Avondale V (25 page)

The power whispered in his ear. He knew he could do anything in that moment, that he could have anything he wanted. No one could ever stand against him. He held the power to destroy anything. And not just change its form. When a tree burned, it released the magic that gave it life, and the wood turned to heat and ash. In that way the tree was destroyed, but all that had made the tree was present, just transformed into something different. The destruction spell would do more than just transform or break something down—it would erase it from existence.

The power was not only tempting. It felt amazing. Tiberius’ body relaxed, and he felt a sense of strength and vitality he’d never known before. In the back of his mind, he knew that time was of the essence, but in that moment all he could think about was the wondrous feeling of power that was coursing through his body as he chanted the spell.

Other spells required that Tiberius focus his attention on controlling the magic, but the destruction spell was different. It was as if the magic had found him and wanted to stay with him, empowering him. He opened his eyes just in time to see Rafe dodge away as the huge creature brought both of its stumpy fists down in an attempt to smash his friend.

Ti’s natural instinct was to help his friends, but then the destruction spell whispered in his ear. They weren’t really his friends, they were playthings, here for his enjoyment. The magic told him he was above all that now, superior, unstoppable. They were mere mortals before a living god. He should watch, enjoy their attempt to stop the monster.

The creature’s massive head turned to watch Rafe, as he rolled to his feet, his sword flashing in the air. From the opposite side, Olyva ran forward and stabbed the beast in its side. The thrust of her spear was hard, and the metal spear head sliced through the tough hide and gashed into the creature’s flesh. It swatted at her, roaring angrily, but she had already dodged back, taking her spear with her.

Tiberius saw the green blood pouring from the wound, heard the creature roaring in pain, and then heard himself laughing. The magic was amused, as well. He could feel it surging through his body, every muscle tingling with anticipation of unleashing his magnificent magical strength on the world.

Then he saw Lexi. She was so fast he was amazed at her ability. She swept behind the monster, slashing its heels with her Wangorian dagger as she ran. The monster fell to its knees, and Rafe rushed in, stabbing his sword deep into the creature’s neck. It fumbled for him, but the wounds had weakened the monster, and Rafe evaded the clumsy attempt to grab him.

Tiberius felt the magic wooing him, but it had lost some of its potency. He still wanted the magic, still wanted the feeling of unlimited power, but his love and concern for his friends rooted him in reality. He had a purpose. They were putting their lives on the line for him, and he couldn’t let them down. They weren’t just playthings, they weren’t inferior—they were precious to him.

The creature toppled onto its side, but a horde of beasts had come through after the monster. They were spreading out around the demon, which was still casting its spell. Tiberius focused his attention on the glowing Balestone. He willed the destruction spell toward it. The magic seemed hesitant, almost remorseful about leaving him. Tiberius felt it draining away, felt his strength going with it, and it took all his resolve to finish the spell. The world seemed too dim in his vision, but he stared hard at the glowing Balestone. The destruction spell wanted to spread out, to encompass everything, but Tiberius reined it in.

There was one last maddening temptation to hold onto the power, but Tiberius resisted, and the spell shot out like a flaming arrow from the bow of a hero. There was no explosion, no great spectacle of power—the Balestone simply vanished. And Tiberius, suddenly barely able to breathe, collapsed.

Chapter 45

Rafe

The horde of creatures were closing in, and Rafe knew that the odds were against him. Even if the earl’s entire war band were present, there was no guarantee they could overcome the monsters before them. Some were animals, others were more humanoid in appearance, but they were all evil-looking creatures. And each one was intent on killing Rafe and his friends.

Rafe wasn’t sure what Tiberius was doing—he seemed to be in a trance. But then suddenly the portal behind the horde of monsters disappeared, and there was a horrible roar of hatred. The creature Tiberius had called a demon looked real enough to Rafe, and it was furious. The other monsters, once focused on Rafe and the girls, now turned and looked almost fearful as the demon flew into rage.

One of the creatures charged Rafe. It was a snarling beast, running on two powerful hind legs. Its forelegs were reaching out for him; the head was thin and narrow, with a bone ridge that looked as sharp as a sword that ran down the length of the skull and between its narrow eyes. Rafe feinted to his right then jumped to his left, stabbing his rapier at the beast as he went. The sword was the perfect stabbing weapon and it sliced into the beast’s chest, killing it instantly.

The demon was attacking its own horrid creatures now, and another beast was rushing toward Olyva and Lexi, who were standing side by side. Olyva rammed the butt of her spear into the ground and aimed the point at the onrushing creature. She knelt, and Lexi stooped low beside her. The beast impaled itself on Olyva’s spear, the momentum of its charge flipping it over their heads to crash on the hardened stone ground.

Rafe glanced back and saw that Tiberius had fallen. He rushed back to his friend but didn’t have time to check on him. Two small flying creatures were swooping down; their leathery bodies seemed small compared to their flaring wings and gapping maws full of pointed teeth. Rafe stepped over his friend’s prone body and swung his sword in a hard arc. The blade severed one creature’s wing and then slammed into its body. The wounded beast crashed into its companion, almost driving it into the ground. The second flying creature swooped back up, flapping its wings hard, before diving back toward Rafe. His second slash cut the beast completely in two.

The creatures were fearless, but not all that intelligent. Rafe felt a glimmer of hope that they might somehow survive the battle. He bent low and checked on Tiberius. The wizard was breathing, and there was no visible wound. Rafe guessed that whatever spell Ti had cast had worked, but the cost was terrible. The realization of his friend’s sacrifice hardened Rafe’s resolve. He wouldn’t let anything touch his friend, not while he lived.

Some of the creatures were now fighting each other. When they had first come from the portal, they seemed to have had a singular focus, but now they were scattered. Killing was all they seemed intent on; whether it was killing the humans or killing each other didn’t seem to matter.

Lexi and Olyva had split apart, and Olyva was fending off a huge, hairy beast. It had massive legs that were covered in fur, then an almost smooth, human body, but the head of a shaggy animal. Its arms were tiny and practically useless, but its snapping jaws were deadly. Olyva was keeping the beast at bay with her spear, but Rafe was afraid she couldn’t stop the monster for long. Then, as fearless as any of the creatures that came through the demon’s portal, Lexi ran and jumped on the beast’s back. Her left hand grabbed onto the shaggy fur of its head, and the right drew her Wangorian dagger quickly across the monster’s throat. The entire attack lasted only a second. Her agile feet launched her backward, off the beast’s rump. She turned a somersault in the air and landed gracefully on her feet as the monster fell on its knees and then toppled onto its side.

“Wake up, Tiberius!” Rafe shouted. He bent down and slapped his friend hard.

Tiberius moaned but didn’t wake up. Rafe didn’t have time to keep trying. A very heavy-looking beast on all fours was fighting two smaller creatures. They were skinny beasts with long arms and legs that were constantly in motion. The heavy creature was trying to knock them away or impale them on the long horns that spiraled out of its forehead, but the smaller beasts dodged and jumped back and forth over the larger monster. The beasts were stumbling and rolling directly toward Tiberius, and Rafe knew he couldn’t stop them. Instead he grabbed Tiberius’s arm and pulled his friend to safety.

“Is he okay?” Lexi shouted.

“I think so,” Rafe called back.

Olyva was slowly backing away from a tall monster on six legs. It had huge pincers and a hard shell across its back. Lexi came to check on Tiberius, and Rafe ran to help Olyva. He raised his sword and hacked at one of the beast’s six legs. The sword bounced harmlessly off the shell-like exterior, and the creature swung a serrated pincer toward Rafe, who dodged back before he could get caught in the huge claw.

“I can’t stop it!” Olyva shouted.

There was desperation in her voice, and Rafe knew he needed to do something. The creature turned as Rafe tried to circle around behind it. It was fast, perhaps not able to cover distances as quickly as some, but in tight confines the monster was able to turn back and forth with dazzling speed.

Rafe attacked again, this time aiming his long sword at the creature’s joint. It was as high as Rafe’s head, the body towering above him, but the sword was able to cut the beast’s leg at the joint. It wasn’t a devastating blow and certainly not the killing stroke Rafe needed it to be, but he drew blood.

“Attack the joints!” Rafe shouted.

Olyva jabbed with her spear but missed. Rafe was just about to renew his attack when another creature bowled into him. It had a thick leathery hide and a pointed snout. Long claws extended from the paws on all four legs, and when it gained speed, it curled into a ball, smashing into its victims and knocking them senseless before pouncing and ripping them to bloody ribbons.

Rafe struggled to get back to his feet, but the creature crashed into him again, knocking his sword from his hand and sending him sprawling backward. When he opened his eyes, he saw the creature in mid-leap. Rafe had just enough time to draw his dagger. The thick blade was as wide as Rafe’s fist at the hilt and tapered into a strong, sharp point. He raised the weapon just as the creature landed on him. The beast’s weight knocked the wind out of him, but the dagger had stabbed into the animal’s side. It scrambled back, slicing Rafe’s scalp and chest with its long talons in the process of getting away.

Rafe screamed in pain, losing his dagger but surviving the encounter. Meanwhile, Lexi had rushed to Olyva’s aid. She timed her own charge and ran between the huge armored beast’s tall legs. The blue steel of her blade flashed as she ran under the monster, opening a huge gash in its soft underbelly. Blood gushed out, but Lexi was gone, racing back out from under the monster to safety. The wounded beast roared and reared up. Olyva’s spear found an exposed leg joint and bit deep. The creature collapsed, flipping away from Olyva as it fell and landing on its hardshell back, where it was helpless.

Rafe struggled to his feet, swiping the blood from his eyes and picking up his sword. He moved back toward Tiberius where Lexi and Olyva were waiting. They were all breathing hard and watching for any sign of danger. All around them the horrible monsters battled. When Rafe felt something grab his leg, he almost slashed down with his sword before even looking to see what it was.

Tiberius was awake and struggling to get to his feet.

“Are you okay?” Rafe asked, hauling his friend up.

“I will be,” Tiberius said weakly.

Lexi grabbed his other arm to steady him, but it was Olyva who lent him the most strength.

“Here, lean against me,” she said.

Rafe looked down and saw her toes were digging into the cracks left in the ground as the lava cooled. Tiberius put one hand on Olyva’s back and then leaned against her. When Rafe looked up again, what he saw made him want to drop his sword and run.

“Wizard!” screamed the demon, its voice like the roar of an angry animal.

“It’s flesh and blood now,” Tiberius said. “We have to kill it.”

“How?” Rafe asked.

“Its a Tuscogee. You fight, I’ll protect you.”

Rafe’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t afraid of fighting any man, yet the creature before him wasn’t a man. It was taller than Rafe; its long muscular arms were almost the length of its entire body. The legs looked strong, but they were so twisted the demon used
its
arms like crutches. Rafe had no idea what the creature was capable of, yet he knew that if Tiberius had his back, he could win.

“Let’s do this,” Rafe said grimly.

He stepped forward, raising his sword into a defensive position. The demon snarled and bent low. Behind him, Rafe could hear Tiberius chanting a spell. Then the hideous creature charged, and Rafe ran to meet him. Just before they reached each other, Rafe saw the demon’s eyes, which were terrifying black orbs, widen slightly. It was a look Rafe knew, a look of surprise. Whatever Tiberius was doing, he knew it had caught the demon off guard, and he meant to take advantage of it.

The demon swung one arm in a low arc directly in front of it. The blow should have swept Rafe’s feet out from under him, but he jumped toward the creature, hurdling the demon’s arm and stabbing down with his rapier. The sword gouged into the demon’s shoulder, hit bone, then bounced away. Rafe stumbled as he fell, falling onto his side and rolling away from the demon, which roared in pain.

Rafe scrambled to his feet and attacked again, this time slashing at the demon’s crippled legs, only this time his sword didn’t touch the creature before it bounced harmlessly away, and it was Rafe’s turn to look stunned. Then a powerful but invisible force knocked him backward and sent him sprawling in the dust.

Chapter 46

Tiberius

Leaning against Olyva was like leaning against a tree, and Tiberius almost felt as if he were stronger when he touched her. His whole body ached, and he felt so weak it was as if he were starving to death. Yet all around him was the carnage of another world, one that threatened to wreak havoc all across Valana unless he stopped it.

He cast the cloaking spell on Rafe and watched as his friend vanished from view. He felt Olyva stiffen when Rafe disappeared, but then they saw the blood erupt from the demon’s shoulder. It appeared spontaneous, but Tiberius knew it was Rafe’s handiwork. Then the demon cast a spell of his own. Ti felt Rafe go sprawling and barely had time to protect himself, Olyva, and Lexi.

“
Scuti Incantatio
,” Tiberius said, lifting the shielding spell just as he was battered by the demon’s own magic.

The kinetic energy would have knocked him down, but Olyva wrapped one arm around him and held him fast. Rafe was slow getting up. The cloaking spell gone, and the warrior was in plain view. The demon turned toward Tiberius.

“You cannot resist me, wizard,” he snarled.

“I already have,” Tiberius shouted back.

“None can stand before Draggah!”

“We defy you!”

“Then die!”

Olyva hurled her spear. It wasn’t a powerful throw and wasn’t really intended to kill the demon, just distract it long enough for Tiberius to act. The missile flew true, and Draggah was nearly impaled, but he batted the weapon away at the last instant.

“
Fulguralis
,” Tiberius said calmly.

The thicker smoke overhead churned, and then lightning flashed down. For a moment Tiberius was blinded by the brightness of the attack, but when his vision returned, what he saw took his breath away. Draggah, the demon made flesh, had somehow caught the powerful lightning, condensing it into a ball of energy, and then sent it flying straight at Tiberius.

“Move!” he screamed.

Tiberius dove out of the way, and Lexi twirled to the side, but Olyva couldn’t move fast enough. She tried to drop back, but the energy blazed across the side of her face, charring the flesh and burning away the long, dark tresses on the side of her head.

“No!” screamed Rafe.

Tiberius saw him charging forward and knew that his friend was going to die unless he did something. He placed his palms on the ground, feeling the warmth of the recently cooled lava, and chanted his spell as fast as he could.

“
Conflo Fervefacio Aestifer.
” The portal opened, but Tiberius pushed it underground, letting the heat erupt from underneath Draggah.

Rafe covered the distance between himself and the demon in record time. Tiberius could only hope his spell would help somehow. The demon drew back one long, powerful arm, his fingers straight and stiff, the bony claws at the tip of each finger creating a serrated blade of sorts. He was going to stab Rafe, killing Tiberius’ friend. Rafe raised his sword above his head, the muscles in his arms flexing as he prepared to make the killing stroke.

Draggah’s arm shot forward, faster than the strike of a viper, but at the same time, the ground melted beneath him. His twisted legs struggled to walk, but they made a suitable base when the creature didn’t move, allowing him to stand upright and using his long arms freely. Luckily they had little feeling and didn’t notice the ground suddenly becoming hot beneath him. The blackened stone, cooled from the previous day, suddenly melted, and the demon fell into a thick pool of magma. The demon’s thrust missed Rafe, but the momentum sent him sprawling wide of his target and caused the warrior’s strike to miss, as well.

Draggah’s body was flesh now, and for the first time since coming to Valana centuries before, he felt pain. The demon scrambled from the molten rock, but the lava clung to his flesh, burning and searing its way through the tough skin and muscle and fusing to the bone as blood poured over the liquid rock, cooling and hardening the molten stone in mere seconds while it still clung to Draggah’s flesh.

The demon flung itself toward Tiberius, who dashed backward but tripped over his own feet. He fell hard, his back erupting in pain, but there was no time to waste. He rolled onto his knees and raised his shielding spell.

“
Scuti Incantatio
!” he shouted.

The magical spell formed around Tiberius just as the demon uttered its own curse. There was no flash of light, no blast of fire or sudden apparition, just a swirl of magic that slowly tightened around Tiberius. He felt his shield contracting, squeezing the breath from his lungs. He pushed back, trying to force his shield spell out from his body, but the demon’s strength was too great. The demon’s face was little more than shadow, its eyes soulless black orbs, but Tiberius could see the glee in them. The demon had him, and he knew there was nothing Tiberius could do to stop him.

Tiberius screamed, the wail of pain and fear cut short as the demon’s spell contracted even harder. Ti’s vision wavered, but he saw his best friend, bloodied but looking savage, racing to his aid. Rafe bellowed a fierce war cry as he attacked, bringing his sword down in a quick chop that would have severed the demon’s head, but Draggah raised an arm defensively, and the rapier lodged in the demon’s forearm. He jerked away instinctively, ripping the sword from Rafe’s hand.

“Tiberius,” Rafe shouted. “Get back!”

Ti rolled to his feet and staggered back, just as Rafe planted himself firmly between the demon and Tiberius. He had no sword, no weapon to fight with, just the courage to stand between a terrifying monster and his friend. The demon’s unwounded arm came around in a savage arc, hitting Rafe on the side of the young warrior’s head and knocking him senseless. Rafe didn't move, not even flinching from the demon’s wicked blow.

“
Specula Fulsi
,” Tiberius shouted.

The portal opened above the demon’s head, and he saw it. Draggah raised one bony hand to deflect the magical light, but the focused light spell simply burned through his hand and into the featureless face. The light seared into the demon’s forehead, right between where the curving horns sprouted from his skull. The scream was so intense it was hard for Tiberius to stay focused.

Draggah rolled, trying to escape, but Tiberius wouldn’t let him. He moved the portal and kept the magic directed at the demon. It tried to cast spells, but Ti’s attack was too strong and the pain from the burning ray of light too intense for the demon to withstand. Tiberius had no idea how much of the wretched creature was flesh or if that flesh was anything like a normal person, but he poured the focused light into the demon until Draggah shuddered and lay still.

Then Tiberius fell to his knees, panting for breath. He felt weak, and his body ached from the battle, but he was alive thanks to Rafe. Ti looked around for Lexi. She was bent over Olyva with a worried expression, but Lexi didn’t seem to be hurt at all. Tiberius got to his feet, waited a moment for his dizziness to pass, then looked around. The wide, barren plain was littered with the bodies of horrid monsters. More of the wretched creatures were fleeing the mountain, but they were of little concern to Tiberius at the moment. The fact that none seemed interested in attacking him or his friends was all that mattered.

He staggered over to Olyva and got on his knees beside her. Her once classic features were blackened, the skin a mass of hideous blisters. The stench made Tiberius’ eyes water, but he didn’t care. Olyva had given him strength when he needed it most and she was Rafe’s beloved. He wouldn’t rest until he had helped her.

“
Acies Sano Cuticula, Acies Penetralis Resarcio Viscus
,” he chanted.

Sana Magus, healing magic, was in his opinion the first and greatest of all forms of magic. He let the mysterious healing power swirl into Olyva. He could feel the change, started by the Hosscum grove when they had first been banished from Avondale, taking place inside her. Even on the most basic level, her body was mutating, and he knew it was only a matter of time now before she completed her transformation and became a Hosscum tree. He couldn’t stop that—not that Olyva would want him to—but he could heal the burns.

His own face suddenly flared with intense pain. He was still chanting the spell, but his voice shook, and sweat poured from his head from the agony he endured. Burns always seemed to take longer to heal than anything else in Tiberius’ opinion, but he stayed strong for Rafe and Olyva. Eventually the pain subsided, and Lexi gasped in amazement as her skin regained its color, the blisters disappeared, and even her hair grew back.

When he was finally finished, Tiberius nearly collapsed. Lexi was signaling for the sky ship to return, but it was taking the ship a while to sail back down and pick them up. Tiberius wanted to close his eyes and sleep. He was dizzy, weak, and tired, unlike when he cast the destruction spell and felt invincible. He had sent that powerful magic into the Balestone, foiling the demon’s plans and saving Valana from a horrible fate. He hadn’t really expected to live beyond accomplishing that feat, but now he wanted nothing more than to be with his friends.

“I need to check on Rafe,” Tiberius said.

He got up slowly and walked over to where Rafe lay. Tiberius knew his friend had been knocked out but he hadn’t expected to find Rafe looking the way he did. There was blood from some cuts on his head and across his chest, but what scared Tiberius most was the blood coming from Rafe’s ears.

“Lexi!” Tiberius shouted.

“What is it?” she asked as she turned around.

Olyva was just sitting up, feeling the side of her head in surprise and wonder, but Tiberius felt his world suddenly spinning out of control. He knelt by his friend and placed his hands on either side of Rafe’s skull. One side felt soft.

“
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis
,” Tiberius chanted.

The bone healing spell wasn’t as difficult as the spell to heal burns, and almost immediately Tiberius felt a dull ache in his head. It grew worse, but it was nothing as severe as the burns he’d healed on Olyva. Yet his worry grew. Through the flow of magic and the
Corporeus Adfectus
, Tiberius could feel the buildup of blood in Rafe’s skull. The bones fused back together, but his friend didn’t stir.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lexi asked.

“Oh, Rafe,” Olyva said as she bent over the young warrior.

“The demon struck him down,” Tiberius said. “He was protecting me.”

He had to swipe the tears from his eyes so that he could look for any sign of life from Rafe.

“The ship should be here soon,” Lexi said, her voice now strained with worry.

Tiberius looked at her, and the fear he felt for his friend was reflected in Lexi’s anxious look. Olyva was weeping quietly, and Tiberius suddenly felt an intense grief he’d never experienced before. It was worse than any physical pain, and more than anything he wanted to deny the truth. He felt powerless and frustrated, wanting to scream but choosing to chant his spell instead. Desperately hoping there was still a chance to save his friend.

“
Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano Crudus Viscus.
”

The spell for internal bleeding began to work immediately, and Tiberius could sense that it was the brain that was bleeding. He worked slowly, letting the magic flow and heal. His own heart was pounding, and he felt light headed, but he didn’t let up. He had to save Rafe, to heal him and bring him back.

Eventually there was nothing left to be done. Tiberius healed the cuts on Rafe’s scalp and chest, then they waited for the sky ship. Rafe never stirred. His breathing became deep and even, but when the ship finally swooped in, they were forced to carry Rafe onboard.

Tiberius had meant to have the ship stop and get Leonosis, but when he sat in the thickly padded chair next to the bed where Rafe was placed, he fell almost instantly to sleep.