A Mage's Power (Journey to Chaos) (22 page)

 Eric was no longer standing in a pitch black world, but
running through it. Fear flooded his mind and tossed ideas. He looked over his
shoulder and saw a pursuing swarm armed with a multitude of weapons. He picked
up his skirts and ran faster.
Skirts!?

Instead of looking down to check, his eyes searched the
darkness in front of him. Pain exploded in his forehead. A hand clasped in a
glove and gold bracelet traced the wall. Heart racing, he checked the length of
the wall to the right and found more wood. Dashing—and almost tripping on his
skirt hem—he checked the far side and found more wood. A dead end, and this
made him relieved.

Perfect, I can force a two-on-one fight here
. . .

Eric mentally scratched his head. He hadn't thought that.

Though the fog was thick, he could see a crowd two chests
across and some heads deep. All of them wore black cloaks with hoods obscuring
their faces.

“End of the line, princess,” one of them taunted.
Princess?
. . .Of course! That man sees Kasile, not me! Next question: why am I seeing
and hearing what she is?

“It is indeed,” Kasile said regally, “By the blood of my
veins, I charge you with disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment,
vandalism, and a misdemeanor in fashion.” She gestured to her dress. “Don't you
know?
Silver-gold
is the new black.”

One of the crowd stepped forward. “Your decrees are no good
yet. We know your blood is useless until you come of age.” He pulled a length
of rope taut.

 He reached for her arm, but she evaded and generated a claw
of light on each finger. Amplified by the surrounding darkness, the flash
blinded him. The princess drew the sword from his waist and, swiftly reversing
the blade, stabbed his ankle. He yelped and hopped on one leg. Kasile pushed
him over. His cohorts howled in laughter.

“Dark Blade, you loser!” they jeered. “You were
outmaneuvered by a cheap light spell!”

The rogue called Dark Blade crawled, pathetically, back to
the crowd. All the while, he muttered “royal luck” and “fluke.”
He's never
gonna live this down.
Kasile pulled a knot that dropped her layers of
formal skirt to reveal a short one. She assumed a fighting stance and beckoned.

 “Come! It's rude to make a lady wait!”

Two more rogues stepped forward carrying an ax and a
stabbing spear. Kasile gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her new
weapon. They moved within reach and she fired a light sphere at their feet.
Expecting this, they closed their eyes and advanced. Dark Ax reached out and
grabbed a gloved hand. Grinning, she yanked the body closer and grabbed the
second wrist.

“No don't! Let me go! AHH!” Kasile shrieked as Dark Ax tied
the two wrists together.

“Princess secure, Boss,” Dark Ax said.

Dark Spear's voice finally rose above Kasile's false
distress. “You secured
me
you, moron!”

It was only then that Dark Ax opened her eyes and saw the
back of her companion's cloak. The silver of Kasile's dress flashed in the
darkness and she reached for it, only to be stuck fast. Her own wrists were
tied together and then to Dark Spear's. They struggled uselessly while Kasile
laughed. She disabled them and they crawled back.

Their leader face-palmed. “I'm surrounded by idiots. Clearly
we underestimated you, Princess.”

 The leader was an intimidating figure: tall, broad, and
shrouded in a long black cloak. Kasile could
smell
his power; his
bloodlust. She gulped and stood straighter.

“You have!” she said bravely. “Lay down your weapons and you
will receive mercy. If I hear even a hint of a 'no' you will face the Wrath of
Fire!”

 The leader strolled forward, pulling off his hood in the
process. Suddenly all she could see were his eyes: big, red, and terrifying.
Lances of fear and pain stabbed Eric's mind and soul. The feeling left just as
quickly as it came and Eric could again see Kasile's surroundings. She was on
her back and screaming hysterically. The leader pulled his hood back and waved
his minions forward.

Kasile scurried backwards until she hit the wall, eyes wide
in terror. “Stay away from me!” she shouted, but instead of the roar of the
tiger she was moments ago, it came out the squeak of a kitten.

Something moving at high speed collided and both went down.
The world spun around and around and up and down and inverted.

“There you are, Dimwit,” Tiza said as she
stood up. “Have you seen Tenderfoot or Daylra?” Eric's head ached and he rubbed
his forehead. His mind was too full of vertigo to make sense.

“The princess is being kidnapped . . .”

“What?!” Tiza asked.

“The princess is being . . . kidnapped,” he repeated.
“Somehow, I . . . I don't kn—” “That's fantastic!” Eric shook his head and rung
out his ears. He could have sworn he heard Tiza say that the princess'
kidnapping was a
good
thing. “If we save her, just the two of us, we'll
make names for ourselves! No more trying on dresses; no more collecting poop!
It'll be monster hunting and escorts!” Eyes bright with excitement, she yanked
Eric to his feet and pulled his face close. He would have blushed if not for
the situation. “Where is she!?”

“Uh . . . I don't think we should go without Nolien and
Basilard; it's too big for us.”

“I know!” Tiza said excitedly. “And that's why we'll get a
big
reward when we succeed!”

 
What's all this confidence based on?

“Do you have a plan?”

“ 'Course I do,” Tiza replied. “Spider Daylra's an expert on
rescues and she drilled her knowledge into me. Here's what we do . . .”

The sounds of battle at the center of the stadium grew
fainter and fainter until silence reigned. Eric couldn't hear anything other
than his own breathing and that of Tiza right next to him. The artificial
darkness almost hid her from view. Despite all this, Tiza didn't appear lost.

Of course, she was pretending. It was the same thing at the
Dragon's Lair; Woman's Intuition. She even closed her eyes as if that would
make it work better.
At least she's prepared . . .
Eric saw her holding
her sword out in one hand and shield close by in the other. For one reason or
another, she said she saw two suspicious humanoids guarding the path ahead.

“HEELLP! HEMM!”

“What have we here?” Tiza whispered, “Cries for help beyond
obviously evil minions in black cloaks? All right, Dimwit. Let's put my plan
into action.”

Apparently, the guards were as blind as everyone else in the
Dark Fog. The two mercenaries flanked and knocked them out, the Dark Fog muting
their attack. They entered just in time to see the princess stuffed into a
sack.
More luck . . . or was she right about Woman's Intuition?

Whatever their leader did to her had worn off but it bought
them enough time to make her helpless with rope. She shouted something muffled
and the sack was pulled over her head. The leader hauled the bag to his
shoulder when mana bolts pelted him and he dropped her. Tiza rushed in under
Eric's cover fire and darted for it.

A mage stepped forward and thrust the staff. The mana bolts
splashed against its barrier. It dimpled as Tiza collided before repelling her
like a rubber ball. She flew backwards and crashed on her back. Eric took aim
but they were faster. A force like a mule kick hit him in the chest and drove
the breath from his lungs.

 Eric couldn't see the mage’s eyes but the smile was a
wicked grin. “Is this it? A pair of rookies?” A feminine voice asked, “The
princess might not be worth stealing . . .”

Tiza jumped to her feet.

“And you; you look like you barely know how to use that
sword.” Tiza lunged, but her enemy blocked with the staff. Tiza swung overhead
and was blocked again. Right, left, thrust, cross, the mage casually blocked
every strike. “See what I mean?”

She swung her staff at the left side of Tiza's head, but
Tiza blocked it and was struck on the other side when the rogue reversed the
staff. Stunned, the staff came down on her head, then jabbed her stomach. Tiza
collapsed, gasping for air and blinking back tears. Dark Staff stomped on
Tiza's sword hand and kicked her weapon away.  

“Dark Staff!” the leader called. Over his shoulder was a
squirming sack. “Stop playing.”

“Oh, all right . . .” The bottom of the woman's staff grew a
blade of blue light. “I never get to have any fun . . .” she muttered as she
plunged the point on Tiza's neck.

Eric could only watch. This woman was more powerful than
both of them were and he still couldn't breathe properly. He was just as
helpless as the girl being carried away not a foot from him.
Useless!
Tiza rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet.
.Why am I so useless!?
It's Laharg all over again.
The leader slipped into the darkness.
This
is real
.
We're really going to die!
Tiza choked down tears. Her
hands glowed with the blue light of mana bolts.

“So you want more, huh?” Dark Staff said, “I guess I can
spare a little time.”

Tiza fired. Dark Staff didn't budge. She didn't need to; her
barrier stopped them for her. Tiza lunged for her sword and fired again. With a
spin of her staff, Dark Staff reflected them all back at her. One, two, three
and Tiza was knocked to the ground. Dark Staff chuckled as Tiza struggled to
her hands and knees before falling again.

“It’s been fun, Wannabe, but—”

“Take. That. Back.” It was soft, but also a growl, and so
cold that Eric felt a chill. Even though she was on his side, and even though
she was face down in the dirt, he was afraid of her.

“All right, here's something better;
damsel
. You're
the kind of helpless that doesn't believe they're helpless. A damsel in
distress that thinks a sword and a tough attitude makes her a warrior.”

  “Now you're gonna get it!”

Suddenly, a brilliant blue aura sprung forth and lashed
angrily in all directions. She jumped to her feet and resumed a ready stance. A
beam of blue light appeared at Dark Staff's weapon. With a yell of rage, Tiza
charged. Dark Staff sneered under her hood. Eric knew this aura. He knew it was
useless in a head-on collision.
She's gonna get herself killed! I have to do
SOMETHING!

He took a deep, painful, breath and pointed his staff. Tiza
slashed. Dark Staff struck. A feminine scream of pain followed and Tiza stood
behind Dark Staff, unharmed. Her teammate's barrier absorbed the blow; it broke
instead of her. Dark Staff, on the other hand, bled from her side.

She fell to her knees and glared at Tiza with a burning
hatred. “How!?” How did you-” Eric nailed her blind spot and she fell face
first. Tiza leaped forward and brought her sword down hard on Dark Staff's head.
She shook for a moment, then went still.

Tiza's aura faded. She leaned against the wall and slumped
to the ground. She poured sweat and breathed deeply, but remained conscious.
Dark Staff started to get up. Tiza's aura rekindled and the latter impaled the
former with enough prejudice to bury the blade to the hilt in the ground.

“Well . . .they say . . .” Tiza's skin was now deathly pale
and her eyes glazed. “Any plan . . . you live through . . . is a good one.”

Eric couldn't believe his ears. He was happy that they
lived, of course, but the rest of the kidnappers got away with the princess.
They failed.
Tiza was counting on me for cover fire! If my magic was
stronger, I could have broken Dark Staff's barrier. It's all my–!

“Cheer . . .up,” Tiza said. Eric couldn't believe his eyes
either; Tiza was smiling.

Adrenaline Junkie . . .!

“Cheer up!?” Eric demanded. “We lost the princess, got
banged up, almost killed, and you want me to cheer up!?” He said all that in
one breath and immediately regretted it, because now he had to inhale and that
made his chest pain flare.

“We might have . . .. missed the princess . . .” Tiza
flopped helplessly as Dark Staff's body wriggled. “ . . .but we still . . . got
one . . . of the kidnappers . .  . . . she can tell us . . . where she is.”

“You
killed
her,” Eric pointed out. Then he thought
of shamans and of calling out to the dead. It was absolutely ridiculous in his
own world, but in this one, it seemed like anything was possible so long as you
had enough power, knowledge, and determination.

“No, I didn't . .  . . .get over here . . ..”

Eric got to his feet, his chest screaming at the effort, and
walked over to Dark Staff's body. The wound in her side was rapidly healing.
Their kidnapper's head had a nasty bruise, but no puncture and even that was
rapidly fading. The wound in her stomach was more an inconvenience.

“
I will kill you both as soon as this Fog lifts.
“

Eric looked at Tiza in amazement, but she looked back with
annoyance.

 “Until then . . .we're alive . . .uninjured . . .” She
rubbed her jaw. “ . . . mostly uninjured . . .We have a lead . . .” Dark Staff
attempted shapeshifting away from the sword, but an eye on the pommel glowed
with non-light and she failed. “I'm not . . . an idiot . . .. you know.”

“No, you're not.”

Eric lay back against the ground as his limbs jellified.
Adrenaline left his system and it was replaced by fatigue. His chest ache was
getting worse. On the bright side, they
were
alive and the Dark Fog was
clearing up.

“Over there! I see something!”

Footsteps; heavy footsteps, like someone in armor. Soon they
were close enough for Eric to see who was making them:  knights in full armor
and mages in long robes.

A knight stood at the head of the group and demanded, “Who
are you? Identify yourselvesssss!”

“We . . .” said Tiza, still gasping for breath. “. . . are
mercenaries . . .of the Dragon's Lair.” She tapped Dark Staff's head with her
scabbard. “And we . . .caught a kidnapper.”