must get back to the moon pool."
As the portal to Whetu opened, Dalynia gestured for her people to return home. She said a small prayer to the Earth Mother before heading through herself. The Druid council greeted her as she arrived in Whetu. They bowed, then kissed her on the cheek. "Welcome home, Druid Mother."
The End
Other books by this author
Please visit your favorite ebook retailer to discover other books by Adrian L Juhl:
Drift Worlds Novellas'
Dalynia-Nature's Slaughter
Kayne-Crown of Dominion (November 2014)
Drift Worlds Saga (Tentative Release 2015-2016)
Kassidy- The Dark Queen
Kassidy- Rituals
Kassidy – Men of Iron
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