Deke Brolin Rhol (16 page)

“I have no doubt, Issa.”

They were nearing the giant. Kaelyn could see seven Pegapires all with Lealian archers that Issa had summoned. They were forming what looked like a V in the sky above them. This formation would allow them all to fire a clean shot at their target. It was up to her now. Issa flew over the head of the Kruntulla and Kaelyn jumped. When she landed, she thrust her sword into the beasts head and held on tight so as not to slide back off.

She was having difficulty pulling herself to her feet as the Kruntulla madly flailed about
, but after several seconds she managed to, pulling the sword from its head. She drew her sword back behind her shoulder and began to swing it forward in an attempt to scalp a portion of its thick skin off and complete the target but when the Kruntulla grabbed at whatever was causing his head to hurt, she was forced to duck. Kaelyn lost her footing and started sliding off.

Issa looked from the sky
, and knowing that their plan was about to fail, quickly flew downward to catch Kaelyn before she fell, but she didn’t. Issa could not believe her eyes while watching Kaelyn roll over twice with her sword held high above her head. On the second turn she jumped to her knees and swung her sword with all her might cutting a small piece of skin from the Kruntulla’s head.  Completing her goal she jumped to her feet and kicked herself off its head, flipping into a free-fall. Issa was there to catch her but when Kaelyn landed she could not hold on and bounced backward. Gravity was causing her to fall from Issa’s back. She toppled off but managed to grab onto her tail and hold on. Issa maneuvered around the Kruntulla who was madly trying to crush them with his hands.

She was flyi
ng around the front of the Kruntulla when it suddenly seemed to freeze and come crashing toward the ground. Issa flew as fast as her wings would carry her to avoid being crushed by the toppling body of the beast.

Issa
came around the right side of the Kruntulla flying directly upward between its two arms just before its body hit the ground. Following this, she managed to flip Kaelyn around onto her back before stopping in midair. They could hear the cheers from both the ground and sky. The archers had found their mark and the plan had succeeded. The Kruntulla lay dead on the ground.

The death of the Kruntulla forced Solharn’s army to rethink their strategy. They retreated to the eastside of Aura to gather themselves. It was a welcom
e break and allowed the Lealians and Pegapires to finally join for a well needed rest.

By the time they had landed on the ground Kaelyn realized that it was around the same time yesterday
that Jayden and Oisin had been inflicted with the Ralcriff quills. She climbed off Issa wondering if they still lived.

Palto didn’t take long to agree to the plan. It was much the same as his except now he would have a little more help. They would wait until Deo transformed back into the bird and then it would be time.

In the meantime, Deo got Jayden back on Palto and secured him so
that he would not fall. Deo could feel by the touch of Jayden’s cold and clammy skin that he was not far from death. Once he was secured they waited.

Ω

Kiran had gone to great lengths to make sure that Deke was relaxed and would not be distracted. Mary still stood by him making sure he was alright. Many of the Rholians had now gathered near the wall, wearing makeshift armor and carrying weapons, should they need to enter the tunnel to fight. Kiran looked them over seeing that many were younger. It made sense. Their age was probably a huge factor in being able to get to the Realm when Solharn finally defeated Elissa. She could see in their faces that some were scared, but many had a look of determination etched in their faces. Their pain for the loved ones they had lost, at the hands of Solharn, would certainly help them on the battlefield.

“It is time Dietrich,
” Kiran said walking over to him. “Let us pray we are successful.”

Ω

Palto watched in amazement when Deo transformed back into the bird and flew toward the Kruntulla.

In minutes, he c
ould see the Kruntulla madly swatting at something around his head. That was his cue. He wasted no time, flying rapidly toward the entrance to the tunnel. He flew low to the lake until he reached the base of the mountain and then shot straight up through the water that had escaped the Kruntulla’s blockade. The Kruntulla was none the wiser and Palto easily slipped unnoticed into the passageway leading to the sacred realm.. Unfortunately, the Phits that had been left behind to guard the entranceway to the Realm were still there. One flew down the tunnel to alert the others, while the rest instantly flew toward Palto as he landed.

Pa
lto took out the first two Phits with his powerful jaws and discarded them in a lump against the wall of the tunnel. Another, that came from his rear was met with his hoof and fell helplessly to the lake below. Two others made the mistake of looking into his eyes and were instantly paralyzed. The last one managed to bite into his side ripping a deep gash into his body. He knew it would go for his neck next, so he crushed it into the wall using the weight of his body before it had the chance.

There was no point in going after the last Phit that had flown o
ff to warn the others. The Phits could easily maneuver through this tunnel using their wings. Palto’s wing span was too wide and it would not be possible to catch it on foot. He looked at his side. The wound was deep and oozing blood but at least Jayden was unscathed. He hoped Deo would arrive quickly. Now, he too was in dire need of the Wall of Solace.

Ω

Deke continued to concentrate. He could barely process Mary’s voice whispering to him. Her voice was soothing, which was probably why Kiran had chosen her for this task. Yet as she began to tell him that the next stage of the plan was here, it sounded strange.

T
his was the part of the plan which Deke feared the most. There were so many unanswered questions. If Deo was still in the process of flying around the Kruntulla, the transformation would cause him to fall to his death. If by chance they still had not left the woods by the lake he would be unable to fly, which would cause the plan to fail. Finally, even if everything had worked as they hoped, how long would he be able to keep the transformation of such a large animal alive before his energy was completely drained?

These
were questions that he would have to wait for. As he began the transformation he hoped he would not be disappointed in the answers.

Ω

Palto was relieved to see Deo fly up to his side. Deo looked around at the
dead bodies of the fallen Phits, strewn about the cave. Looking at Palto, he noticed the wound he had acquired in the battle and was concerned. However, there was nothing he could do for him in this state other than take his place at the front as planned, and wait.

“I hope this doesn’t take m
uch longer Deo. One of the Phits was able to escape me and I am sure it has informed the others by now. We will not stand a chance against a battalion of them. If the transformation has not happened before they arrive you must leave me behind and fly to the wall. It makes no sense for all three of us to die here.”

Deo hoped it would not come to that but knew if it did, Palto was right
. They could both hear the Phits coming closer. The telltale whine of their wings easily gave them away. They would be there in minutes.

“Go now Deo, before it is too late!”

Deo knew Palto couldn’t hear him but when he didn’t move, he suspected Palto would get the idea that he was not going anywhere, until he absolutely had too.   

The Phit
s were now within sight, hundreds of them. Some walked while others flew, moving swiftly toward them.  It was now or never. Deo was beginning to lose hope but fate was with them. He began to feel that familiar sensation. It was the sensation of his body melting away as new hunks of flesh replaced what was left of his once familiar shape. The Phits stopped advancing. They didn’t know exactly what they were looking at, as his body slowly twisted and contorted into an animal which they had never seen the likes of.

Palto too, looked on in wonderment at the animal which now stood before him. The beast was enormous and must have weighed two tons. Its horns wrapped over its head providing invaluable protection for anything that might try and strike it and then continued nearly three fe
et from either side. The creature’s black skin appeared thick and leathery making it hard to penetrate.

“What animal is this, Deo?” Palto asked as he prepared himself.

“It is one of the most dangerous animals on Earth, Palto. It is a Cape Buffalo.”

At that, D
eo began to run toward the Phits, closely followed by Palto. The plan was working. The Phits that didn’t get out of the way, or couldn’t were launched through the air or bludgeoned with the beast’s horns. They had no time to react and scrambled to get out of the way. The first hundred or so Phits were of no consequence and Palto met no resistance as he followed the path Deo created. When they cut through several hundred more with relative ease, they became even more confident. They had broken through their lines and now had nothing between them and the Wall of Solace other than distance. Their only problem was that the Phits could move much faster than them in the tunnel and after reorganizing themselves, they were quickly coming up from behind.

“
We are close Deo, I can feel it,” Palto panted as he ran.

“I do not feel well Palto, I ….”

Ω

Kiran ran toward Deke after Mary beckoned her. He was sweating profusely lying in the prone position unconscious.

“It is what I feared,” Kiran said. “He has exhausted his body. He was not ready for a burden such as this. We must snap him out of his unconscious state or he will die. We can wait no longer.”

Mary held Deke up
while Kiran began slapping his face “Talk to him Mary! Bring him back to reality!” Kiran screamed.

Deke could not move and was having trouble breathing, yet he forced himself to keep concentrating. He was lost in his consciousness, unaware of his surroundings. He could hear something in his head, a distant moan but he kept fighting it off. He could not lose his concentration or all would be lost.

“It is not working Mary. He is not coming out of it!” Kiran said as she ordered her awaiting militia to proceed through the wall to find Deo and Palto.

“Run as fast as you possibly can. Their lives may depend on it!” she yelled as they streamed through the wall. 

“Oisin and I are going after them as well Kiran,” Lorca said, walking slowly over to her. Oisin was already on her back. “Solko and his sister will remain here, should they be needed.” 

Kiran looked at Lorca and simply nodded as the two turned and rode into the tunnel.

Solko looked at Deke and noticed that his face was turning a bluish grey. “Kiran, Deke is not breathing!”

Kiran leapt toward him and
grabbed the amulet hanging from his neck.

“Ko liak s
omu, ko liak somu, ko liak somu,” a light burst out from her hand and shot her several feet through the air. She landed with a thud in the grass.

Deke coughed and gasped for air
. “Mary…what happened?”

Ω

Palto ground to a halt as the mighty beast that was, collapsed and rolled through the dirt. When the dust cleared the buffalo was gone and Deo stood there, himself once again.

“Deo, take Jayden and get him to the Wall of Solace, I will hold them off.”

“No Palto, we can all make it if we run!” Deo begged.

“No we cannot. Now go!”
Palto yelled.

Deo pulled Jayden from Palto and slung him around his shoulders and neck. He began to run taking one last glance back. Palto was standing on his hind legs preparing for battle, ready to die for Jayden and his beloved world.

Deo had run maybe fifteen minutes down the tunnel when Lorca came around the bend with Oisin. They were followed by a small army of Rholians.

Oisin jumped off Lorca and ran over to Deo. “You have Jayden, Deo! Does he still live?”

“I am not sure but thanks to Palto he has a slim chance. You must hurry. Palto is fighting the entire army of Phits on his own.”

Lorca was gone before the words left Deo’s mouth. Oisin who she had left behind in her haste organized the Rholians and followed at a distance, unable to keep up with her speed.

It was not long before Lorca could hear the fight just ahead. She was almost there. When she rounded the last bend, she stopped and stared in disbelief at what she was witnessing. She became consumed with anger. Palto lay on the ground unable to move while Phits fed on his flesh and blood. Lorca was disgusted. Her leader was slowly being eaten alive. Rage took over her anger and her eyes filled with hatred. The Phit’s did not know what hit them as she ripped and tore into every one of them that dared to disrespect Palto. Covered in blood, she stood over him waiting for the next group to arrive. They came, but none could get past Lorca who was being driven by pure insanity.