The complete series, p.112
The Complete Series, page 112
part #1 of The Hidden Wizard Series
“Why are we fighting like this, Alrion. Surely you know what you’re up against.” Darvin kept approaching, his shield and sword in a relaxed position by his sides. “Why are you so insistent on completing this quest? The Blight can be a tool for your use. Join us and influence us from within. Together we can make the world a better place.”
“No. I’ve already had a taste of that, and it sickens me.” Alrion kept his concentration. Darvin came closer still. Time was running out. Alrion reached down and slapped the ground with his hand. It wasn’t necessarily required, but it was an easy focal point for him. At that moment, he enacted a change in the area’s gravity. Darvin started to stoop slightly and moved a lot slower. He started to raise his arms. Outside the area of influence, Alrion was building stone spears from the ground. More and more and more. Soon he had ten, twenty, fifty spears. Each honed to a razor point.
Consider this my thanks and acknowledgement of you, Branthor. Alrion lifted them all into the air, all aimed directly at Darvin. The Blight General was still lifting his shield and sword to protect himself. Alrion sent his stone spikes in, and at the last moment changed the space around him. Suddenly, everything moved incredibly quickly. It didn’t last long, but it was enough to have an enormous impact.
Almost instantaneously the array of spikes appeared next to Darvin, on a collision course. There was no way he could block or strike them all. But then he did something unexpected. He tapped his shield and it expanded its size. Much faster than Alrion could track. And as the spikes impacted, Alrion heard a giant clang sound, like an ominous bell.
Once the dust settled, Alrion saw that Darvin was not there. Instead, his shield was spread out like a small dome.
“Are you under that?” Alrion said, incredulously.
“Of course. Did you think I would let you hit me with all that?” Darvin’s voice echoed from within the shield dome, sounding harsher and more unusual than ever before. Alrion looked around, seeing the broken bits of stone spikes all over the ground.
“I’ll break through eventually; your shield isn’t perfect. Look, it even has a crack in it.” Alrion noticed the crack and his hope increased. But the more he looked at it, the stranger it appeared. It had to be older than just now, and it didn’t look like his stone spears had done the damage. It was too clean.
“Yes, but not by your hand. I can last long enough to bring more pain to you, mark my words.”
“Fine, I’ll just walk by you.” Alrion stopped walking but he heard Darvin’s laughter and stopped.
“Be my guest. When you least expect it, I’ll be there, interrupting your plans and forcing you to our side.” Darvin kept laughing.
I didn’t expect this. He obviously did. He had this stalemate as a fall-back.
“This is what you get for sneaking off without me,” a voice said from behind. Alrion whirled around. It was Lara. She did not look impressed.
It’s good to see her.
“Impeccable timing. I have a cowardly Blight General to deal with.” Alrion pointed at the shield.
“I know, I’ve been watching this fight. You had us fooled for a while, I didn’t expect that. Nice trick with Certan.” Lara glared at him, but he could see some small amount of surprise and respect in there.
“It was necessary. Unfortunately, Darvin had plans too.”
“He sure did. Certan was fighting another Darvin before I headed over.”
“Another one?” Alrion glanced back at the shield. Nothing had changed.
“Yes, it didn’t elaborate. But we figured out it was not the original.” Lara walked past Alrion and pointed at the crack in the shield. “And I know how that shield was damaged.”
“How?”
“Your father used some sort of strike that used Soul Power. Have a think about it.” Lara looked at Alrion then at his sword. Then she pointed at the crack. He nodded.
She’s not speaking additional detail out loud.
“That’s all well and good, but I can’t waste Soul Power on this. I don’t know how I could break that shield.” Alrion said the words for Darvin’s benefit, but quietly drew his sword.
If my father could enhance his blade with Soul Power, I can too. He tried pushing some through his hand into the blade. It felt strange, but it began to work.
“I can likely only create the opening, you need to complete the job,” Alrion whispered to Lara. She nodded.
“Maybe you have some sort of potion that will damage the shield?” Alrion said to Lara. She winked at him and started rummaging through her things, retrieving her Runesteel dagger and holding it ready.
“Oh, perhaps. Let me look.” Alrion smiled back at her and focused on his sword. He could spare a bit of Soul Power, enough to work on that crack that was already there.
“Take your time, I don’t think he can actually bring any help here.” Alrion advanced slowly, nodding at Lara. She followed too. He hoped that their conversation would distract Darvin, or at least invite him to focus on communicating with others. Once they were close, Alrion made himself stable.
Here goes.
Alrion focused the Soul Power in his blade towards the tip, and it seemed to collect more there. Next, he leaned back and thrust forward as hard as possible. The Runesteel impacted with the shield with a great crash but didn’t bounce off. It found space within the crack and started to press further. Lara stood at the ready. As the shield started to give way, it started transforming.
Oh no, he’s changing his stance. I’ll probably miss completely.
Darvin rose as his shield reverted to its normal size. The transformation threw Alrion’s strike off, and he lost his balance. Darvin started cackling. He dropped his sword and withdrew a black dagger with a thick inky substance dripping off the blade. As he prepared to attack Alrion, he suddenly dropped to his knees.
Lara stepped back, admiring her handiwork. She had circled around Darvin and thrust the Runesteel dagger into the creature’s heart, from behind.
“This cannot be,” Darvin muttered, before falling face down into the ground. He started transforming once again, a black dust flaking into the air. His body was returning to what it once was, before the Blight.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you,” Alrion said.
47
A Lonely Path
Lara drew Alrion aside, and they walked away from both the cave entrance and Darvin’s body. She sat him down on some rocks in a nearby glade. They hadn’t spoken at all since the fight.
“What were you thinking? You could have died back there!” Lara shouted at him, pounding his chest with her fists. Alrion let her.
“I’m sorry, it’s my journey to take. Nobody else can do this for me.”
“What was your plan? I saw what he did to your spells. He wasn’t afraid of you at all. What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”
“If I couldn’t wear him down enough? I’d try to cure him.”
“Wouldn’t that weaken you for a long time?”
“Yes. But it would have worked if I needed it.” Alrion looked away. He couldn’t argue with her, she was right. But there was another reason he had snuck away. A more painful one.
“I’m just glad I found you in time.”
“Have you used what I gave you?”
“Not yet.” Lara retrieved the two small glass vials. They almost looked empty. Alrion activated his Soul Power and saw the power within them.
“Still looks good. That will help you in a pinch.”
“I’m going with you.” Lara gestured back towards the cave.
“You can’t. Nobody can.”
“I think you just proved that you can’t be left alone.” Lara looked annoyed. But she stopped glaring at him and looked worried instead. “There’s too much at risk. Can’t you trust me?”
“Of course, I trust you. I don’t trust myself.” Alrion looked past her, towards the cave.
“What do you mean?” Lara sat closer, holding his hand in hers. He didn’t look at her, not yet.
“I need to be alone in there. If I have you with me, maybe they can use that against me.”
“That’s not a good enough reason, it’s worth the risk.” Lara reached over and turned his head, so he was looking at her.
She’s right. She must suspect something else is wrong.
“Fair enough. Let me put it this way.” Alrion sighed and collected his thoughts. “If I must sacrifice myself for this, I need to be at peace with that. And having you there will make it much harder to do. I’ll probably cling to my life and make a bad choice. I need to keep my focus and do what is required.” He let himself look into her eyes. She had tears in there.
“The world is not your responsibility. There’s always another way.” He could see the sadness behind her eyes, he knew the extent of what the Blight had meant for her and her family. It was not easy for her to say those words.
“I don’t want to die. I don’t want to be sacrificed for everyone else. But if that makes all this go away, I’ll do it. You said there was another of Darvin, the Blight will keep reinventing itself until it wins. I have to stop it here.” Alrion felt his resolve harden a bit more.
Maybe I’ll get taken by this process, but it would protect Lara and everyone else. That’s worth it, isn’t it?
He saw Lara wiping away her tears. He gave her a hug and felt her warmth seeping into him. He put everything aside for a minute and basked in it. Alrion then pulled away, standing up.
“I need to keep going. I’m sorry.”
“What if I…” Lara said, but Alrion raised a hand.
“You can’t enter the cave, that’s final. But you can help everyone else. Isn’t that worth doing? We don’t know how my actions here will affect the battle being fought elsewhere.” Alrion saw Lara thinking it over. She looked like she was coming around.
“I don’t like this, but I can see you won’t be swayed. I’ll search the area out here for more forces or traps, then I’ll rejoin the others.” Lara gave him a weak smile. Alrion walked in close and leaned in. He kissed her deeply and gave her a hug. She held him tightly for a long time. Eventually, she pulled away.
“You better come back, or I’ll be forced to find a way to drag you into the light. And you won’t enjoy that!”
“Doesn’t sound like it.” Alrion forced a chuckle. They started walking back to the glade where they had fought Darvin. His body had completely returned to a human one. Alrion forced himself to look for a moment.
“Good luck,” Lara said. Alrion reached into his pocket and retrieved a small bag. He threw it to her.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the ring you stole from me.”
“Why are you giving it back?” Lara had a confused look.
“You can hold it for me.”
“I will. Although, it’s not as fun if you just give it to me.”
“Sorry about that. Thank you.” Alrion turned and started walking to the cave entrance. He turned back just before he reached it, and saw that Lara was still standing there, waiting. He gave her a short wave then entered the darkness.
The cave was pitch-black. Alrion created an orb of light and had it hover just above him. Now that he could see better, the cave was completely featureless. It was just dark and boring. He walked on, listening for any signs of life. Nothing was there, save for the echoes of his footsteps. As he walked, he felt like he was going down. But the cave seemed to be getting lighter. Soon he started to see rays of light, then areas of the cave bathed in natural light. He pushed forward, curious.
Alrion emerged into an impossible space. It felt like he was outdoors. Lush trees and shrubs grew thickly around the path, and he could see glimpses of blue sky through the tree coverage.
Where am I?
This was not what he had expected. He was supposed to be heading to the source of the Blight. Darkness and decay are what he expected.
Did I go to the wrong place?
Alrion looked behind him. The cave tunnel he had travelled down was still there. It didn’t look like a trick.
Time to march forward, see where I end up.
Alrion slowly progressed through the dense forest. It was eerily quiet. After a time, he picked why it seemed so odd. There were no signs of life. No animals at all. And there wasn’t any wind either. Everything seemed so static.
Maybe there’s a reason this is here.
Alrion could see something up ahead. It looked like a big rock formation. He made his way over, carefully. The light and life, as still as it was, felt refreshing. He soon found himself before a large lake. The water was light blue, and it almost glowed. Alrion knelt and ran his hand through the water. It tingled.
Is that Soul Power?
Alrion activated his enhanced vision and looked at the lake. It was definitely infused with Soul Power. He cupped his hands and tried drinking some. It was refreshing and energising.
This doesn’t make any sense. But I may as well use it.
Alrion took a moment to drink and rest. But he didn’t completely relax. There was still something strange about this environment. And he couldn’t waste too much time. He stood and looked for a way around the lake. There didn’t seem to be one.
Let’s just try.
He started to wade through, instantly sinking down to his waist. It was slow going, but he managed to progress. Step by step he progressed through the lake. He didn’t trust himself swimming and pressed forward. Slowly but surely, he made his way across. He expected it to get dark, but the light and environment remained unchanged.
As he reached the other shore, he noticed a small opening in the rock formation. It was another tunnel. Alrion climbed out of the water and used a bit of his Spark to dry his clothes.
Now, let’s see where this goes.
Alrion started off, creating another orb of light to see. He noticed a change instantly. There was a strange architecture in this new tunnel or cave structure. It looked like there were places where it was narrow and other places where it expanded. There was almost an odd geometry in the walls. Regular shapes such as rectangles and squares were formed out of the rock.
It doesn’t make sense.
Alrion pressed on. One section was pitch-black, another bathed in light. He lost track of where he was, and where he was going. Onward and onward he walked, no signs of any other life.
Then he saw it. It began with an uneasy sensation running down his spine. Something he felt before he noticed it. He almost didn’t see it. But in the distance, in a darker section, he saw something that was blacker than black. A mass of living shadow.
“The source,” Alrion whispered. Even from this distance, he recognised it from his dreams. His destination was so close. He steeled himself and took a step towards his destiny.
48
Darkness in Numbers
Certan watched the Skull King emerge from the opposing army. He turned and witnessed Alyx’s reaction. It looked like a mix of fear and rage. She was trembling.
“I don’t want you to interfere.” Alyx was fixated on the Skull King. She started to advance.
“As you wish. Is it another copy?”
“It has to be, but I don’t care.” Alyx kept advancing. The Skull King was laughing, an evil sound that made Certan’s skin crawl.
If Alyx has bested this creature before, she should do so again. I doubt it is as strong as before. But she will need backup.
Certan noticed that a retinue of creatures followed the Skull King out. Not only that, but the Blight forces were losing their tight formations. At any moment, they could break out into open warfare.
“I don’t like this. Chaos is about to be unleashed.”
“I suggest you do what you do best,” Celes said, joining him. She had a dagger in one hand and a vial of orange liquid in the other.
“I will.” Certan removed a vial of his own. It looked empty, but he knew it wasn’t. It was a gift from Alrion. Certan opened the vial and poured it over his hand. He felt the Soul Power wash over him like a warm glow, and it enveloped his hand, using that as a way into his body. He let the sensation settle and prepared his approach.
Certan counted two Shades and a Shade Wizard supporting the Skull King. Alyx would struggle with that combination. But he could do something about it.
“Try not to engage too soon, save your firepower for when they break loose.” Certan saw Celes’s acknowledgement and he instantly ran off to assist Alyx.
The Weapon Master had drawn her sword and began a duel with the Skull King. However, the creatures following the Skull King around had started flanking, looking for an opportunity to interfere.
“Not on my watch, foul creatures!” Certan shouted. They looked over at him, surprised. Certan composed himself for a moment, winding himself up. Then he shot out at surprising speed.
This power works fantastically.
Certan practically appeared in front of the Shade. He used a single punch to breach the creature’s heart and watched it drop instantly, a shocked expression on its face. The other Shade began to fight back but Certan swept its leg out with his, causing it to stumble. Using that moment of weakness, he performed the same attack, killing it instantly.
The Shade Wizard was not to be caught the same way. It started throwing fireballs at Certan at close range. He rolled away, using his speed to create some distance between them. Wizard fire was hard to judge, and it could burn him quite badly if he miscalculated or the Shade Wizard was more powerful than expected.
The Skull King looked over, distracted by Certan’s attack. Alyx used the moment to gain an advantage, forcing the Skull King back and getting a strike on the creature’s arm. It howled with pain and rage then regrouped, attacking Alyx with twice the ferocity.
She can handle this. I need to shut down the Shade Wizard quickly.
Certan wheeled around, looking to close the distance quickly. The Shade Wizard was throwing fireballs, and waves of force. Certan saw the attacks coming and shifted his heading and stance to avoid them with minimal loss of momentum. The Shade Wizard started to panic and created a wall of fire.
