Ashar'an Rising (Nexus Wars Saga) (65 page)

“
You have no idea of what you are doing, Valdieron. Yes, I know your name, I know all about you. There is nothing you can do to prevent this, just as there is nothing you can do for your Princess.”

Knowing he was being baited again, Valdieron continued to circle the Ashar'an, for it also allowed him to see what was happening around the arena. Demons were once again forming around Javin and the others, closing in like hunters stalking their prey, while still more demons flowed from the Portal.

“
No, but I can!”

This new voice startled Valdieron, for he recognized it instantly. The figure of Ka'Varal materialized from nowhere beside him, the old Kay'taari looking far different than Valdieron remembered him. He was leaner, and his grey hair was pulled back in a tail, while in his hands he carried his own staff, this of pure white. His eyes, dark and unblinking, held Zhak Lomar with an intensity Valdieron had never seen before.

“
Ah, my old friend,” sneered Lomar, a moment's surprise passing quickly from his dark face. “I should have known Hagar's wounds were not enough to be so easily rid of you. Perhaps I should have killed her for your return to the realms, but all in good time. She will die, but not before seeing you die first.”

Acting purely on instinct, Valdieron was not even sure of his actions as he moved then, not towards the Ashar'an, but spinning around to intercept a skeletal demon that was moving towards Ka'Varal with its gleaming claws raised for a quick kill. His swords flashed, quicker than any in the crowd could follow, for he was moving at a speed to match the foudroyant Demon, and in barely a heartbeat, the Demon lay crumpled on the ground in a pile of splintered bone.

If either Ka'Varal or Zhak Lomar noticed, Valdieron could not tell, for their eyes were locked on each other, and Valdieron sensed they were locked into a contest of wills. Far more powerful and deadly than any melee, they battled for the domination of the other's soul, battling with magic and sheer willpower in an effort to destroy the other. It was something Valdieron had witnessed in Kel'Valor, and he knew it required total concentration and control of one's thoughts. Even as he watched, a glowing nimbus began to encircle the two men, which he assumed was some sort of barrier. It could have been the result of the growing powers that the two were throwing at each other, though to any in the crowd it would have appeared as if the two were simply staring at each other, unmoving.

Hoping Ka'Varal could protect himself, Valdieron turned his attention to the other battle, which had turned the arena into a frenzied hive of action. Demons seemed to converge on him from all angles, while others sprang at the remaining warriors circling Kitara's pillar.

Not really sure of what was happening, Valdieron battled furiously with the demons that swelled around him, seemingly drawn to him and his flashing weapons. But he didn't mind. He fought furiously, feeling a deep hatred for these Demons who had suddenly come to aid the Ashar'an. Maybe it was the part of his heritage that was the sworn enemy of these creatures, but he fought as if he meant to slay every demon he could. His swords dealt death at every turn, flashing and cutting at Demons on every side and at every angle, augmented by a new power and speed, which seemed to build and flow through him with each creature he slew. He wasn't really aware of it, as he hadn't earlier when he had slain the bone demon that had threatened Ka'Varal, he was merely acting on instinct: the instinct of a warrior and Kay'taari.

Cutting a swathe through the Demon ranks, he was suddenly beside Javin and Talisa. The two were once again fighting back to back at the base of the pillar holding Kitara, who still struggled as if to free herself from her bonds. Intervening, Valdieron cut down the three animal  like Demons that circled them, which seemed to bring a lull in the fighting, as no new Demons confronted them, nor were any more coming through the Portal.

“
Valdieron. I am glad to see you. What took you so long?” Bleeding from several cuts, one in his side particularly deep and painful, Javin still managed to smile as he greeted his friend.

“
Sorry Javin. I was a little busy.”

“
I can see that.” Looking back, Valdieron understood what his friend meant, for literally dozens of demon corpses littered the floor where he had cut them down. He wondered how he looked then, covered in the dark blood of the demons with his twin swords in hand, one of which was glowing a dull silvery color, while on his forearms, the two burns that marked his skin were easily visible, one pale as the moon, the other a dull bronze.

“
Father!” Obviously not as relieved to see Valdieron as Javin had, Talisa rushed past him, her eyes locked on the still form of her father, motionless as he battled with the Ashar'an. The glowing shield still surrounded them, pulsing like a beating heart. Valdieron reached for her to hold her, but she stopped anyhow, maybe knowing herself it was potentially fatal for her to intervene.

“
He fights his own battle. There is nothing we can do.”

Her dark beauty, something he had not really noticed the first time he had met her in the Glade of Truth, suddenly struck “I know,” whispered Talisa, and Valdieron. Her long, dark hair was braided in a single tail down her back, laced with a golden thread, while her dark leather pants and black vest did little to hide her full figure. She was also tall, as tall as he was, and he had seen her in battle fleetingly, but enough to know she was more than accomplished with the use of the bloodied weapon in her hand.

“
Let us free Kitara.” Saying this more for Javin to hear, Valdieron turned, but was surprised when the last remaining Kiroba stepped before him, with sword held low, but obviously in a way that meant Valdieron should not move any closer.

“
Hagar!” It was no surprise the dark warrior was still alive, and it seemed as if he was uninjured, though the dark blood that coated his sword told that he had battled his fair share of the demons.

“
The Princess is mine!”

Suddenly fearing he had not managed to free Hagar from the controlling influence of the Torc, Valdieron stopped to take in the Kiroba. One look into the assassin's dark grey eyes, which darted from Javin to Valdieron, the nearest dangers, told him the Torc was not in effect.

“
Stand aside, Hagar. I do not want to harm you, though I will if you keep me from Kitara. You have been a puppet of Zhak Lomar from the start, nothing more than a pawn in his great, evil game. Whatever he promised you was not his to give, nor is it yours to take.”

“
Nor is it yours.”

Valdieron's eyes narrowed as he glared at the assassin. Memories came to him of Llewellyn who had died at this man's hand, a dagger in the back: the ultimate in cowardice. Yet somehow he knew Hagar was not as evil as he was made out to be. He guessed Zhak Lomar must have manipulated him to a certain degree, and what he saw in his eyes as he stared at him wasn't hatred, but a sadness and emptiness, and he knew the assassin had more than just thoughts of possession for the Princess.

“
Then you will take her against her will. Is that what you want to do to her? If you do love her, then you must let her live her own life. Let her decide what is best for her. I don't want to fight you, Hagar, but I will if I must, and I swear that I will not let you take her.”

“
Nor I,” proclaimed Javin, still standing off to the side, though he still held his bloodied sabers and looked worse for his bad wounds. Valdieron wondered how the Darishi could even move, let alone fight, especially Hagar. His newly tuned senses told him the Kiroba also carried more items of magic upon his person, probably the same as he had worn on the night he had killed Llewellyn, used to enhance his speed and reaction.

“
Nor will I, Hagar!” Talisa stepped to Valdieron's side, her sword held low, but her words were firm, if not a little strained. “Leave and return to your people, or your family, if you have one.”

Still the Assassin remained unmoving, silent. Valdieron waited tensely, hoping the assassin would just leave and not force a confrontation, for although he was confident the three could outmatch him, he did not want either Javin or Talisa to be involved in such a fight.

Luckily, it did not come to that. A deafening explosion roared through the arena, and suddenly a force propelled Valdieron forward. He felt lashes of intense agony across his back, and crashed heavily to the ground, almost losing a grip on his weapons. Rolling into a crouch, he turned in shock to try and find out what manner of attack had been launched at him.

Ka'Varal, still surrounded by the glowing nimbus, stood alone on the far side of the arena. Five paces away, where Zhak Lomar had stood only moments before, a dark crater had been gouged into the sandy floor, as if from an impact from a huge boulder, though Valdieron guessed Zhak Lomar had succumbed to the build up of power needed to match Ka'Varal. The shield, which had protected the Ashar'an from attacks from the outside, had buffered the implosion, which probably saved the lives of most in the arena.

Hagar, sporting a cut above his eye and small lacerations across his face and arms, was leaning against the pillar that held Kitara, obviously shaken by the explosion. Javin was rising slowly also, his whole right side torn as if he had been dragged along behind a horse, though he doggedly regained his feet, realizing what had happened.

Talisa was not so fast to rise. With a stifled cry, Valdieron ran to her side, fearing the worst as he saw her leather vest and pants torn from the shards of energy that had assailed them. Blood ran slowly from the small lesions, and it was not the wounds he feared but the force that had struck them from so close. Through some warriors’ instinct he had rolled with the force, cushioning himself against it, but Talisa being closest, had not been so lucky. Slowly he rolled her onto her side, careful not to roll her onto her back where the sand from the floor would infuse her wounds. She was unconscious but breathing.

Blocking out everything else, and knowing Javin would watch his back against Hagar, Valdieron concentrated on her wounds. Whatever magical power available to him could not be felt as a tangible source, he merely focused his mind on closing the wounds on her back, as the Master had instructed him. He closed his eyes again, not blocking out the sight of her bloodied back as he pictured it in his mind; slowly healing. He did not know how long it took, but a soft cough broke his concentration and he looked down to see her looking up at him weakly, and a glance at her back showed her wounds were nothing more than fading scars.

“
Val, we have company!”

Javin's words came as a strange sensation ran through Valdieron’s body, like he were being submerged in icy water. He gently laid Talisa aside and rose, following Javin's gaze, and not surprised to find it directed towards the Portal. What he saw stunned him, for slowly emerging from the Portal was a huge flame  covered demon. Rising easily fifteen feet in height, its humanoid body seemed to be trying to push its way through the Portal. Muscled limbs ended in clawed hands and feet, while bat  like wings rose from its back, spreading as it finally stepped through the Portal. Smoke rose from the sandy ground as the intense heat it created left glassy footprints as it stepped forward. Its huge head, looking more like that of a horse, long and elongated, slowly took in the arena, dark emotionless eyes scanning as if searching for something.

Valdieron did not need to be told what it was searching for.

“
Javin, take Talisa and run.” With his eyes locked on the demon, Valdieron started forward. Around him, he was aware that with the destruction of Zhak Lomar, the protective shield, which had encircled the arena, was dispelled. Up in the stands, there were only a few people present, and he assumed the others had found a way out, for which he was glad. The less people present, the less chance there was of somebody innocent being killed. Still, there were those absorbed by what was happening, maybe stunned by the turn of events, and maybe thinking this was still part of the show. He could not guess where Andrak and Janantar were, but hoped they were safe and gone from the stadium also.

Whatever hopes he had of defeating this fiery demon faded quickly as more dark figures pressed through the Portal. First there were dark demons, tall and lithe, with feline heads, wielding long swords of dark metal and moving with the ease of a cat, fast and sure footed. Then there came similar demons who reminded him of Elves, though their skin was a pale grey and their eyes flashed a burning orange. They carried small weapons in both hands, and they moved too fast for the eyes to follow them, as if they simply phased from step to step. Then there came large humanoid demons, whose bodies seemed out of proportion, for they were immensely muscled and carried weapons of great variety: axes, swords and pole-arms predominant. Their eyes did not glow like the others, but were instead milky globes, and for a moment Valdieron suspected they were blind, but they moved surely around the arena, following the other demons, if not as fast.

Taking a deep breath and sighing, Valdieron strode quickly forward. He could feel his blood pounding as the adrenalin coursed through him. Here before him was the ultimate test for him, for should he fail, his friends would no doubt die, especially Kitara, who was still tied to the pillar. Although the Princess could not see what was unfolding behind her, she could tell by the mayhem and the demonic figures that the situation was dire. Not once did she cease struggling against her bonds.

This was what he had trained hard for over the past months. This was what he was born for, to face these Demons and to protect this world from their evil.