Order of The Rose: Forsaken Petal (23 page)

With the help of Aithnea, Tom was able to get Caspin quickly down the stairs to where John and Kristiana were waiting. Within minutes of reaching the bottom Tom could hear Cody and Tanya running down the stairs.

The light that exploded around them was excruciating. Tom put his hands to his face to try and block the light that burned his eyes. The light lasted for only a few minutes. Tom could only imagine what happened to those who were not ready for it.

“
Let’s go,” John said.

Tom followed John as he ran toward the double doors and down the stairs that led to the entrance. Within minutes the group was running through the courtyard. He nearly ran into John when he suddenly stopped. John had his sword and pistol out within seconds of stopping.

“So we meet again,” a woman’s voice said.

Chapter 23:

The color from Tom’s face drained as he saw Ahti standing between them and the exit of the courtyard. The woman was not very tall but there was something unnatural about her that frightened him. Her long jet black hair mesmerized him as it flowed in the light breeze.

Kristiana stepped up to John, “You’ll not find us so easy to defeat this time,” she said.

“There doesn’t need to be a fight, all we want is the boy,” the witch hissed. “Give him to us and we’ll let the rest of you go.”

“
Never! We will not allow you to corrupt him as you have corrupted yourself,” Kristiana said.

Tom felt Aithnea and Cody step closer to him as if they were trying to shield him from the danger that was growing around them. There were several dark elves next to the witch and Tom could see that number growing as Kristiana and Ahti talked. Immediately around the witch were men from the red dragon clan with their menacing looks and cold weapons.

“You will regret your decision Kristiana,” the witch said. “There’s something coming that is much bigger than all of you.” The witch smiled as she spoke, filling Tom with dread and apprehension.

Tom tried to imagine something more deadly and menacing than what they were already facing. He pulled his weapons from his belt and began to clear his mind trying to relieve some of the tension that was becoming thick around him.

The witch’s arms began to move in chaotic motions and her lips moved repetitively. The hair on Tom’s arms and back of neck began to rise as he felt the air begin to fill with electricity. Tom’s mind reached out to Aithnea and they began to weave their energy together in preparation for the attack.

Threads of energy began to fill the space between their small group and the horde of enemies that lay on the other side of the courtyard. Suddenly a ball of electricity shot from the witch’s outstretched hand slamming into the barrier of energy that Tom and Aithnea had created.

Kristiana’s polished dance ended with a sudden burst of energy that was hurled at Ahti. She dove to the side as the bolt slammed into several men standing behind her. The men fell to the ground dying instantly. The bolt went through them and continued through several more rows of men.

Tom began to fill his mind with the fire that he had become accustomed to, weaving in the energy that Aithnea leant him. The flame grew in intensity within his mind and then appearing in the air in front of him. He hurled the ball at the oncoming men, engulfing them in flames. The men screamed in pain as they hysterically ran around the court yard trying to put the flames out.

Several men fell as shots rang out from Cody’s and John’s pistols coupled with the arrows that Tanya let fly in rapid succession. Many of the men died on impact of the lethal projectiles that slammed into them. Others, though, lay on the ground clutching their wounds trying to stop the life blood that flowed freely out of their bodies.

Tom felt Aithnea preparing a spell and he weaved his own energy into it. Tom saw Aithnea begin to move her arms gracefully through the air as she prepared her spell. When the spell was completed Tom felt energy leaving his body and shoot out toward the oncoming onslaught of men and elves. The energy split into thousands of tiny pieces peppering a large group of men. Tiny spots of blood instantly appeared on their faces and exposed skin. Tom saw many of them fall to the ground writhing in pain.

The mass of men rushing them was like a huge wave falling on the beach. Each time the wave hit, Tom felt as if a small bit of him had eroded and that soon there would be nothing left. The next wave came and Tom discharged his pistol dropping one man only to have two more appear in his place. He saw Aithnea falter slightly as she struggled to maintain another barrier that she had created to stop yet another attack by Ahti.

Caspin rushed past Tom changing from man to werewolf as he passed. Caspin tore brutally into the men that were attacking him. Many of the men scattered as they saw the monstrous creature coming toward them. Caspin was leaving a path of battered men and elves as he fought his way toward the witch. Cody and John followed the path that Caspin left giving him support along the way.

The field that Aithnea held broke as Ahti sent forth a huge ball of energy that hit Caspin square in the chest knocking him to the ground. Tom shot several magic missiles toward the witch which were deflected by her own barrier. Caspin was back up in a frenzy as he continued to clear the path toward her. The dark elves and men that stood to protect the witch were beginning to fall back from the onslaught of the three men coming at them.

Tom’s mind began to go numb as Tanya and he created a physical barrier of flashing swords between Kristiana, Aithnea and the foes that were able to get past Caspin’s wrath. Tom’s arms felt like lead as he continued to lift his sword, now having to use both hands to hold it. He had dropped the pistol after discharging it. Tom swung down again and again, not wanting to continue but knowing that if he didn’t they would overtake Aithnea.

He was no longer able to maintain the fire around his blade because of his lack of energy and the weakness that was spreading through his entire body. He slipped and an elf was able to cut a long slice down his left arm. He cried out in agony as he felt his arm turn to fire where he had been cut.

He knew that it was only a matter of minutes before he would fall. Another sword hit him, but this time Tom was able to minimize the damage by rolling out of the way. He still felt the bite of the cold steel. The man that hit him fell at his side with an arrow in his back. Tom looked up in surprise and saw that many more elves and men were beginning to fall from arrows that were protruding from their bodies and limbs.

The men that had surrounded him were now regrouping around the witch as many more fell. Tom jumped to his feet. Feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood he nearly fell back down. He saw that Caspin had fallen and that Cody and John had their backs to each other fighting over the top of his body. Tom struggled toward where Tanya was fighting several men; she was desperately swinging her weapons defensively, trying to hold them back.

Tom stopped as he heard a whooshing sound coming from behind him that was increasing in noise and intensity. As he turned, he saw the witch standing only a few yards from where John and Cody fought desperately over the body of Caspin. Ahti had a wide grin on her face as she looked to where the sound was coming from. 

The ground was now shaking and Tom looked in horror as the palace looked like stiff jello wobbling to and fro. Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise and Tom saw a huge fracture begin to descend from the middle of the palace. It slowly made its way to the base of the palace. Huge slabs of the walkways that reached out to the towers began to break off and fall to the ground all around them.

Tom’s mind froze as he looked in horror at a large slab that had broken from the side of the palace. The slab was falling toward Aithnea and Kristiana. The two had fallen from the unstable ground that was shaking all around them. Tom closed his eyes and with every ounce of energy that he had left sent it toward Aithnea. The slab slammed into the ground on top of where the two had been.

“No,” Tom cried out as he moved as quickly as he could toward the slab. He ignored the chaos and panic that was rippling through the men and elves as he desperately tried to make his way to Aithnea. He fell to the ground as another shockwave rippled through the battle ground, knocking full grown men around as if they were merely rag dolls.

Tom wiped at the steady flow of blood that was running down his face as he struggled toward the pile of rubble. Crawling on all fours he reached the pile, bloody tears freely falling from his face.

“Aithnea,” Tom’s voice cracked as he yelled for her.

On his knees he pulled a boulder from the top of the heap sending it down the side of the pile. His fingers scratched and bleeding pried at yet another stone that lay on top of his friend. With shaking arms and barely able to breathe through the smoke that surrounded him, he pulled on another boulder but was unable to move it. He collapsed.

Tom lay on top of the rubble gasping for breath, seeing nothing but death and carnage, he slowly closed his eyes. “Aithnea,” was all he was able to say before everything went black.

Chapter 24:

Am I dead? Where am I?

He looked around the room that he stood in, only seeing white. It was so white in the room that he could not tell where the floor and ceiling hit the walls. He felt no pain, his hands and face were clean and he smelled a soft scent of roses in the room. Tom looked around the room; still seeing nothing he began to walk forward, or at least what he thought was forward.

He felt at peace. It was a peace that he had never felt before in his life.  He smiled slightly and his heart was full of hope. He couldn’t tell if he was walking on solid ground or air as he continued forward. His body felt comfortable, not too hot and not too cold. Tom could feel a warm breeze on his cheek as he walked, the breeze was as if a soft hand was caressing the side of his face bringing an even greater feeling of peace and comfort to his soul.

 
He felt no sense of urgency as he walked and no sense of purpose, only that walking felt good. He whistled a tune. He wasn’t sure were he had heard it from but only that it seemed familiar to him. The tune was a happy cheerful tune and he was surprised that he was even able to whistle. He remembered that as a child he had always tried to whistle but was unable to.

He saw a man off in the distance. His smile broadened as he neared the man. The man was even brighter than the room that was around him. Tom began to jog as he recognized the man who held open his arms in front of him. Tom embraced the man with all of his strength and he felt the man do the same.

Tom began to feel anxious as he stood in the arms of the man.

“
What about my friends?” he asked.

The man looked down into Tom’s face. “They will continue,” he said.

Tom released the embrace and looked up into the man’s face. “But will they be well?”

A tear began to fall from the man’s eye. “Tom, we all influence those around us and affect the things that happen to one another. If you were to stay and not go back that will affect your friends.”

“But what will happen to them?” Tom asked. Again the anxiety grew stronger.

The man paused for a moment. “A storm is beginning in your land. One that is bigger than has ever touched its surface before. Your friends will be in that storm; I can not tell you how you affect that storm or what will happen to your friends in that storm.”

The man pulled from under his robes a glass rose. “To some the rose represents the ultimate sacrifice. It is a delicate flower and must be watched over if it is to show its true beauty.”

The man slowly played with the glass rose in his hand, the dark red color standing out against the white all around them.

“The plant is nourished and pruned tirelessly to create the perfect bloom,” he said.

“
The real question you need to be asking Tom is whether or not you have what it takes to be the rose?” the man spoke softly.

The anxiety was at a climax within Tom’s body. His mind began to race and the peace that he felt had gone away. He looked up at the man again. “I...I don’t want to hurt any more. I’m tired of hurting, I’m tired of losing loved ones, I’m tired.”

Tom slowly sank to his knees and the man placed his hand on his shoulder. “I know Tom, which is why it is you who must choose. It is given to you to make the choice of staying or going.”

The anxiety in Tom’s stomach began to be replaced with a different kind of peace. He felt as if he had a renewal of strength that came from much deeper inside him than he had experienced when coming to this new place. He slowly raised his head up and looked into the man’s eyes. “I’m ready now.”

The man smiled, warmly raising Tom up from the ground. “Tom, remember that when we have lost all hope and we can’t go on it is at those times we are able to show our real worth. The road will be long and hard but I believe in you.”

The man passed his hand across Tom’s eyes and Tom closed his eyes.