Chapter 16
The darkness was thick, the light from his crystal staff had gone out leaving them in total darkness. Mendoll coughed repeatedly, trying to clear his throat of the thick coat of dirt that had turned to mud upon mixing with his moist breath. Miatsu had been with the others and the forest imp had already contacted him. Thank the Goddess for him being with us! He lamented as he thought of how things would have been without Miatsu’s abilities.
Those three were all right, though the boy had been unconscious for a few moments. He had told Miatsu to move on, and that he and Bastra would catch up to them later. For now though, someone needed to get to the docks and it was most likely going to be the trio that made it there first.
He lit his staff once again and sat on the boulder that had almost fallen on him. It was as large as Bastra and it wasn't the largest one that had fallen around them during the quake. Dirt and dust still hug heavily in the air, making it difficult to see or breath, but the debris did little to hinder their eyesight more than the darkness already was. The rubble prevented any light from getting through, and should anyone or anything choose to attack them, he and Bastra would not be able to foresee it. Luckily for them, he was a Healer Adept capable of a wide array of magic spells, now both offensive and defensive. His knowledge of shielding spells and his quick thinking had been all that had saved his and Bastra’s life. It had taken almost all the energy he could gather in an instant to perform that spell. However, he was glad to feel that his strength was returning quickly.
Miatsu had been none too specific about any injuries the others may have sustained. Though he was positive that Miatsu would have reported anything more serious than a cut or a bruise, he was still worried about any injury that went untreated that could progress into a serious infection.
Bastra had gone off to see if there was any possible way out through the rubble. Although it was as dark as the blackest of nights without his staff, the Gargoyle race was adept at finding hidden passages. Bastra would have no difficulty locating an escape path without the use of his eyes
One Stone down! Mendoll had been thinking about it ever since the roof had caved in. They have already retrieved one Stone. If anything, that would prevent Rubious from completing the collection and give anyone resisting him a better chance of survival. He only prayed that the boy and the others did not have the misfortune of running into him. Even with Sehto's skills with the blade, Mendoll did not think that they would stand a chance against King Rubious alone, and if the king had arrived with his army, Sehto and Mach's chances of escaping would be close to zero.
“Mendoll!” Bastra’s voice rang out from somewhere a good distance away, but it was tricky to locate his exact position with the echoes rebounding inside the enclosed cavern.
“Yes, I am still here. I haven’t died yet, old friend.”
“I think I may have found a way out. I can smell fresh air coming from somewhere above.”
He gingerly stood on his feet and picked up his staff. The small amount of rest he had gotten was enough for him to brighten it again, but he was still far from recovered. He was still exhausted and felt as if a single breath could knock him over. He did not know how long he could keep the light on his staff glowing like this. That was the danger of suddenly using the Higher Magics. A Mage had to compensate focus with twice the energy normally used to cast it. And the stronger the spell, the more energy was required to perform it.
Light flared from the tip and illuminated the whole of the cavern. Bastra was standing near the center of it, his back turned to him. He walked over to the Gargoyle's side and looked up. The light shone high on the ceiling, revealing a small section still shadowed from the light that might just be a small opening in the cave interior.
“That is where I think the fresh air is coming from. Could always check for myself but if it is an exit, I would rather have you with me. Make it quicker, you know and less energy wasted.”
“How do you want to do this?” Mendoll asked without taking his eyes off the crevice.
“Well, I figure I will need my arms to grip the walls, if you were to hang around the neck and keep your legs straight down my back, I think we can make it like that.”
“Very well. Let's try it. Just don't drop me.”
“Just don’t let go.” Bastra knelt down so that Mendoll could climb up behind him. Once ready with a firm grip around the Gargoyle’s neck, Bastra took a crouching leap into the air and in a heartbeat’s time, Bastra hit the ceiling, jarring Mendoll and nearly knocking him off. The Gargoyle clung to the wall and pulled himself up onto what turned out to be a ledge fully large enough for the two of them with a crevice leading ahead and upward. Now that they were up here, Mendoll did feel a slight breeze coming from a crevice that lay in front of them. He cast his light down into the cave and shivered.
The cavern below was in total disarray, all the pillars and candles that had once made the place beautiful were knocked over and broken or had been completely smashed by rocks. He knew without seeing it what the exit looked like and shivered again at the thought of what that would have done to them all. With all the destruction down there, it was impossible to tell whether this crevice was made before the roof collapsed or if it was created by the act of destruction. Whichever it was, if it lead the two of them out of here it would be a Gods sent gift for all he was concerned.
He slid down the Gargoyle’s back and stepped in front of him. Together they walked cautiously through the tunnel, his staff lighting the way. It took less than an hour for them to reach the end of the tunnel and thankfully there had been no rubble along the path to signify a cave in had ever happened. That was all he needed to confirm that this area had existed before the ceiling had collapsed. When they finally exited the cave, a strong gust of clean, fresh wind welcomed the pair. The path had ended abruptly and Mendoll and Bastra found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff.
“Shall we find the others, old man?”
“Perhaps we should. I do not like them being alone out here with Rubious on the way.”
“Fine. This way then. If I have everything timed correctly, they should be getting out of the temple soon.” Bastra reached around Mendoll to get a safe grip around the Mage's body in his arms and took flight with a snap of his wings.
“You think we will see them soon? I don’t want to waste any time if it can be avoided!” Mendoll could barely hear the words coming from his own mouth. However, he did hear the screech of something else pierce his ear.
He felt Bastra tighten his grip and roll in mid air to avoid something that was far larger than the Gargoyle was. He tried to see what it was, but that was impossible with the acrobatic feats Bastra was performing. His eyes were watering due to Bastra's sudden increase in speed and he felt his head spinning even after Bastra had steadied himself. They flipped over and twisted again to avoid whatever was making that horrid screeching sound. But it seemed useless to him. No matter what the Gargoyle did, there just seemed to be no way to outrun their strange pursuer.
“I have to put you down! Brace yourself!” The last word was drowned out by another screech and Mendoll felt the beast hit Bastra from behind and the three plummeted to the earth. Blood flowed thickly from where Bastra had been hit along his back, making Mendoll’s white robes streaked with crimson blood.
Regaining his balance as quickly as he could, Bastra shot upward instantly with a strong burst from his wings, just far enough to regain his bearings. The Gargoyle folded his wings and aimed downward, diving to the earth with as much speed as he could muster. Mendoll braced himself for the impact he was certain would come. It was a tactic the two of them had used once before, although after the first time, they had prayed they would never to need to use it again.
A split second before Bastra would have hit the ground, the Gargoyle whipped his wings open. With a grating crash that would have broken anyone else’s legs, Bastra took the blunt of the impact and released Mendoll, who immediately crumpled to the floor. In a heartbeat Ba
stra had flung his wings downward and had taken flight again.
Mendoll quickly rose to his feet and finally saw what had been chasing them. It was a fully-grown Roc, a type of bird that grew to be twice as large as any Gargoyle and was extremely territorial. Its claws were the size of daggers and its grey body shimmered under the sunlight with scale-like feathers. The Roc's beady black eyes glared with such an intensity that, coupled with the blood of its victim dripping from its ebony beak, made it a fearsome murderer to be reckoned with.
By chance, had they flown into its territory? Or was it it’s mating season already? Whatever the case, there was only one other option they could choose besides killing it. Retreat.
Bastra twisted in mid flight and slashed at the Roc with his spear but missed. That was the problem with Rocs in general. They were highly intelligent and could sometimes predict what its prey would do and act accordingly. With a simple back wing, the Roc was able to avoid a deathblow to the chest. He watched as Bastra hit the side of the canyon and leapt upward, desperately trying to keep his momentum.
The Roc quickly copied Bastra’s move and was within striking distance again before Mendoll could call out a warning. With a slash of its claws, the Roc sent Bastra hurtling to the ground. A thought came to Mendoll, a wonderful, horrid thought. He had never thought that he would have to use the knowledge he had recently gained on an enemy. But he should have known that eventually that time would come.
“Bastra! Bring it this way!” Mendoll screamed into the sky as he focused his thoughts into the crystal on his staff. Pulling on Rajat’s fresh teachings the staff began to glow fiercely. Blue sparks shot out from all around the crystal, only to be pulled right back onto the staff. He could feel the air crackling with electrical energy as he called upon his own strength to focus it. Lightning struck toward the ground from the staff crystal, leaving the earth blackened where it hit. If he had not mastered the skills needed to be a Healer Adept, this little trick would surely kill him. No one had ever been both foolish and brilliant enough to use knowledge that had been gained so recently. At least, he hoped he was brilliant enough.
Sparks began to shoot between his fingertips as Bastra took to the air and drew nearer. He prayed to the Goddess of Life that his strike was true. If it was off even by a hair...
Bastra was heading right to him, the Roc directly behind him and out of direct line of sight. It was a good thing they had worked together so many times that they knew each other well enough for this tactic to work.
Bastra flipped over and dropped to the ground, sliding with his wings curled over his front. Mendoll thrust his hand forward as his focus peaked. A bolt of lightning shot from his hand, the sound even more deafening than the genuine article, and struck the Roc right where its heart should be. Mendoll watched as the Roc convulsed violently in mid air before collapsing onto the ground in a heap of charred feathers. Small sparks crackled between its feathers even as it lay still upon the ground.
He fell to his knees. He had not realized that he could use that much power without meaning to. He felt as though he had just battled with a true combative Mage and somehow won. Light-headed and nauseas, he looked up at Bastra. The Gargoyle was standing a few feet away from the fallen bird and was examining it closely. Blood poured heavily from several gashes in his side.
Wearily he rose to his feet, his mind clearing slightly as he stood. “Let me check your wound,” he said as he approached his friend. He was concerned that he would not have the strength to heal it, but knew that it needed to be dealt with before it festered into an infection. “It is not as bad as some you have gotten, but bad enough that you may bleed out. Looks like it missed the spine by only a small margin. Good for you it missed, I don’t think I am up to healing a spinal injury right now. And as you well know, those have to be done right away. Hold still, this will only take a moment or two... I hope.”
He felt the energy flow through his body to his hands readily and naturally as it had done many times before. Gradually, he could see the torn tissue begin to close and the flow of blood lessen and then finally stop altogether. Though it was as familiar as breathing for him, the spell he used left him on his knees once more. Everything seemed to spin around him as he tried to catch his breath.
“So how are we going to…?” Bastra’s words were cut short by the rumbling of hundreds of marching feet. There had been so much commotion that they had temporarily forgotten their surroundings and their current mission of locating the rest of their group. The gruff voice giving commands carried by the wind was unmistakable. Rubious was already in the canyon.
“This is not good,” Mendoll said urgently, more to himself than to Bastra. “This is not good at all. I am not in any shape to be healing any major wounds or fighting off an army.”
“Mendoll, are you well enough to make it to the ship if I were to get you past these soldiers? Can you make it to the ship by yourself?”
“It is possible. So long as I do not have to fight anyone, I should be okay. What are you planning?”
“Sehto is a good enough scout to be able to avoid most anything. But the other two, I'm not so sure of. If I must, I will grab them and fly them out of there. The boy and that imp should not weigh that much more than you and if I can find them quickly, we may be able to avoid this lot and prevent anything unfortunate from happening.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mendoll raised his eyebrows with concern. It was too dangerous a task, even for a Gargoyle like Bastra. “You aren't up to too much yourself!”
“Well, we have to try something and that is the only thing I can think of right now. We can't let the boy face him yet.”
“Very well,” Mendoll said urgently. “Let’s get me to the other side.”
Mach was frozen in fear. His mind was racing with all the possibilities, searching for some way to escape. He never thought that he would be face to face with the man that took so much away from him, and so soon. He had always imagined that he would be ready to face the bastard when they finally met. Ready to kill him with his own two hands.
However, after all the stories that Mendoll and Bastra had told him, he was not so sure he would ever be. This man was a master swordsman and Mach was a novice at best. He had prayed for the last few days that they would not meet up with Rubious, that they would somehow slip past him without being seen.
Unfortunately, their luck had not held. Standing before him was living death. Long, raven black hair flowed in the breeze. Rubious’ black eyes stared into his eyes of silver, a mixture of hunger and delight shinning within those black abysmal pools. As his face split into a crazed and bloodthirsty smile, he knew at that moment that he was going to die.
A gust of wind swept up, creating a small whirlwind. The little cyclone that stirred up caught the cloak hanging around Rubious’ neck. The movements made it look as though the cloak were alive with demons fluttering around on the inside, demons that were waiting to be released. He felt a shiver run down his spine was he watched the frightening sight.
“You know, children should not be way out here,” King Rubious licked his lips, his bloodlust already beginning to awaken. “It's not, how should I put it, good for their health.” King Rubious’ voice seemed to pull the last of his breath from his chest. There was a thrill in the man’s voice that chilled Mach to the marrow of his bones. This man did not care if he killed children!
“Sire, this boy does not seem to be from the city. And that creature there with him surely is not.” A man standing beside King Rubious spoke up, his face also split into a grin. He too, had a dangerous aura to him that scared him half to death.
“So, it is a stray you say general.” The king said menacingly. “How…delightful.”
At Rubious’ words, Miatsu stepped in front of Mach as if to protect him. He did not speak, but merely stood there glaring across the path.
“What is this? Your pint-sized protector is going to defend you. Is he really? Well, I will just have to cut him down before I car
ve you up.” Those words rang in Mach's head. Anger rushed through him like boiling lava. For all of Miatsu’s faults, for all the things the little imp had done to piss him off, he still felt responsible for him and there was no way he was going to let anything happen.
Mach drew his blade and stepped around Miatsu. He was not going to let the imp die because he was afraid of facing a master swordsman with his meager skills. Sehto had spent so much time training him and he had already failed at protecting his mother, it was time he stepped up to defend himself and those he cared for.
“Do you really think to fight me? You really think you are going to get by me? How very amusing,” the king said giddily. There was something in Rubious’ voice that sent anger and panic surging through him. “I will tell you what, boy. You fight me, just you and me, and if you win, I will let you pass. Just a little swordplay is all it is, right. My men have their orders, they are to leave you and your little…pet…alone if you win. “
“And if you win?” Mach asked, some of the fear beginning to overcome his rage.
“Well, let’s just say this, pray that I don’t.”
His skin crawled with apprehension as Rubious' smile broadened. Rubious knew with certainty that Mach didn't stand a chance of winning. Rubious also knew that there was no other way out of the canyon other than through him.
Mach looked around in hopes of finding Sehto by his side. If only the tracker were here he would feel better about fighting Rubious. The tracker did train him after all.
He watched as Rubious drew his sword. It looked to be the same length as his own. That was a good sign. At the very least, they would have the same reach. he forced himself to calm down, to slow his heart rate. There was no point in getting all worked up. That would only get him killed. A steady hand and a steady mind was always an advantage, as the one who could control himself could formulate strategies and respond more readily with counterattacks. The question now was could he continue to keep this peace of mind.
“I hope you are ready for death to take you, boy,” Rubious sneered.
Mach readied his stance the way Sehto had taught him. “Too slow!” Like a flash of lightning, Rubious was crouched in front of him. The hilt of the king’s blade struck Mach in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. It took all he could muster not to pass out as his vision dimmed and his mind went blank. Gripping his own sword tighter, he swung out with his blade wildly, managing to slash the cloth of the kings’ cloak.
“Better!” Rubious said in delight, deflecting another strike from his blade. “You got some fight to you, huh?”
Rubious came at him again and this time, Mach was forced to focus all his attention on preventing the king's sword from carving him up. Every blow that he blocked seemed to rattle his bones. It was all too much for him to handle. His strength was already beginning to leave him. He suffered from several gashes along his arms and legs. There were even a few across his face. Nothing serious by themselves, but altogether they stacked up against him. Blood dripped down his neck, soaking into the sweat-saturated cloth of his shirt, the continuous stinging of every wound.
It was difficult to breath, his vision was already beginning to abandon him. He could barely remain standing. And now, he felt the last of his strength leaving him as if something was leaching his life away. This was far more than he had expected. The training that Sehto had given him seemed pointless now. He had been foolish to think he could ever win against this beast of a man.
With a final blow that knocked his blade out of his hands, both fighters knew that Rubious had won. The King of Sirunre lunged forward and plunged a blade deep into Mach’s shoulder.
Pain beyond anything he had ever known shot through his entire body. Tears swelled up into his eyes and he screamed in agony as his eyes stared into the cold, black eyes of his enemy. He was going to die, here and now. He promised the world that he would find his mother, to save her from her pain and suffering, and here he was on his own deathbed.
The entire time Miatsu had been silently rooted to the spot as though he too were frozen in fear. Poor little guy knows that he is going to die. Mach fell to his knees as the last of his strength gave out.
“Exactly where you belong, on your knees at my feet,” Rubious snickered gleefully as he pulled the blade from his chest. “Now, say goodbye child.”
Rubious raised his sword above his head, his love of killing clear in his eyes. This was it, this was how he was going to die, beheaded by a demented bastard bent on destroying the world.
A clash of metal sent the king’s sword flying from his hand. Rubious turned his head in surprise and rage in the direction of the attack in time to see a shadow flit past and disappear. Rubious’ blade struck the ground a few feet away. A double bladed sword had pinned it to the ground. The king’s army was already moving toward where the shadow had been.
Rubious reached for the double blade only for it to vanish into smoke. Mach only caught a glimpse of what happened next. From the opposite side of the canyon, Sehto leapt out from the shadows to strike at Rubious’ back. The noise he made leaping from his perch was enough to warn Rubious, who turned quickly but not nearly fast enough. Sehto's fist smashed into Rubious' face, sending the king skidding along the floor.
Blood flowed freely from Rubious’ split lip as he stood up, a massive bruise already blossoming on the side of his face. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor as he snarled at Sehto. The tracker rushed over to Mach’s side and stood between him and King Rubious. “Thanks for that distraction. Think of something, Miatsu, we need a way out of here, and quickly!”
“That was a mistake!” The king growled angrily. “You may have been able to get away had you stayed out of my way. Now, you will all DIE!”
The earth exploded around Rubious as he spoke the last word. Dirt and dust rose in columns dozens of feet high in every direction. Mach caught sight of a blurry pair of feet being swung around and then released. Rubious’ body flew from the whirl of dirt and dust as a pair of wings sprung out from the dirt. The king landed with an audible crunch in the midst of his army.
As the dirt settled, Mach saw Bastra standing in a half-crouched stance, ready to lunge at a moment's warning. His wings extended, making him look five times larger than he really was, which was already considerable to begin with. He thought he saw Bastra's hands in a position that hinted he would rip flesh from bone if anyone neared him, but then again, he was delirious from the amount of blood he had lost and the pain that was still burning through every inch of his body.
With a roar of a mighty lion, Bastra took a step forward. The army as a whole took a collective step backward, their eyes full of the same fear that Mach had experienced a moment before.
In the short time that he had known Bastra, he had never seen him behave like this. He could almost feel the rage emanating from the Gargoyle’s body as he shook violently with rage. He was looking at the Gargoyle as though it were the first time. He remembered vaguely how scared he had been that day he had first met Bastra, this was what he had been afraid of.
Raising his clenched fists into the air, Bastra gave another almighty roar and slammed his fists into the ground. A sound like an explosion erupted from the impact and caused a physical shockwave to ripple outward in the earth, sparing no one of its devastating power. The army was forced to their knees from the sudden rise and fall of the earth.
Some of the men quickly stood and ran, while others seemed to be frozen in place with utter terror. Mach’s sight blurred for a moment and he felt himself lean forward. The world spun around him and he collapsed to the floor.
“Mach!” He heard the words but did not recognize the voice. A moment later or perhaps even forever and a day, a herd of oxen appeared out of nowhere. He barely registered the increase of noise, everything seemed to be at a great distance from him. The herd instantly began to stampede the soldiers in front of them and the last thing he remembered before the darkness took him was a pair of hands lifting him f
rom the ground and the vague sense of moving at high speed.