The Divine Unleashed (Book 3) (25 page)

“Kade, Doren is trying a different tact but he is almost too exhausted to keep this up.  He says you must do something soon or they will be lost.  They are holding at the cave but it won’t be for long,” Rakna hissed quietly.

“What is that?” Morg asked as he gripped the staff and closed his eyes.  “The Divine being used?  There is another?  It is too weak.  No!  Not the one I seek.  WHERE ARE YOU?” Morg Raged again. 

He gripped the staff in both hands and held it out in front of himself as if he was about to drive a pole into the ground.  Kade gasped as the medallion scalded his skin.  He leaned forward to let it hang away from his body.  The slight scent of burnt hair and skin wafted up to him.  He clenched his teeth until the pain subsided.

“Kade?” Darcienna asked, hearing the hiss of air being drawn in through clenched teeth.

“I am…okay.  He keeps searching for me, and when he does, it heats the medallion.  I suspect that being so close has something to do with it,” Kade whispered.

“Get in that cave and kill everything!” Morg screamed, almost hoarse.  “What do you mean the spiders changed to earth creatures?  They are still spiders you imbecile.  A Chosen in the cave is casting an Illusion Calling,” he said as his grip on the staff tightened.  His knuckles turned white as he listened to the distant communication.  “Yes, I am sure.  Either they die or you die!”

The king says they are truly fighting amongst themselves now.  That is not the Master Chosen’s doing,
Rakna said in Kade’s head.

“Then we have caught a break.  It gives us just a little breathing room,” Kade said, grateful.

“What are you planning?” Darcienna asked.  Rakna edged just a little closer and Kade could feel Ven looking at him from his shoulder. 

What am I going to do?
Kade asked himself.

“I am going to walk right up and take the staff,” he said.  No one responded.  Kade felt his stomach drop.  “He can’t see us or hear us.  How can that go wrong?”

“Kade, I am not sure about that,” Darcienna said, her voice full of doubt.  “I just don’t think it is going to be that easy.”

“If any of you have a better idea, please let me know.  I am very willing to try anything,” Kade said, doing his best to sound confident. 

He was met with silence.  Kade felt a light breeze blowing through the chamber and down the tunnel.  He closed his eyes to calm his nerves as he prepared to draw on the Divine.  The connection with the dragon clicked into place and Kade felt the eager scaled warrior yearning to join them.  Rayden misunderstood what the link was for and readied to charge down the tunnel.

NO!
Kade thought in panic.  Morg’s head snapped around to look in all directions at once.  The evil Chosen held completely still, not breathing as he listened for what had gotten his attention.  Kade felt the dragon stop. 
Hold still,
Kade sent strongly.  He was holding his breath while he watched Morg.  The man was studying the dark tunnel when something in the water caught his attention.  He did a double take and immediately forgot about anything other than the scene playing out before him.  His lip curled and his face reddened.

“How can you be so disorganized?” Morg yelled as he smashed the water with his staff, not just once, but three times in rapid succession.  He clenched both fists as he screamed his rage at the small pond.  “Pull back and organize your troops.”  Kade was hoping he would drop of a heart attack.

The Apprentice Chosen stood watching, trying to find any other solution to the problem, but nothing better than walking right up and snatching the staff from the man’s hands presented itself.  Morg began to smile and then laughed as he watched the scene.  It was unnerving to see him go from such intense rage to laughter so quickly.  Kade recalled how he and Morg had had, what appeared to be, a very civil chat in Doren’s library.

“Much better.  Yes, much better,” Morg said with pleasure as he watched the scene closely.

“Kade, they have figured out what was happening and are now organizing again.  They have renewed their attack and broken through our ranks.  They are closing in on the tunnel.  The king says they need you now.  Kade…,” Rakna almost pleaded.

“We can’t do anything from…,” Kade was starting to say in despair when he paused.  “Wait.  We can help.  We can get Morg to stop them,” Kade said excitedly.  “Quickly, tell the king to tell Doren to make an image of Morg.  He will know what to do from there,” Kade said hopefully.  This had to buy them time.

The queen was silent for several long moments as she relayed the message.  Morg paced around the pool several times and then crossed the room to the hole in the ground.  He leaned over and looked down, looking for something.  Kade was shocked at what happened next.

“We will find that which we seek, shortly,” Morg said.  It was not only what he said that had Kade surprised, but that he said it in a completely subservient manner.  If Morg was acting subservient, then who was he talking to?

A deep voice that caused a vibration to run through the entire mountain reverberated in Kade’s bones.  As the voice spoke, a hot wind traveled up the hole and brushed past the hidden group.  Kade shivered.  If he was not scared already, he was frightened to the point of paralysis now.

“YOU SHALL NOT FAIL OR YOU WILL SUFFER OUR WRATH!” the voice warned.  “YOUR ARMY IS FALLING THROUGH TO THIS SIDE IN DROVES!” the voice said harshly.

“Soon, we will have the Chosen that you seek.  And also, there is another.  I sense someone else using the Divine,” Morg said, hopeful that the news would placate the voice.

“DO NOT FAIL,” the voice responded.

“Kade,” Rakna hissed so quietly that he could barely hear her.  He wanted to remind her that they were under the Silence Calling, but he knew it would do no good.  Even he did not want to speak louder than he had to.  “Crayken says it is working.  He says he has them fighting amongst themselves again.”

Morg glanced at the water, and before he could turn his attention back to the pit, he raced over to the pool and stared in confusion.  His face started to redden as he clenched his jaw tightly.  He screamed into the scene.

“What…are…you…doing?  No, I did not tell you to attack the earth creatures again!  No, I am not hovering over you.  Attack the spiders and get in that cave NOW!” Morg bellowed.

“We are out of time,” Kade said as he stood.  “Ven, Rakna, Darcienna, stay here,” he said as he readied to make his move.  Ven, still in the form of an insect, flew off his shoulder and landed on a wall nearby.

“The bloody afterlife I will,” Darcienna said as she stood with him.  “If ever there is a time you will need me, it is going to be now.  Do what you must, but don’t even try to leave me behind again,” she said and she meant it.  The image of him floating in the arch blazoned in her mind.

Without arguing, Kade moved as smoothly as possible while he worked his way across the chamber.  Morg showed no indication that he knew anyone was closing in on him.  He was so focused on the scene unfolding in the water that Kade thought he might have been able to walk up on him uncloaked.

With every step he took, his heart beat harder.  He felt as if the pounding in his ears alone was going to give him away.  He wiped his clammy hands on his pants, making sure they were as dry as possible for when he snatched the staff away.  He was now only fifteen feet from the Master Chosen as he wrinkled his nose.  It was obvious that Morg had not bathed for days.  Kade tried to calm his breathing.  Darcienna had her hand on his arm as he continued to close the distance.

“You must stay here,” Kade barely whispered.  “Do not argue.  I need room to move once I have the staff,” he said firmly.  Darcienna let go of his arm in acknowledgement.

Kade, lifting his foot ever so slowly, and focusing to keep his balance, moved another step closer.  And yet, another step, as Morg circled the pool of water.  Kade could almost see the scene dancing on the surface.  Morg circled the pond again, putting himself just barely out of Kade’s reach.

“Get in there now!” Morg demanded.

Kade clenched and unclenched his fist, readying himself to lunge for the staff.  He got the eerie feeling that he was being watched and quickly searched the room.  There was nothing.  At least, there was nothing he could see.

Just nerves,
he though as he refocused his attention on the man with the staff.  He turned his body sideways, ready to lunge.  Before he could strike, Morg ran to the other side of the pool of water to stare at another part of the scene.  The evil Chosen threw his head back and laughed a raucous laugh of victory.  Kade took another step and saw the cave being overrun in the scene playing out in the well.  There was no more delaying the inevitable.  He had to take the staff now.  There was no other choice.  He dried his hands one last time and lunged for the ancient artifact.  Just when he was about to close his hands on the wood, he felt as if he had rammed his hand into a rock wall.  For a moment, Kade was sure he had broken a few of his fingers.

“What?” Morg said in surprise as he brought the staff around to his chest.  He held it in both hands as if to block with it and protect it at the same time.  “Intruders?  Where?” Morg asked of an unseen entity.

“He has the shield,” Kade yelled.  He ran back toward the tunnel and almost knocked Darcienna over as he reached for her to drag her along.  As soon as they made it to the entrance, Kade threw Darcienna into the tunnel, and then in one smooth motion, spun to face Morg.  He reached for the rage, but all he found was fear.  He was soon to be a puppet, and worse, he was going to be at the mercy of whatever it was that even Morg feared.  His mind raced as he desperately tried to come up with a plan.  He knew that he could not breach the shield, but with no other plan to fall back on, he prepared to bring his most powerful calling to life.  The panic he felt was overwhelming.

“Kade,” Rakna hissed in alarm.  “They have entered the cave!”

Something sliced through the air right next to Kade’s head so close that he flinched and ducked.  Somehow, they were being detected and something was coming after them.  Kade forced his fear down and reached for the Divine.  He had to try something so he readied the one Divine calling he knew well.

Kade spun through the moves and then attacked, sending a brilliant flash of lightning, racing across the room.  It slammed into the evil Chosen, causing the shield to shimmer.  For a moment, Kade thought it might have bent slightly, but then it was back in place.  Was there a limit to how much assault it could take?  For an instant, Kade wondered if it had a weakness similar to Darcienna’s.  Not dwelling on the thought, but not forgetting it either, he quickly performed the Divine Fire Calling.  It hit the shield and enveloped the man.  Kade held desperately onto hope that the fire was doing damage, but deep down, he knew that it was not going to be that easy.  The blue flame slowly dwindled and then died out.  Morg stood casually as if he found this amusing.   Kade watched in disbelief.  His arms felt like lead as he stood, waiting…for anything.  He was out of ideas.

“My turn, puppet,” Morg said as he let out a devious laugh that shook Kade to the very core of his being. 

Kade had no doubt that Morg knew who it was that had attacked him.  The apprentice could already feel the ache of his muscles, expecting the power to ensnare him shortly.  If he could not figure something out in the next few moments, everything would be lost.  Morg’s face contorted into one of fury and insanity as he raised the staff, aiming it directly at the young attacker.  Kade dove out of the way as the wall directly behind him exploded into rock chips.  He felt blood on the back of his arm and neck.

“Rakna, climb the walls!” Kade screamed as he struggled to his feet.

Before Kade could make another move, a roar so loud echoed through the mountain that even Morg paused.  Any sane person would have considered running, but Morg was not a normal, sane person.  But, it was not the roar that the evil Chosen heard, as the Silence Calling was still active, but the shaking of the ground as the dragon exploded into action and raced through the tunnel.  Rayden charged, activating Morg’s Detection Calling.  The evil Chosen grinned as though this were amusing and turned to face the challenge.

“The dragon comes!” Kade screamed, afraid that Darcienna, Ven or the spider-queen may be trampled.  Kade sensed that the dragon was in a killing frenzy.  It knew that its friend’s life was in peril, and it was not going to be denied its turn in this fight.

Darcienna tripped over him just as the dragon burst out of the tunnel and made a full run at Morg.  Kade tried to formulate a warning about the hole in the middle of the chamber, but his mind was nowhere near fast enough to catch up to the speed of the dragon.  Rayden leapt, cleared the hole and crashed into Morg.  The dragon clawed wildly at the man.  The shield not only deflected Divine Power, but it kept Morg safe from talons and teeth, also.  The dragon was still able to knock the man and shield around considerably.  Morg was lying on his back with the dragon putting all of its considerable weight on the shield as it viciously attacked over and over.  The shield compressed greatly but not enough to kill.

“I have to get to Morg while he is distracted,” Kade yelled to Darcienna, dislodging her hands.

Kade started forward when something slammed into him from behind, sending him sprawling.  He tasted fresh blood from the split in his lip.  He was on all fours as he struggled to get back to his feet when he felt a crushing blow delivered to his side.  It lifted him into the air and sent him crashing onto his back.  The world spun and his Transparency Calling slipped.  Darcienna faded into view several feet away as she hugged the wall.  Kade realized what had happened, grabbed what was left of the calling and forced it back into place.  The calling around the queen held but the rest of them, including the dragon, were now visible.