Curse Of The Dark Wind (Book 6) (44 page)

Demonic ichor pours from the wound and into Stiletto’s mouth, which causes the dog to let go and vomit. The Hellfire Elf approaches to strike, but pauses when the noble shepherd looks up with an almost human smirk. With a low growl, the beast spits some of the blood at the demon’s face and rams into its stomach with enough force to send the assassin tumbling over the broken table. Sprinting in another wide arc, the dog heads for the rising Hellfire Elf’s armored back.

“A dog can never beat a demon,” the monster snarls, turning to strike the approaching animal. “Even one enhanced by magic.”

Stiletto stands on his rear legs as he gets near and spins, his body transforming back into Luke. The warrior’s injuries are healed and there is a gentle aura coating his body, the amber and emerald energy shining soothing light into every corner of the room. His sabers deflect the demon’s fist, but he draws them back before they can cut into the armored flesh. The Hellfire Elf is surprised when the forest tracker leaps away instead of striking.

“Still a coward.”

“No,” Luke confidently says, bouncing lightly on his feet. He points his sabers at the Chaoswind Blade and matches his old enemy’s grin. “Draw that weapon and we’ll finish this. I’m done being scared.”

The Hellfire Elf draws the evil sword and immediately moves to block, Luke seeming to instantly appear in front of him. The half-elf leaps over the demon and flips upside down to kick it in the back of the head, practically gliding out of reach of the counterattack. Every one of the forest tracker’s moves melts into the other like they always do, but there is more grace and fluidity to them. A powerful gale whips around him, which he uses to enhance his leaps and redirect his jumps. Many times the Hellfire Elf swings at him while he is in midair and Luke uses the wind to launch himself higher. A laugh escapes from the warrior as he revels in the blissful speed and agility that comes from accessing the griffin’s mastery over the surrounding air, a few feathers sprouting from his neck.

“You are playing with me!” the demon roars in anger. A surge of pain wracks its body and it races after Luke, their clashing blades sending sparks in every direction. “Stop dancing around and fight me like a true warrior!”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” the forest tracker asks, stomping his foot down and catching his sabers in the teeth of the Chaoswind. “You’re nothing, but a lowly demon who is making a mess of my temple. Get out!”

With a roaring screech, Luke pushes the Hellfire Elf away and charges forward, his sabers spinning at his sides. He is a blur of motion as he rapidly slices chunks out of the demon and ducks under its wild swings. The Chaoswind clatters to the floor with the severed hand still attached and the monster falls to its knees. The Hellfire Elf roars when Luke cuts off both its legs and kicks it onto its back.

“That is the viciousness that my masters want you to demonstrate,” the demon announces, coughing up hissing, acidic blood. The monster cringes and groans from the fresh pain, the taste sweet on its tongue. “They consider you weak and not worthy to be a part of their game. I agreed with them, but I seem to always be wrong about you, Luke Callindor. It was . . . fun fighting you again.”

Luke lops the demon’s head off and stabs it through the nose. “I never want to see you again.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

The castle shakes as the Hellfire Elf’s body disintegrates and the evil mirror crumbles into a pile of sand. A mighty roar erupts from the courtyard and a large, spectral form soars by the windows. The pieces of furniture in the room are mended and they move into their original positions while the paintings return to the original splendor. Luke races to the eastern wall and pushes one of the repaired panes open to see a wingless, serpentine creature flying over the Garden of Uli. The beast unleashes another roar and the surrounding forest seems to shimmer with an unearthly, emerald aura.

“So . . . anybody know how to get back to the kitchen? I’m famished,” Luke casually announces as he sheathes his sabers and hops off the window sill. He is tackled by Nyx, Sari, and Fizzle, all four crashing to the floor.

17

Ghostly figures move around the castle to repair the damage caused by the Dark Wind monsters. Pictures float back onto the walls while broken statues are meticulously put back together, the marble fusing together perfectly. Many of the airy beings stop to smile at Luke and his friends as the champions make their way to the front door. A spectral child arrives with a bowl of apples for Fizzle, giggling in a melodic voice when the drite attacks the fruit. Others approach with food and water for their saviors, bowing their heads before they go back to their work. Curious about them, Luke hurries after a phantom that resembles an elderly woman and tries to talk to her. He finds that her wind-like voice is difficult to decipher even with his language ability, but she can understand him without fail.

“Apparently, these are spectral servants who swore fealty to Uli,” he explains as he returns to the others. The half-elf bows to a passing ghost maiden, who smiles and shyly turns way. “All of them volunteered to watch her garden for eternity when it was deemed too delicate to be left on the ground. They know they’re dead, but feel that they are in the form that the gods intended because of their sacred oath. I think they can even have kids with each other from what Ida told me.”

“Where were they before now?” Sari asks, staring intently at Luke’s face.

“They’re connected to the guardian, which is a Brocken Dragon. Never heard of that kind before, but the servants were dormant when it was in the emerald,” he answers, leaning away from the gypsy. Without warning, he lurches forward and licks her on the nose. “Dang it! I’m having trouble keeping Stiletto under control. He has a surprisingly strong personality. Why are you looking at me like that, Sari?”

“Your eyes aren’t green anymore,” she replies, cleaning her nose with a handkerchief. “Take a look at him, Nyxie. They’re a chocolate brown with a ring of gold in the center.”

Luke growls when Nyx comes near and she swats him on the nose with her hand. “Don’t even think about it, boy. Looks like his eyes are permanently changed. Maybe because he is constantly accessing the abilities of Stiletto and the griffin. There’s a little black in there too, which probably came from being infected for so long. I doubt it’s anything harmful, but I’ll check him out after we get settled.”

Turning a corner, the tired adventurers are hit by a wall of floral scents and see sunlight pouring through the open entrance. Dust is billowing out the door as specters sweep the hallway with gnarled brooms. Everyone is stunned to see that the snow is gone and colorful flowers are sprouting from the moist dirt. With a hissing roar, the Brocken Dragon passes overhead and ruffles its light green feathers to release a cloud of seeds that are carried away by the wind. The elegant beast turns its antlered head to look at the adventurers, but merely narrows its white eyes and slithers out of view behind the castle.

Walking into the forest, the champions take their time and enjoy the lush woodland around them. The stream is healthy and small, emerald fish can be seen darting through the strong current. Songbirds are singing in the distance and their numbers grow with every pass of the Brocken Dragon. The surviving pixies dart among the leaves, hunting for berries to fill their stomachs and bring color back to their narrow cheeks. Luke slows down when he sees a flock of the winged spiders soar in the distance and disappear near a rocky hill that stands in a distant corner. The Garden of Uli is rapidly returning to life and the half-elf takes a deep breath of the invigorating scents that fill his temple.

“Hey, Nyxie,” Sari whispers, grabbing her friend’s hand to hold her back. They let the others walk ahead, the gypsy waving them away. “I’m not really sure how to say this, so I’m going to be blunt like you. I think I’m jealous of you because of how you coddle Luke. It’s a bizarre emotion because I know you’re not interested in him. Maybe I’m more annoyed that you never let me be the one to step up and protect him.”

“You know that’s a lie,” the caster says with a worried look on her face. “You’ve been there for Luke as much as I have. Maybe even more. For the love of Gola the Aura Source, you killed Vile to protect him. If anything, I got jealous of you being able to stand by his side while I was stuck being guarded in Fyric. Luke and I have known each other for less than a year, but we’ve-”

Sari covers the half-elf’s mouth and pulls her in close, placing her lips against the tip of her friend’s ear. “I know and I apologize for not realizing it. I was so caught up in my own feelings that I overreacted. You’re not the one I should be competing with. Kira is.”

“Please move away. My ears are really sensitive right now,” Nyx whispers, shivering from the gypsy’s breath on her ear. She pushes the girl away and clears her throat, her nerves calming down. “I’ve been wondering about your competition. With Kira unable to travel with us, you have the advantage and can easily win Luke over. Yet you got jealous about having to fight me for him. It seems that either you’re in need of a challenge or you’re simply not happy about having the advantage. Either way, I don’t understand why you’re so upset with someone being concerned about Luke.”

“That’s . . . Well . . . It does get a little confusing even for me.” Sari puts her hand out for the caster to shake. “Truce, Nyxie?”

A wicked grin crosses the half-elf’s face as she takes her friend’s hand. She pulls Sari off-balance and kisses her on the lips hard enough to stun the blue-haired gypsy. With a flick of her wrist, she releases her friend and dramatically wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. Sari attempts to speak, but her voice sounds like a bullfrog and she claps her hands over her mouth. A scowl appears on her face when she realizes that her friend delivered a spell and she does not have the power to undo it.

“I’ve been waiting so long to get revenge on you. By the way, Delvin tastes a lot sweeter . . . frog girl,” Nyx says, dodging Sari’s attempt at a tackle. She bumps into someone and recognizes the feel of chainmail against her hands. “Damn it! Why are you always standing nearby when I say something embarrassing, Cunningham?”

“We have company,” the warrior hisses, pointing his sword toward the Garden’s entrance.

Nyx looks ahead to see Stephen and Trinity standing atop the wall, the red-shirted nobleman staring at her. She can only imagine what he is thinking if he saw what she did with Sari and the fleeting thought makes her angry. Before anyone can stop her, the caster blasts into the air on a bird of flame and soars toward the wall. From her height, the half-elf can see how the pair reached the Garden of Uli. A disgusting ladder of titan corpses leads from the top of the wall to the mountain cliff below. Sharpened trees through the feet connect each body to the shoulders of another and she can smell the stench of time magic wafting off them. The firebird bloats and rockets toward Stephen with Nyx’s hands crackling with lightning. She is about to hurl all of the spells at once when a blast of ice destroys the bird and a fist-sized bolt of force slams into her stomach. The air is still being driven from her lungs when Trinity snags her leg with an agony-induce whip, leaps off the wall, and tackles her to the ground.

“Stand down,” she whispers into Nyx’s ear as she uncoils the weapon. When the half-elf attempts to get up, Trinity punches her in the face to knock her head against the solid earth. “I’ll break your bones and leave you a barely breathing heap if I have to, but you can’t attack Stephen now. He had too much fun killing the titans, so he’s looking for another target. He’ll kill your friends and do things to you that will haunt your dreams for eternity.”

“Why do you care?” Nyx growls. She pushes her enemy off and scrambles to her feet, fire dripping from her fingers. “I’ll kill you to get to him. We’re rivals, not friends.”

“Good point. Then I guess I should act accordingly.”

Trinity rushes forward and strikes Nyx in the face with her palm, snapping the half-elf’s head back. She catches a flailing arm by the wrist, twisting it down and driving her knee into the elbow to break the limb. The chaos elf is knocked away by a burst of scalding wind, but a quick shield protects her from the worst of the blast. She sighs when she sees her stubborn enemy awkwardly charging toward Stephen again. Plunging her hands into the earth, Trinity sends shadowy tendrils that burst from the earth and snag Nyx’s legs. The half-elf falls on the ground, which gives the other caster enough time to pounce. She hoists the squirming woman up by the hair and spins her around to deliver a kick to the chin. Nyx mutters several curses as her eyes roll back and she drops at Trinity’s feet.

“Maybe I should kill you and save us the trouble of cleaning up your messes,” the chaos elf says, her nails growing long and edged. She pauses when she feels Stephen watching her, his hungry stare making her nauseous. “Do you want me to bring her to you?”

Before the man can answer, Trinity is forced to retreat by Timoran’s great axe missing her by a hair. She sees the fury in the barbarian’s eyes and notices Delvin swiftly charging in from her right. Sari and Fizzle are already hurrying to check Nyx and the chaos elf knows she cannot defeat all of the champions at once. Unleashing a pillar of light, she blinds the approaching warriors and escapes to the wall where she crouches near Stephen.

“Do you realize that you saved them all?” he asks with a sneer. He reaches out to stroke her ebony hair and sniffs at her sweat-covered skin. “I’m running out of ways to punish you this week without repeating myself.”

“Your father would be angry if you ended the game so soon. Besides, they’re exhausted. How much fun would you really have with them?”

“I’m no longer in the mood for fun,” Stephen claims, his hands shaking with rage. His sapphire eyes lock on Delvin and a line of drool slips from the corner of his mouth. “These champions have attacked and insulted me several times. Now they escape my trap unscathed and refuse to cower before me. General Vile failed, so I will finish the job. Delvin Cunningham will die to prove I’m to be feared.”