Spirit Blade: Book III of the Dragon Mage Trilogy (5 page)

The companions were still there, but they had been buffeted about from the wild ride. Sherman had tumbled back to Kazin’s tail. He looked like he was going to be sick. Harran hung down the side of the dragon’s body, held tightly by the strong hairy arm of the minotaur, who’s other hand was dug deeply into Kazin’s wing with his long claws. Only Olag had not changed position. His scaly hands and feet had kept him secure during the wild flight.

“Are we there?” asked Sherman shakily, looking around at the circle of light given off by Kazin’s magical light.

Zylor lowered the dwarf to the ground before releasing his own hold on the dragon. His claws left small marks in the dragon’s skin but Kazin gave no indication he felt it. “I suspect we are.”

Harran’s beard was askew as he sat down on the floor with a gasp. “I sure hope the return trip will go a bit easier.”

Olag extracted himself from his position and slid down the dragon’s leg to land on his feet. “That went better than I thought,” he commented.

“Speak for yourself,” grunted Sherman. He carefully crawled down Kazin’s wing to the safety of the floor.

With everyone off of his back, Kazin transformed back into his human form. The light he was emitting a moment ago, which seemed to emanate from his reptilian body, now shone with even greater intensity from the orb atop his staff. “I think we should rest,” he stated matter-of-factly. No one argued.

They withdrew some food they had brought with them for the journey and had a quick dinner break. Then Kazin rose to his feet and stretched. “It’s time to move on. I’d rather not spend the night here if I can help it - not that daytime around here looks any different.”

Sherman finished his mug of water and rose. “I’m with you. Lead on.”

The others packed up their mugs and stood, looking expectantly at the mage. Kazin chanted a spell and his staff pulled imperceptibly to the left. “This way.”

They walked for only about five minutes before a golden door framed in a steel doorway appeared ahead of them. It was only the door and frame. Nothing was around it. It seemed out of place in the vast emptiness of the void they were in.

“It’s the same as last time,” concluded the dwarf. “The words of warning are above the door.”

“Yes,” said Sherman. He walked around to the other side of the door. “The saying on this side reads ‘The future - to escape the past without fulfilling your destiny will lead to a dead future.’” He turned to Kazin. “Do you suppose someone went through this door and caused a dead future like you were describing?”

“It’s certainly possible,” said Kazin.

“Then do we go through and bring whoever it was back?” asked Olag.

“No,” answered the mage. “I think the better course of action would be to go into the past and prevent them from doing it in the first place - if that’s what is causing the problem. We don’t know for sure. In addition, I do know the problem originates before your current time, because the ‘malfunction’, if you will, has already begun.”

“Can you control where we end up?” asked Zylor. “You were amazingly accurate in arriving at the arena to find me.”

“That’s because I had already been there before,” said Kazin. “I can use magic to go where I’ve already been and when, although the ‘when’ part is difficult. In this case, according to my calculations, the rate of the disappearances tells me we’ll have to go back many years, to around the time of the dragon wars.”

Sherman whistled. “That was an interesting time in our history.”

Kazin nodded. “There were many records, some true, some fictional, about occurrences during that time. Many scholars to this day still debate about what really did or did not happen. I’m hoping we can use that as a smokescreen to do what we have to do, because the more we interfere, the more unstable the future can become.”

“So you’re saying we should go in, do our thing, and get out with as little fuss as possible.”

Kazin nodded. “Yes. But it may not be easy. There are many thieves and brigands during that time. Any one of them could be essential in how our future turns out. We can’t just kill them if they stumble upon us. If we have to kill in self-defense, it will have to be as a last resort only.”

“That will be difficult,” rumbled the minotaur.

Kazin sighed. “I know. But if we don’t at least attempt this, the future as we know it will disappear anyway.”

“Then let’s get on with it,” said Harran resolutely.

Kazin nodded. He read the side of the door that led into the past. “The past - Do not disturb the sands of time. To do so will ensure your destruction.”

“Then let’s ensure our destruction,” intoned Zylor.

Kazin cast a spell that he hoped would send them back to the right time in history upon entering the doorway. “Remember to keep as silent as possible so as not to disturb the creatures that linger there,” cautioned Kazin. He cautiously turned the brass doorknob but it was stuck. Then he grinned sheepishly. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. This happened last time.” He raised his staff and pointed it at the door. With slight concentration, the doorknob turned and the door opened outward. Without looking back, the companions stepped through the opening and the door closed behind them with an audible ‘click’.

Chapter 5

T
he five companions congregated on a small ledge just big enough for them to stand in a tight group. The air was damp and oppressive. The light from Kazin’s staff penetrated only so far before being swallowed up by a thick fog. Two posts stood at one end of the ledge and were attached to a swinging crosswalk constructed of wood and rope. It swayed ever so slightly and creaked under the stress of its own weight. Rope railings lined either side of the narrow bridge, whose rungs faded off into the unknown. Turning back was not an option. The door they had entered by had vanished. Peering over the edge of the ledge only confirmed what they already knew from previous experience. The ledge appeared to be free floating. There was nothing but air underneath. The only way they could go was along the crosswalk. It sloped downward toward the middle.

“You lead the way, Zylor,” whispered Kazin. “Olag, you follow. Have your bow ready. I’ll go in the middle to provide light and magical support. Sherman, you’re next. Harran, you take rear guard.”

Harran nodded. “Same order as last time.”

Kazin nodded. “Any questions?” Everyone shook their heads and drew their weapons.

Zylor tentatively stepped onto the bridge. It creaked but held. He took several slow steps and Olag followed. The others fell into step behind them, an equal distance apart.

With agonizing slowness, they made their way across the bridge, not wanting to awaken the creatures they knew lurked beyond the shadows. All went well for a while, and they reached what they assumed to be the middle of the crosswalk without incident. At this point the bridge began to rise in front of them. The only thing they could hear was the creaking of the crosswalk and their own breathing.

Suddenly, a shriek broke the stillness up ahead, followed by a blood curdling scream. The companions paused and looked at one another in alarm. They had not done anything to alert the creatures of their presence, yet something must have detected them.

More shrieks rent the air ahead followed by several flashes of light. “Get back!” cried a feminine voice. More flashes followed; then more shrieks. The companions soon realized it was not they who had been detected, but someone up ahead.

They didn’t have a chance to think about it as Sherman signaled a warning. Something was coming toward them from the rear. Harran braced himself to contend with the approaching creature. It appeared to be some sort of zombie, its decayed flesh and torn clothing an ugly sight to behold.

The bridge vibrated with the approach of many feet. “We have to keep moving!” whispered Kazin as loudly as he dared. More screams were heard ahead of them. Kazin cast a shield above them just as a black bat-like object flew at them, screeching a warning cry to its counterparts. The companions had been detected.

The bat thing didn’t get very far as it smashed into Kazin’s invisible shield. It fell silently into the blackness below.

Harran sliced off the approaching zombie’s head with his ice axe and stepped back as its instantly frozen body fell toward him. Its body, brittle as glass, shattered loudly as it struck the bridge slats. “So much for silence,” he grumbled. He turned and headed after the others who were already moving forward rapidly. More shrieks sounded all around them and flashes appeared ahead of them again.

Zylor was moving too fast for Kazin’s shield to cover him when a bat thing came screeching toward him. It never reached him as Olag shot two rapidly fired arrows into it. It whooshed past the minotaur harmlessly. The minotaur turned to nod his thanks when two more of those beasts came at him from either side. One fell to Olag’s next arrow and the other one would have struck the minotaur had it not been fried by Kazin’s lightning bolt. Zylor was merely showered with its ashes. By this time the others caught up to him and he surged ahead once more. But he didn’t get far. His right leg broke through one of the wooden slats and he fell awkwardly. Olag ran to assist him in getting disentangled while Kazin did his best to shoot any of the flying creatures that threatened them.

Behind, more zombies appeared and were gaining on them, so Harran and Sherman had to turn to face their attack. Harran chopped mercilessly with the ice axe and Sherman swung his sword above the dwarf’s head whenever there was an opening. He had a strange expression on his face as he struck his first enemy in the shoulder. He glanced at his sword in consternation and his face reddened. No one had time to notice the big warrior’s hesitation. They all had their hands full. Black bat things rammed ineffectively against Kazin’s shield as Zylor was finally freed and the group moved forward again. The pause was good in that a number of zombie bodies were now blocking the path to the rear. Zombies had to throw their counterparts over the side of the bridge to give chase.

Ahead, Zylor saw some zombies, but they were going away from them. He thought it was odd that they appeared to be running away but he didn’t care. He sprang into them from behind, his blood lust burning in his veins. He grinned as he felt the sensation, a feeling he had not had in a long time. He hacked into the zombies with a vengeance befitting a minotaur. Zombie body parts flew to either side as he hacked, while Olag and Kazin took care of the winged creatures with arrows and magic.

The winged creatures gave up attacking Kazin’s shield and began attacking from the sides where the shield ended to allow the companions to contend with the zombies. The bat things even tried to attack through the slats from underneath. Kazin kept the shield above them and fried the bat things wherever they posed a threat.

Now that they were bogged down again, Harran and Sherman had to deal with the zombies who had once again come from behind. The bridge shook and wobbled dangerously and everyone had to concentrate on keeping their balance as they fought.

Now the female voice could be heard again, louder this time. She was chanting some unknown magic.

A mass of zombies ahead of Zylor appeared to be having difficulty moving. He hacked into them and suddenly he was surprised at how heavy his legs felt. His battle axe felt like it was a hundred times heavier, too. It took tremendous effort to do anything, including breathe. Sheer determination and blood lust kept him moving forward, but the going was very slow.

Kazin noticed Zylor’s decrease in speed and his extreme effort in wielding his weapon. He realized something was wrong and used magic to make Zylor stronger. The minotaur moved somewhat easier, but something still slowed him down. It occurred to the mage that Zylor was possibly under some sort of spell intended for the zombies. Flashes of light appeared again, but they seemed weaker than before. A light cry of dismay was heard not far ahead past the throng of zombies. Kazin threw a quick look back to confirm that Harran and Sherman had things under control and directed his attention up front. Zylor was on one knee, weakly swinging his axe at a zombie who fared no better than he. They looked like two warriors who had fought to exhaustion but did not want to give up. Had Kazin’s spell been canceled? Even Olag was becoming fatigued. His arrows were flying off target.

Kazin pointed his staff at the milling zombies in front of them and picked them off one at a time, sending them from the bridge with high intensity fireballs. As the crowd of zombies thinned, Kazin could see glimpses of someone in a blue robe who was huddled down on the bridge. The individual was casting some quick spells at the screaming bat things that stunned them with a bright flash of light. Any flying creatures near the flash were immobilized and fell silently into the dark expanse below. Zombies were not only between Kazin’s group and the individual, but they were also massed beyond her as well, blocking her escape. All of them were virtually immobile, suffering from the same debilitating condition that was affecting Zylor and Olag. It didn’t affect Kazin yet - his magical ability making him more resistant to the magic - but he could feel it in the air around him. Thankfully the dwarf and warrior were still far enough away to be unaffected. Kazin marveled at the cloaked figure’s ability to hold off all of the enemies single-handedly.

The blue-cloaked figure cast some more immobilizing spells at the winged creatures. These spells were not as intense as before and the figure moaned in fear. Her magic was weakening.

“Don’t worry!” called Kazin. “We’ll get you safely away!”

The cloaked figure sprang to her feet, startled. She had been so intent on the bat things she had forgotten about the zombies around her. Only the glint from her eyes could be seen as she stared at the newcomer. One of the bat things chose this opportunity to swoop down on her but Kazin reacted in time. The cloaked figure tensed as Kazin shot a lightning bolt at the creature and blasted a hole right through it. The creature bounced off the cloaked figure and fell to the side to disappear forever.

The cloaked figure flinched at the unexpected contact but stood firm. She now realized this was not another monster but an ally. She threw back her hood to reveal a young, beautiful face with many small freckles and dark blue eyes. Her shoulder length hair was a vibrant red, more vivid than any red hair any of the companions had ever seen. Her eyes were fearful but there was gratitude in her face.

“Who- who are you?” she asked.

Kazin took care of the remaining zombies between them and cast a shield over the woman just as a group of bat things swooped down on her in unison. They smashed into Kazin’s shield and flew back, screaming in anger.

“My name is Arch Mage Kazin,” said the mage as he checked behind him once more. The barrier of immobile zombie bodies that Harran and Sherman had created prevented any further attack from the rear. The dwarf and warrior were catching their breath and eyed the bat things around them in suspicion. “Can you cancel your spell on my companions?” asked Kazin, indicating Zylor and Olag. He could have done it himself, but he wanted to gain the woman’s trust.

The female spell caster wrinkled her nose. “Those creatures are your companions?”

Kazin grinned weakly as he shot a fireball at another bat thing. It shrieked into the depths below. Most of the others were holding their position, waiting for an opening. “Yes, they are, believe it or not. I assure you they won’t hurt you.”

The female spell caster looked doubtful.

“Look,” said Kazin in exasperation, “I could give you all kinds of reasons why I trust them, but this isn’t the time or the place. I want to get away from here as much as you do.”

The spell caster blinked and nodded. “O.K.” She thumbed over her shoulder at the throng of zombies that blocked their path. “Can you get through that?”

Kazin nodded and smiled. “If you release my friends, we’ll do just that.”

The spell caster nodded. She lifted her hand - she carried no staff - and chanted. Zylor and Olag, who were sitting, weak and exhausted, rose to their feet. Zylor strode forward and the spell caster tensed as the minotaur approached, glaring malevolently. She was prepared to cast a spell on him the instant he made any sudden movement, but he calmly squeezed by her, his weapon lowered. Once past, he growled and raised his battle axe. Then he charged into the throng of zombies. To everyone’s astonishment, Zylor took one mere swing and a dozen zombies were thrown into the air. Pieces of them flew so hard and fast they took out a number of the bat things in the process. It was at this point that Kazin realized what had happened. He had assumed that his earlier spell to make Zylor stronger had been canceled, but it was still active because of the pendant the minotaur wore. It ensured that Kazin’s spell remained in effect, even after the other spell caster had removed hers.

It took only moments for the minotaur to finish off the zombies. The end of the crosswalk was just beyond. Everyone hurried to the ledge where the golden door awaited. Olag took care of any bat things that ventured near with his arrows while Kazin opened the door. Everyone eagerly stepped through to the other side.

High above the combatants, a large, dark cloud coalesced and writhed in impotent fury as it watched the companions exit the area. For hundreds of years it had accumulated strength from the evil spirits of many of the dead beings in this forsaken place, and it had been poised to finally take control of the first figure to come along in many years. It was very close to succeeding when Kazin and his companions showed up to intervene. Startled by the untimely arrival so shortly after the arrival of the cloaked figure, the cloud had retreated high up and out of sight in the darkness to watch the outcome of the situation, and, seeing the newcomers drive back the zombies with tremendous effort and zeal, it realized too late that it would not escape this place this day. Silently, it vowed not to hesitate the next time. With great anger, it realized it might not see another time traveler for centuries to come, if ever. This only made it more determined to act the next time.

Outside, the bright sunlight was a stark contrast to the damp, dark fogginess of the time travel bridge and forced the companions to blink and squint to get used to it. The door disappeared behind them, so they examined their surroundings. They were at the edge of a mountain looking east at the rising sun. The wind was brisk and cold. The terrain below them was green and lush with pristine forested lands. The southern edge looked slightly more barren as the forest gave way to scrub brush. South, beyond that, was the beginning of a desert.

Harran was the first to speak. “Unless I miss my guess, we’re on the eastern face of the Five Fingers Mountains.”

“It’s not where, but when that I’m more concerned about,” said Kazin. “I can only hope my spell was accurate enough to send us back to the right time in our history.”

“Why do you want to be in the past?” asked the female spell caster.

The others all turned to the stranger in unison.

“I’m sorry,” said Kazin after a moment. “I guess we should introduce ourselves.”

The stranger looked around at the companions. “I think I already know who you are - at least I know about you, but not your names.”

“How so?” asked Sherman.

The spell caster turned to glance at the big warrior with penetrating blue eyes. “My father wrote about you. You’re the ‘Guardian’. Am I right?”