Champion of the Gods, Books 1-2 Page 3

  Now it started to make sense. “Which explains why Lenore ordered everyone to stay inside the mountain.”

  “Correct.”

  A breeze moaned softly as it passed, and the churning in his gut returned, wringing harder. Lingering here would not get them to Northhelm. Using all the new facts, he considered their options.

  “I believe I can get us close to the mouth of the pass before we need to fight our way through. It’s just a question of how close we can get before there are so many soldiers we can’t avoid bumping into them.”

  “Then what?” Skepticism oozed from her question.

  Now that he wanted to hear “proceed,” she wouldn’t say it. He almost laughed, but their situation required he be serious. “I have a few ideas, but it will depend on how much magic we encounter. I sense some large magics at work, but it’s hard to pin down what they are and who’s casting them. There are definitely two or more different spells at work. I can feel the different textures. I assume one is the defensive shield created by your people and the other is Meglar’s wizards attempting to breach it.

  “The biggest problem we’ll face, aside from an army of Chamdon, will be if they try to block our way instead of attacking us. It’s harder to beat down a well-made shield than it is to deflect attacks.”

  “That is well and good.” Nerti slowed to a walk. “Shall we proceed?”

  His lips quirked into a brief smile. “Before we go, I need to make sure you can handle what I’m going to try. I’ve employed this before, but always with many riders, never with one.”

  “Wizard, I shall fulfill my duties so long as you handle yours.” She sounded annoyed. “What is it you propose?”

  Pushing aside any concerns for her pride, he retrieved one of his shorter staffs. “When I engage this spell, it will project our image multiple times. These images will be made of energy. They will protect us from attack, magic, sword, and arrow, even from a Chamdon. The more images, the shorter the spell will last. I think five will be the optimum number in our case. That will provide enough protection but should not overtax you. Once activated, I’ll link them to you, and they’ll move with us. It will feel as if you are dragging something. I don’t believe it will be too heavy. If it is, let me know.”

  “I will do what needs to be done.” Her confidence, while admirable, left him wondering if she really understood what he’d said. He’d soon find out.

  “Very well, Nerti. I’ll make us undetectable; then we can be off. When we meet with physical resistance, I’ll unleash the spell. Then you need to immediately head for the entrance to your home.”

  Farrell reached into one of his endless pockets and withdrew two silver bracelets. He placed one against his left wrist, and the apparently seamless band separated to slip around his arm. The same happened when he put the mate to his right wrist. Next he reached over his shoulder for his staff. Released, it returned to its original length of two yards.

  Farrell twirled the staff over his head in a blur of motion, focusing on the spell that would cloak them. When he stopped moving it, he held the staff in his left hand, directly in front of him, keeping it parallel to the ground. “Okay, Nerti, my spell is in place.”

  Silently the unicorn leaped forward and accelerated quickly to full speed in a few strides. He sat, staff extended before him, keeping as still as possible as they sped across the barren ground toward the entrance to Northhelm.

  Sentries stood watch, perched at the top of the ridgeline directly above them. None of them seemed to notice the pair. Neither did the few human guards they passed on the ground. So far, his spell worked.

  Every step closer to the gap brought an ever-growing contingent of enemy soldiers. Nerti slowed her pace to avoid running into them. Focused on the spell to keep them invisible, Farrell barely noticed the Chamdon sniffing the air.

  In sight of the entrance, he could see formations of Meglar’s army filing into the valley. Nerti slowed even more. “Perhaps we should engage your shadows. It is too hard to make any speed trying to avoid them.”

  “Agreed.” He made sure the short staff had enough power, but before he activated the spell, a loud roar boomed from his left. Two Chamdon closed in on them, sniffing as they came.

  “Your spell has been breached, Wizard!” The force of her voice nearly broke his concentration. Nerti lurched forward, not waiting for him to respond. “Activate the shadows now.”

  Balls of green wizard’s fire erupted toward the closing enemies as he aimed his staff at the charging creatures. The force of impact sent a shower of flesh, blood, and armor flying backward.

  Roused to the alert, the rest of Meglar’s army scurried in all directions. Unable to locate the source of the attack, the mindless creatures hacked at anything that moved, including each other. Human handlers struggled to maintain order while Farrell continued his attack. The more chaos, the better.

  Releasing the invisibility spell, Farrell placed the short staff against Nerti’s back. Five red energy shadows sprang up and surrounded them in a wedge of magical protection.

  Despite the added drag of their new shield, Nerti increased her speed. She galloped directly for the gap into the valley where the bulk of Meglar’s forces had assembled.

  Charging into the teeth of the enemy, he and Nerti became the focus of dozens of Chamdon attacks. Their outer protection melted swords, burned clothing, and charred the flesh of those it encountered. The first magical assault didn’t come until they reached the mouth of the gap. Farrell’s protection swept these attacks aside as Nerti continued to run full-out.

  Bearing down, the pair and their escort cleaved a path as they made for the entrance to Northhelm. When they broke through the ranks of what Farrell assumed to be the rear guard, he detected a shield wall directly ahead.

  “Wizard, I sense magic ahead.”

  “I’m on it, Nerti.” He placed his staff on his back and the rain of wizard’s fire ceased. He dug into his endless pockets and withdrew a small leather pouch. Swiftly he emptied the contents, a fine gray powder, into his left hand. Cupping the powder, he moved his hand as far right as he could before sweeping it right to left, palm upraised. The powder flew forward, creating a fog-like appearance and outpacing Nerti’s rapid gallop.

  Several hundred yards ahead, the fine grains of gray dust swirled upward and blanketed the wall of energy. Behind the shield, two black-robed men stood still, chanting furiously.

  “Amateurs,” he muttered. “Nerti, make for the center of the mist. I’ll have it down in a moment.”

  At the edge of his mind, he detected something from his companion.

  “Wizard, with all the noise, stop using your mouth and speak into my mind.” Her curt tone felt like his master scolding him.

  “Sorry…. Sorry, I forget you can hear me.” Slightly embarrassed, he returned his focus to the fight.

  The swirling dust coagulated around several bright points dotted randomly in the wall. The spots grew in intensity and size as Nerti drew closer. “Wizard, you need to do something before we collide with their shield.”

  “Just make for the wall. I know what I’m doing.” Even mentally, his words came out in a hiss as he focused on his spell.

  Nerti dipped her horn, as did the five red energy copies, preparing for impact. Farrell whipped his staff around, aiming it at the wall.

  Chanting faster, his adversaries looked panicked as the red wedge rushed toward them. Just before Nerti struck the wall, Farrell let out a yell as the tip of his staff pulsed white.

  Like thin ice, the wall shattered. Pieces of brittle shield fell from the sky for hundreds of yards on either side. Two of the bright dots that’d gorged on the energy from the shield wall zoomed forward, striking the dazed wizards. The pair flew backward thirty feet. Farrell sent the other balls whizzing toward dense clusters of Chamdon converging on him and Nerti.

  Nerti ran past the smoldering corpses. “Well done, young one.” The voice held more than a hint of approval.

  “Than
k you.” He tried to avoid the temptation of making his tone sound like Told you so. “Can you slow your pace a bit? I’m not sure I’ll have sufficient time to work the magic needed to take down another shield at this speed.”

  “I can, Wizard.”

  Another shield flared before they made much headway. If she noticed the new barrier, Nerti didn’t announce it to him.

  He pulled a large metal wand from his pocket. A thin circle, approximately twelve inches in diameter, topped the slightly thicker metal handle. Placing the circle in front of his face, he opened his mouth and screamed. Despite yelling as loud as he could, no sound passed his lips. For three heartbeats, he maintained the position before closing his mouth.

  He almost spoke, but at the last moment reached out mentally for his partner. “I’m about to unleash a very loud noise. Can you block out all sound, or would you prefer I add you to my protection?”

  “I believe I can, but if the noise will disable me, please add me to your protection.”

  Rather than answer, he waved his free hand over Nerti’s head. His lips moved, but nothing came out. After the third pass, he stopped and held aloft the scepter. Instantly, a piercing screech filled the valley.

  Meglar’s army immediately clutched at their ears in agony. Most of the soldiers and wizards dropped to the ground. A few remained standing but lurched and reeled with the effects of the spell. Only the more powerful wizards remained unaffected.

  Luckily, one of the wizards creating the shield had inadequate protection. While two of the black-robed wizards stood unaffected, the third lay writhing on the ground. A small grin crossed Farrell’s face. Just enough disruption for his purposes.

  The two remaining wizards stared wide-eyed and shaking slightly as the red energy charged toward them. With their weakest member incapacitated, the others needed to take down and rebuild the shield without their fallen comrade. They didn’t have enough time for that.

  Scepter aloft, Farrell maintained the scream and pointed his staff forward like a lance. The red energy shadows mimicked his move. Six bolts of deep blue power flew from the wedge, aimed at the two standing wizards. Caught between maintaining the greater shield wall and reinforcing their own personal protection, the pair wavered. It didn’t matter. His assault cut through the outer barrier as well as their personal shields as if neither existed. Nerti took aim at the wizard rolling on the ground, trampling him as they passed.

  The wail slowly died as they moved closer to the main part of Meglar’s army. Halfway there and nothing too challenging thrown their way.

  Farrell checked the strength of his escorts. Satisfied they had sufficient power, he searched for the next threat. As suspected, the enemy pulled back, marshaling closer to Northhelm’s protective barricade and preparing one last assault before he and Nerti reached the gate.

  Before he could formulate his plan, he heard a commotion to his right. Turning, he saw several unicorns, peregrines, and human soldiers with their backs to the mountainside. An ever-growing number of enemy warriors surrounded them, pressing closer. Judging by how easily they dispatched the Chamdon who faced them, these “humans” had to be Muchari. He swallowed hard as he counted the gathering army surrounding them. Even super strength and speed wouldn’t save them against such a superior force.

  “Nerti, we must go help them.” He pointed toward the embattled warriors. “Veer right and make for your people.”

  “No!” Despite the pain he heard in her voice, she kept to their course. “We cannot aid them. My task is to get you to the city, and nothing can deter me from that, not even saving them.”

  It took a moment to process what he heard. “Are you mad? They’ll be killed if we don’t help them. They’re surrounded!”

  “I have eyes to see what is happening, Wizard. They were instructed not to leave Northhelm. And though their intentions to aid us were noble, this is why they were told to stay inside the mountain. Despite their plight, we must not alter our path.” The sadness in her tone surprised him, especially when she stayed the course.

  With a wave of his hand, he bound the staff generating the shadow escort to Nerti. “Ride straight for the gate. The staff will ensure the shadows help you make it there safely. I’ll join you once I free your friends.”

  Without waiting for the argument he knew he would get, he leapt from her back.

  “No! Wizard, you must not deviate from our path!”

  Though he heard Nerti’s order, he ignored her. Saving the others required all his concentration.

  FARRELL COMPLETED his somersault and drained power from the silver bracelets. Rose-colored energy swirled around him and formed a galloping centaur that enveloped him in its protective embrace. He fed the shield enough energy to keep him safe from all but the strongest attacks. Enough, he hoped, to reach the trapped Northhelm warriors.

  His jaw tightened as he spotted a small knot of low-grade wizards standing back from the fight. Of all Meglar’s people, he despised the Chamdon handlers the most. He planned to make the cowards pay.

  Following the orders given, the warped creatures charged Northhelm’s defenders with a frenzied abandon. Killing the handlers wouldn’t stop the attack, but it would prevent anyone from redirecting the Chamdon toward him. Not to mention it made him feel better.

  Rounding toward the handlers, he fired balls of energy at the unprepared men. Wizard’s fire striking flesh never ended well for those hit. Today was no exception. The hail of blood and body pieces sizzled on contact with the energy protecting him. Too bad the fight didn’t end with their deaths.

  Locked into carrying out their last command, the Chamdon ignored his approach. Exploiting this weakness, Farrell sent short, deadly blasts of green energy at their rear, tossing bodies out of his path. Racing into the gap, he felt the expected attacks.

  Snarling like feral dogs, the creatures barely resembled the humans they’d been before Meglar twisted them with dark magic. A Chamdon, its dark, blank eyes devoid of any trace of humanity or reason, locked its gaze with his, then carried out its order and attacked. Blasting the beast before it reached him, Farrell ended its tortured existence.

  Attacks hit his armor like rocks. None threatened to harm him, but each one slowed his approach, if only a little. A claw snagged the air, nipping part of his rear flank. The hand vaporized on contact, but it sapped his momentum again. He couldn’t let himself be stopped, not in the middle of the sea of Chamdon between him and the warriors. Even his centaur armor wouldn’t protect him indefinitely.

  Racing full out, he plunged deeper into their ranks. As fast as he ran, Farrell didn’t escape unscathed. His exposed flanks bore the brunt of the attacks from those he tried to slip past. A dead Chamdon fell backward, causing him to stumble. The small stutter slowed him just enough for two creatures to his left to leap for his legs. Bracing for another stumble, he watched as five red energy unicorns overtook him, churning the Chamdon into the dirt.

  “Your courage shames me, young one.”

  He beamed at Nerti, silently thanking Lenore. “And your timing is impeccable.”

  Blasting his way deeper into their ranks, Nerti moved in front of him. “If you ride to the aid of my friends, I am required to assist you. Rejoin me, and let us have at these foul creatures.”

  Using Nerti’s pull, he soared over the energy escort. The centaur dissipated, energy flowing back into the silver bands as he settled onto Nerti’s back. His image reappeared on the backs of the five energy unicorns.

  Nerti lowered her horn, cleaving a path through the enemy. He lowered his staff, the images mirroring him, and all six staffs erupted in blue light. Blazing lines of energy filled the air with the smell of burnt flesh as bodies flew out of their way. He repeated the assault until he cleared a path deep into the Chamdon ranks.

  “If you have any way to warn your friends, let them know to gather directly in front of our position,” he told Nerti. “I’m going to clear our path to the mountain.”

  Before she replied, he st
owed his staff and drew the small bow and arrows from his pocket. When he nocked an arrow, the five energy doppelgängers did the same. In unison, they aimed to his left. He cast a spell on his arrow and sent it and the others on their way.

  The twang of bowstrings launched six white shafts of energy toward the mound of rock ahead. Armor, bone, flesh—nothing stopped their flight. A trail of energy hung in the air where they passed. The arrows lodged in the mountain face, impossibly aligned vertically, exactly two feet apart.

  Not waiting for the first volley to find their target, Farrell repeated his action to the right. Two rows of white energy hung in the air, stretching from his position to the mountain face. In the center of the lines, the defiant Muchari, unicorns, and peregrines stood, guarding the fallen body of a peregrine.

  Stashing his bow and arrows, he retrieved his staff. A pale white glow emanated from its tip. The energy trails elongated until they formed a solid wall, cutting off those Chamdon inside from the rest of the army on the other side.

  He hoped that gave the defenders a bit of a breather.

  “Nerti, make for your friends. Trample all in our path.” His voice betrayed a touch of weariness.

  “With pleasure.”

  He raised an eyebrow at the hint of glee in her response.

  Despite the danger he and Nerti represented, the Chamdon never turned. The pair shoved aside or crushed anyone in their way. As Nerti plowed into their enemy, he reached into his pocket and removed a handful of small white stones.

  Funneling energy into the rocks, he divided them between his hands and flung them forward. Once on the ground, they expanded until they reached the size of a large dog. Bouncing around, the new, larger stones ricocheted off the shimmering white energy and crushed anything they struck.

  Nerti’s speed astonished him, especially given the added burden she pulled. As the distance between them and her friends dwindled, the space between the lines increased. Farrell focused green wizard’s fire at the densest groups of Chamdon. Stragglers wouldn’t do for his next move.