David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb
Page 29
Suddenly David heard a familiar whisper. “Let go, David. Don’t think…just let go…”
He could sense the presence of the Mystics that had visited him in his dream back in the Outer Woods. They were standing around him, encouraging him to get up and let his powers loose, their infinite energies flowing deep within his mind and body, soothing his aches and pains, and giving him the strength to press on.
With the help of the Mystics healing powers, his head began to clear, and David found himself able to get to his feet just as the General unleashed his attack.
David could see the energy coming toward him. It was glowing brilliantly and swirling around like an elegant dancer as it flew through the air. In the stillness it almost looked beautiful. He closed his eyes and felt within for the power of the orb.
It felt like an eternity was passing, he could feel a well of power surging up from within. It was overwhelming and calming all at once.
He opened his eyes and lifted his hand. Just before the energy beam reached him a blinding light shot out from his hand and met the General’s attack head on. The two beams of energy collided midair and instantly ignited and tangled, sending wild sparks arcing across the room and cutting through everything they touched.
David concentrated on his power and slowly his beam began to move closer and closer toward the General, causing the General’s eyes to widen in panic. From across the room David could see the General fumbling with something in his pocket with his other hand, holding it in a tight grip as he freed it from his pocket, but he was too focused on his attack to make sense of it.
The energy beam was nearly back at the General now; David could feel the strain weakening as the General began to lose the will to resist.
Suddenly, the General threw up his other hand, holding what looked like a shiny crystal.
Then he let go of his energy.
David’s powerful beam soared freely toward him, nothing standing in its way. He watched as his powerful attack struck the General’s outstretched hand and the crystal within it began to glow fiercely with such intensity that it nearly blinded him.
With time in its suspended state, David watched as Tyrius appeared in the background, running into the entry room with Rex closely behind. His eyes were wide with horror as he ran towards David. He could hear his scream echoing, “David, no! Release the hold!”
It was too late…
As David’s attack finally subsided, he could see the General was left unscathed. The crystal in his hand was glowing a fierce white and sparks were igniting all around him as if the very air surrounding him were electrified.
The General’s eyes were aglow with a green ferocity that sent chills down David’s spine.
“What’s happening?” David asked, calling out to Tyrius, as time seemed to return to its normal pace. The air around him hummed with the power of the crystal, and he could tell that something had gone terribly wrong.
“We have to go, NOW!” cried Tyrius, tugging on David’s arm.
“What do you mean? I have to finish this. The General is still alive!” cried David, eager to finish what he started.
“It’s too late, David. He’s opening the rift. We have to go now, or we will all be destroyed!” cried Tyrius, pulling David towards the doors.
He watched as the General lifted his hand toward the heavens before driving his fist with the crystal into the ground, releasing a massive amount of energy from the stone. Shockwaves rippled through the marble floors, shattering them to pieces and shooting their splintered remains into the air in an epic explosion.
Captain Ryan had picked up Erin and was running with them through the palace doors as the structure behind them shook with the sound of the blast. His soldiers were leading the way through the city streets, making sure to protect them from any resistance they might encounter, but so far none had come.
Behind them they could hear a terrible rumble as the earth began to shake uncontrollably. Large fissures began opening across the ground as they ran for their lives, attempting to escape the crumbling city.
David could see an endless horde of dark, shadow like creatures slowly emerging from the fissures in the ground all around them. The soldiers began slashing at them as they crawled out of the cracks, springing at them as they ran past. Some were lucky enough to escape, others were less fortunate, and were pulled into the depths as they shrieked in horror.
They finally reached the city gates and could see that the main force of their army had taken down the last of the undead soldiers and were now running to the grasslands trying to get to safety as the earth shook violently beneath them. They met up with General Owen and Sergeant Jeffries as the city gates collapsed behind them.
“Thank the Heavens you made it out of there, what’s going on!” asked General Owen, alarmed at the sudden change of events but relieved to see the others.
“The Rift has been opened. We have to get as far away from here as possible! Come, we must flee!” screamed Tyrius as they ran.
Together they ran for their lives, dodging the fissures as they wrenched open the earth beneath their feet, freeing more and more hideous creatures from the Abyss below.
Winged, bat-like creatures the size of large horses began pouring out from the fissures, picking off men left and right. The elven archers began firing volley after volley of arrows as they fled in an attempt to take down the winged creatures, but there were too many of them.
Hundreds of soldiers fell to the ever-rising number of demons, mass panic in the hearts of everyone fueling their flight to safety.
When they cleared the forest and reached the grassy plains the demons suddenly stopped their pursuit and returned to the palace. The company stopped to catch their breath when they noticed they were no longer being chased, horror-stricken as they watched the grim scene unfolding before them.
The company watched hopelessly as the Royal Palace slowly rose into the air, lifted atop a large pillar of solid black rock. The large black winged creatures rose into the air around the palace, slowly circling it as it rose higher and higher before stopping several hundred feet above the forest canopy.
What was left of the city of Eldergate was in ruins, crushed by fallen boulders from the mountainous structure that had lifted the Royal Palace. The rest of the city had fallen into the increasingly wide fissures that encircled the palace, lost to the Abyss.
A dark horde of creatures dotted the landscape on the ground leading up to the fissures surrounding the opening, hundreds of thousands of them waiting for something to come from its depths. They were chanting a monstrous sound.
The company stood, paralyzed with fear, and watching in wonder as a bright green light slowly rose from the darkness of the Abyss. It looked like a small star, rising slowly into the air before stopping just above the palace towers.
The creatures all erupted into a deafening roar, jumping up and down, causing the earth to rumble once more with their thunderous stomping, filling the company with a dread that chilled them to the core.
“What is that?” asked David, afraid he already knew the answer.
Orin glanced over at David, eyes wide with a look of horror on his face that was as pale as death itself. “That, David, is the Defiant One.”
Special Thanks
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb.
You could have chosen any other book, but instead, you chose mine, and for that I am grateful.
I hope that you enjoyed reading David’s story and that it sparked a sense of adventure within your heart that will stay with you throughout your life, maybe even inspiring you to take an adventure of your own.
If you enjoyed going on this journey with David and his friends, I hope that you would take the time to submit a review here about your experience reading David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb. It not only will help other readers such as yourself to find David’s story, but will help my efforts in continuing his jou
rney as I work to finish the next segment of his adventure.
May the Creator God watch over you and all of your future travels.
Sincerely,
T.C.Crawford
Acknowledgement
A special shout out goes to my friends and family who spent hours and sometimes days proofreading my manuscript and providing much appreciated feedback – without you, this project wouldn’t have made it this far.
Dad, Mom, & Sarah – your input was extremely valuable, and I really appreciate the time you spent working with me to make this dream become a reality.
A special thanks to my wonderful wife and children, who were very patient with me while I dedicated nearly all of my free time working on finishing this book. Your patience and support mean the world to me, I love you all very much.
About The Author
T. C. Crawford
T.C. Crawford grew up in a military family, so naturally he was exposed to many various cultures and regions of the world, providing him with an open mind and a vast appreciation for its fascinating history.
Exploring ancient castles and battlegrounds throughout Europe, his mind was opened up to a world of adventure and intrigue - fueling his budding imagination. It was these early adventures, coupled with his vivid dreaming, that would one day lead him down the path of writing his first novel and creating the world of Hurea.
He now lives in the Southeastern United States with his wife and three kids. When he isn't writing, T.C. Crawford enjoys going on hikes in the woods, going swimming, and playing video games with his kids.