Chapter Four
The party ran down the twisting stone path.
"This is taking far too long!" Reesus shouted. He raised his hands. The air around them gathered speed and lifted them off the ground.
"What are you doing, Elemental?" Lugah growled, as the vortex carried them to the Druid Mother’s house.
"Speeding things up."
"But the battle’s that way!"
"That's the problem. We want the battle over there," John interrupted, pointing at the field by the house.
"No!" Dalynia shouted. "We don't want a battle at all."
A thin figure with large wings flew past the party and headed toward the village, where the Rangers fired burning, warning arrows that lit the night sky. On the ground, more Rangers gathered ranks to defend the hall. Druids took more injured children inside, and others used their magic to cast wisps that landed on the roofs and in the trees. The multicolored wisps shimmered in the dark, waiting for an unwary Abomination to approach and detonate their explosive force. One Abomination landed on the roof of the great hall beside numerous wisps that lay in the white snow. It roared in pain as the wisps exploded. The creature flew high into the air with a guttural scream. A silver glow flooded the area with magic from silver acorns that each Ranger wore, forming a protective barrier around the village. In response to a shrill sound, the Abominations abandoned their attack and joined their master, Salunas, in the sky. Salunas twisted and with a surge of his large wings, headed back toward the airborne group.
John lifted his hammer and swung it at an Abomination that had caught up to the party. With great skill, the Abomination turned in midair, avoiding his attack.
Dalynia pointed her finger at John. "No killing!"
"Tell that to them!" John retorted.
Lugah chuckled. "Finally, an Apothecary I could grow to like."
Dalynia looked down as the Druid Mother’s house came in to view. "Reesus, take us down."
The party descended at great speed. On the way down, Kayne drew his sword and struck an Abomination with the pommel. It howled in pain and flew away.
"I didn't kill it," Kayne said, as Dalynia turned her gaze upon him. "I just taught it a lesson."
Namorn pointed at the Abomination, as it turned and sped towards Kayne again. "I don’t think it learned it too well."
Salunas and his two Abominations caught up to the others. An Abomination plunged at Garos. The Ranger grabbed the chain around his neck to reveal a small silver acorn pendant. "I guess it's now or never, Namorn."
In unison, the two Rangers touched their acorns. Time slowed as the amulets’ magic coursed around the party, enveloping them in a silver light. Lugah looked at them, intrigued.
"My scientists would love to borrow one of those."
"Not going to happen," Garos replied, as they landed. "Reesus, we will need a cage of some kind so Lugah can do his thing. Namorn, keep your amulet going for a few moments longer, so Dalynia can summon the Earth Mother."
"That’s not asking much!" Namorn replied sarcastically.
"The rest of you, form a circle around the statue of the Earth Mother."
Dalynia ran into Gaiana's house and began to search the basement for the other ingredients required.
Salunas fought against the magic that bound him. Although his body was near-frozen by the effects of the acorn, his mind was still functional, lost in his mission to make the adults forget him. He scanned the thoughts of the party. Why haven’t they forgotten? Roaring with dismay, he focused and channeled his power against Namorn. Namorn grabbed his head in pain and dropped to the ground, unconscious. The silver light surrounding the men waned as Namorn's power subsided. Surprised, Garos watched as Namorn fell. Without hesitation, he grabbed his bow and nocked an arrow, while the others looked on, helpless. Reesus descended and checked on Namorn.
"Dalynia said not to kill them."
"That doesn't mean I can't do this!" Garos released the arrow. It sped through the air toward a frozen Abomination. The arrow punched through the bone of its wing, tearing it in half. He released a second arrow at the creature. Salunas raged inside as he watched his helpers being destroyed. No! How can I give gifts if they take my helpers? He sent a mental blast at Garos. Garos turned and fired at Salunas, before succumbing to the attack. His arrow struck true, severing the wing from Salunas’ body. Time resumed as Garos' magic failed.
The two injured Abominations fell to the ground. Released from the Rangers’ magic, Salunas landed as well. He would make these adults forget. They would never know he was the one to deliver the gifts to the children. John leapt forward, lifting his hammer high above his head. A blast struck him, knocking him to the ground. He struggled to stand as another blast hit him. He looked up at Kayne before darkness overwhelmed him.
Lugah leapt into the air. The agile Feral opened his hands. His long claws dug deep into the Abomination’s side. They tumbled out of control. Lugah swiped again. Salunas' wing split down the center as they hit the ground.
Reesus stretched his arms upward and stepped forward. The ground shuddered underneath the Abominations.
"I thought cats land on their feet," he shouted to Lugah.
"I did, they just didn't appreciate gravity," Lugah replied.
"Hold him still, Lugah, I'm almost done."
Salunas’ one good wing burst outwards, knocking Lugah to the ground. Lugah charged at the Abomination, bowling him against the other Abominations. Roaring in anger, the three creatures regained their footing and glared at Lugah.
"Anytime now, Elemental!" Lugah shouted.
The area around the Abominations became a large pit as the ground gave way beneath them. Howls of anger echoed from the bottom, as the creatures clawed against the sides of their earthen prison, trying to escape. Piles of dirt from the sides of the pits covered the Abominations.
"It won’t hold them for long!" Reesus commanded the winds into a gale force, pushing them down.
Lugah ran to the edge of the pit. He removed the lid from the phial and threw it in. The Abominations inhaled the pheromones as the liquid vaporized. Grey smoke wafted upwards. The creatures became silent.
"Looks like you did it!" Kayne exclaimed, surprised.
Dalynia emerged from the house and approached the men. She looked into the pit, then turned away to address them. "Excellent work. It won't be long now. I have what we need to awaken the Earth Mother."
Suddenly, she fell backward, screaming in agony as an Abomination leapt from the pit and bit deep into her shoulder. Another creature emerged from the pit, followed by Salunas. Kayne drew his sword and struck the Abomination in the head. It released Dalynia, as its venom seeped from her wound, and hissed at Kayne.
Standing his ground, Kayne lifted his sword. "Tradition or not, you're dead."
The Abomination charged forward with unexpected haste, knocking the sword from the Prince’s hand. It clawed and grabbed at the Prince’s throat, opening its mouth to reveal fangs dripping with venom. Suddenly, the Abomination dropped the Prince. Kayne gasped for air as he fell to the ground. The creature turned to face its attacker. Marcus held his wand in his hand and prepared to attack again. He shook his wand at Reesus.
"Next time you decide to speed things up, try not to leave anyone behind!'
Reesus made several quick gestures, and the ground beneath the abominations turned to quicksand that flowed into the pit, dragging the Abominations with it. Before he could do any more, he slumped to the ground, a victim of Salunas’ mental attack. The creatures roared in triumph and confusion as they tried to move toward Marcus, but floundered. Moving backwards to keep an eye on the Abominations, Kayne picked up Dalynia and made his way to Marcus. Lugah grabbed the unconscious Reesus and moved him to safety.
Salunas concentrated again, sending another mental blast at Kayne. He roared in frustration as his attack on the Prince failed. Why aren’t they sleeping?
He tried again, each mental strike growing in power. Each time, his attack was ineffective. The men looked at each other and drew their weapons. Salunas directed a blast at Marcus. He smiled as the Medallion of Justice around his neck glowed, absorbing the magic.
"It seems we are at an impasse. The Medallion protects me, and you two seem immune somehow. It’s three on three."
"The boy's mother is a Subjugator. He's immune to Coercer magic."
"Ah, that's right, and your animal mind is also immune."
Lugah nodded. He looked at Dalynia on the ground. The jar lay broken in her grasp, empty of its contents. Frustrated, he took his shield from his back and held it in front of him.
"We can't let them infect anyone else, especially old goldie over there. I would not want to face him on the battlefield. I know we promised, but the plan didn’t work. The pheromone solution failed, which means these aren’t Rabids."
They watched as the Abominations continued to thrash about, sinking slowly.
"Then they must be the two missing children," Kayne replied.
"Yes. It would seem that rumors about Rabid immunity are true. So why were there so few Rabids at the portal?"
"Really, Marcus? Can’t we mull over that question another time? We have to finish this."
"I don’t care, either way." Lugah pointed the tip of his sword at Dalynia. "She would want this."
Kayne stood in front of the sword tip. 'No she wouldn’t. Are you mad?"
Lugah bared his teeth at Kayne. His voice was more of a deep rumble than coherent words. "No! Would you want to live like that? Look, the venom’s taking hold already. She's fighting it, but it won't be long."
"How long, Marcus?" Kayne demanded.
"Most of the time, just a few moments, but these people seem to be able to resist it longer."
Kayne looked up at Lugah. "I'm still your Prince, whether you like it or not. If we fail, then I will finish her myself."
A deep growl rumbled in Lugah's chest. Marcus steadied himself, ready to intervene. Lugah's growl turned into a chuckle as he moved his sword away. "Well played, Kayne. A good display of strength. Word will travel fast among my people." Lugah moved towards the Abominations and continued. "Providing you are a man of your word."
Kayne pointed at the Abominations, who had somehow managed to get to the edge of the quicksand and were pulling themselves out. "Don't worry about my word. Just make sure we finish this, before they do."
Lugah raised his round shield in front of him, and crouched low to the ground. "To the death then!"
Kayne brought his sword in front of him, as the Abominations cleared the quicksand. One opened its mouth and moved towards John. "To the death!"
Lugah pounced on the farthest Abomination. His strong legs propelled him forward at great speed. Kayne charged the Abomination moving towards his mentor. The Medallion of Justice around Marcus’ neck began to glow, as he channeled his Storm Wizard magic into it. The skies darkened with ominous thunderclouds.
Free of Reesus’ trap, Salunas looked to the sky. He raced over to where Namorn lay, picked him up, and hurled the unconscious Ranger at Marcus. Caught by surprise, the impact knocked Marcus to the ground. He struggled to look up, over Namorn, only to feel the jarring impact of Garos landing on top of him as well. Lugah reached his Abomination first. It swung its muscular arm, striking Lugah's shield. His momentum was too great, and the two muscular forms collided. The Abomination ripped Lugah's sword from his hand. Lugah clawed back in return. A few feet away, an Abomination roared in pain as Kayne’s sword cut deep. It turned, striking Kayne across the face. Kayne struck again, pushing his sword deep into the creature’s heart. No! My helpers! Salunas’ mind shouted. He charged at Kayne, scratching his armor with his claws. The fighting continued for several minutes as both Kayne and Lugah fought for their lives. Marcus struggled, pinned under Garos and Namorn, as the clouds above grew denser.
"Get up, Storm Wizard!" Kayne shouted, as he fought against his injured Abomination.
Lugah looked across at Marcus. "Get up!" he roared.
Salunas moved towards Marcus. Helpless, Marcus struggled to free his arm. Seeing Marcus’ plight, Lugah turned away from his opponent. He made to leap over to Marcus, but as he did so, the Abomination’s claw dug deep into his back. Salunas paused and turned at the sound of thunder.
"Get down!" Marcus ordered.
Kayne dodged another attack and sprinted to Lugah, tackling him to the ground. Lugah roared again as the claw ripped from his back.
"Now!" shouted Kayne.
Bolts of lightning channeled down from the sky into the Medallion of Justice. The Abominations had no time to react, as bolts splayed out from Marcus' hand. A blinding white light filled the area. Deafening booms followed, and then silence.
Moments later, Kayne helped Lugah to his feet. He watched with amazement as Lugah’s wounds began to heal. "That’s impressive."
"That’s nothing compared to what other Ferals can do," Lugah replied.
Lugah walked over, picked up Garos and Namorn with each hand, and lay them on the ground beside Marcus. He pointed at Dalynia. She had stopped spasming on the ground beside Marcus, and lay silent. "What about her?"
Dalynia opened her eyes. "What about me?"
Marcus rolled away from Dalynia. "How can this be? You were bitten."
Dalynia opened her hand. A large cut ran along it. Around the cut were several flakes of a crushed leaf.
Marcus looked closely at the leaf. "Is that Thyme? I’ve read about it, but never seen it. I thought it only existed on Terra."
"The jar broke in my hand. I crushed the leaves. This is all we have left, but the Druid Mother said they had to be intact. We must act fast before their oils are gone. Help me up, before they wake. We only have minutes."
Kayne and Lugah looked at the ground nervously, as Marcus continued. "Um, about that. We didn’t have a choice."
Dalynia stood up and looked at the three dead Abominations. She walked over to them and dropped to her knees in despair. "We were supposed to help them. It’s Reconcilement! What have we done?" She picked up the fragments of the jar and inspected the Thyme. "We failed. These are no good. We can't even save the sick children now."
Lugah placed his large furry hand on her shoulder. "We tried, we really did." He reached into his breastplate and removed a small wooden cube. "Tell the men I'm sorry it didn’t work out."
Kayne looked at Lugah. "Leaving so soon then?"
"Yes. Nothing else for me to do here, and the food is probably cold now. I brought this with me." He handed the small cube to Kayne.
"What is it?"
"It’s a gift. It is customary at this time to give gifts. News of what you did to Ophidia travels fast. Keep this with you so you can return home. She will not dare take any action against you."
"But what is it?"
Lugah looked at Kayne and then down at the small cube sitting in his palm. "It’s a cube. Can't you tell?"
"No. I mean, how does it work? How will it keep me safe?"
Lugah shrugged his shoulders. "I don’t know. Don’t care. I just know it works. That’s all I need to know." Lugah paused. "It does seem to have a life of its own. Be careful what you do around it."
Kayne smiled. "Thank you, but I have no gift for you."
"You've already given me a gift."
"I have?"
Lugah knelt beside Dalynia and kissed her on the cheek. With a deftness that belied his size, he extended a claw, moved her hair away from her ear, and whispered something that only she could hear.
Dalynia placed her small hand on Lugah’s. "Are you sure?"
"Its legend was passed from father to son for a thousand years. I didn't notice earlier, but I'm certain now. What other choice do you have?"
"The village will never approve."
"But it could be their last hope."
&nbs
p; Lugah saw the bewildered looks from Kayne and Marcus, and changed the subject. "Look, the others are stirring and will need your help."
Lugah removed a red globe the size of a marble, from a pouch on his belt. He threw it on the ground. It exploded, creating a door of smoke that resembled a wooden door in front of them. He walked up to it and paused, his hand on the doorknob. Its tendrils of smoke filtered through the Feral's large fingers. "Next time, tell your Apothecary not to sleep on the job, and we may have a better chance!"
Lugah opened the magical door. Kayne gazed in amazement at the planets and stars that sparkled there. Lugah grinned and replied, "Don't ask me how it works. It just does." He stepped through, closing the door behind him. Kayne ran forward and reached for the handle. His hand went straight through as the smoke dissipated in the wind, leaving nothing behind.
"Typical Feral," John groaned. "Always disappearing when it's time to tidy up."
Namorn stirred. "Did we win?" he asked.
Garos held the back of his neck and pointed at Dalynia. Her hands began to glow as she healed John’s wounds. "We need to take these kids back to the village so they can be mourned before release.”
Namorn removed the horn from his side and blew it three times. "We should have brought an army."
Garos shook his head. "No. We would have failed for certain. Any young buck with an arrow would have seen to that. At least this way we tried."
Dalynia walked over to Reesus and began to heal him. He opened his eyes and asked, "Can I go home now?"
"Soon, Reesus. We can open another portal tomorrow night. Now how about you give us a hand taking these fallen souls home?"
"Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be better to just burn the bodies?"
"It’s the least we can do."