Aphrodite's Acolyte (12 page)

Fidel launched a blast of fire at Pravas, which bounced off her magical protections, but got her attention. She turned to Fidel, an evil and wicked grin growing on her face. The final white orbs assembled at the top of the statue of Apollo and a large beam of light shined down from the heavens. The orb was complete and descended from Apollo's perch. Pravas realized the predicament she was in, the possible theft of years of hard labor. She wasn't going to allow it.

Pravas launched a fireball back at Fidel. He dodged the oncoming missile with a little help from his magical belt. He summoned a bubble at Pravas in return. The bubble caught hold, encasing Pravas in a transparent air pocket. As she was ready to launch a lightning bolt Fidel's way, he pulled back his hand toward him, sending her over the heads of a dozen skeletons, crashing into the last two rows, breaking them apart.

The orb was almost completely descended as Fidel jumped to grab the ball of light. Pravas launched her own bubble, catching hold on Fidel and snatching him from his victory. Abby darted  from behind the statue, making a headlong dive toward the glimmering sphere.

Pravas cackled as she launched another bubble toward Abby. “How many thieves are there?!”

Abby, being the quickest of the group, was able to dodge the projected bubble, rolling low underneath and continuing her momentum toward the orb. Pravas readied another bubble when an arrow came crashing into her hand, knocking her aim and releasing the magical transparent container in a harmless direction.

Fidel, renewed by the re-entry of his archer companion, took up arms and faced Pravas on warrior's footing. Fidel aimed his first strike high, right at Pravas' head. The attack succeeded but, to Fidel's dismay, her magical enchantment stole his victory. Fidel continued the assault, his staff aiming low, then high, low, and a stab to Pravas' mid-section. Pravas, being pushed back by Fidel's constant attacks, was unable to ignore the pesky staff master assaulting her. She let the spell she was forming fizzle and turned her attentions fully to the elf.

Abby grabbed the white orb and sprinted westward, as planned. As Abby was about to escape the flaming circle, vines erupted from the ground, entangling her feet and halting her advancement. The vines wrapped around her ankles, pulling her to the ground. The vines tightened their grip around Abby's waist, pulling her tighter, attempting to bring her under the ground. A vine tightened itself around her chest, pulling the wind from her lungs with it. She reached to her daggers and started cutting fiercely, severing vine after vine. The writhing tentacles continued to grow more. She worked as fast as she could with her magically enhanced daggers to break free from the nature-like prison. For every one she cut, it seemed like two more erupted from the earth.

Pravas used to her powers of conjuration and summoned forth a magical sword, charging in at Fidel. Fidel stepped backwards and played defense with his staff, knocking the sword far and wide, then retaliating with a an upwards slash. For a few moments, the enemies were an amazing display of warrior prowess. When a sword went high, an end of the staff was there to block. When the staff went low in counter, a sword was there to meet the charge.

As Fidel worked Pravas into a rhythmic dance, he set up for a move he hoped would be as effective on the field as it was in training. He worked her sword up high, then stabbed to the mid-section, scoring a minor hit and driving her back a few inches. He spun around, bringing his staff out wide, and dropped low to the ground as he faced his adversary. He scored a direct hit on her shins, knocking her from her feet and forcing her into a sidelong roll.

Fidel did not pursue as he noticed a small and stocky figure walking up from the flaming trench, axe and shield at the ready. Noxater raised his axe high over his head, directing his attack down toward the felled Pravas. Pravas noticed the pupils of her attacker and smiled as the axe head descended upon her. She raised one hand and the dwarf's momentum stopped, the axe halting in mid-swing, no more than a few inches from Pravas' neck. Pravas then pointed at Fidel and the dwarf started to approach.

Fidel sighed. “Lovely.”

Fidel quickly put his staff in his hip sack and ran backwards while chanting. He raised both of his arms in front of him, feeling the tingling sensation as he let loose the power of the wind, creating a sideways tornado and directing it at Pravas and Noxater. The sorceress and barbarian were quickly pulled into the funnel, the wind tearing at the two as they twirled violently inside. Fidel moved the funnel in all different directions, crashing the sorceress and dwarf into the ground several times.

Cap caught up to Abby and helped pull her free from the snatching tentacles. He quickly pulled her across the fire ring. They both smiled as they watched the tentacles pursue, each attempt to cross the fiery border resulting in the vines erupting into flames. They rose to their feet, each feeling quite victorious.

Cap asked Abby, “Where's the orb?” They both looked across the fire at the constant consumption of the vines and sighed. Each of them knew what they had to do.

Knowing he would not be able to defeat these two, Fidel's only thought was to get the sorceress and her servant as far away from the group as possible. He focused his energy into growing the length of the sideways twister, pushing the two further and further away. With one final push, Fidel pulled his cyclone up high over his head, turned his hips and started to spin. Once he saw the flames to his left, he released his magic, sending the sorceress and dwarf hundreds of yards away. He turned and ran toward the west.

Cap noticed Fidel's approach through the flames. Cap yelled out to his black-haired elven companion to grab the orb. Fidel saw the orb and the twisted vines covering it. He raised his left arm and flames erupted from his fingers. The vines retreated quickly from the biting fire, exposing the orb for Fidel to grab. Fidel picked up the orb and headed toward his companions when, once again, a bubble appeared around him and raised him into the air. Fidel turned quickly inside the magical barrier and faced the evil witch. As she moved him quickly toward the statue of Apollo, he pulled his necklace out of his robe and held it up for Pravas to see.

Pravas screamed as Fidel pulled the orb into his necklace. “No!”

He felt his chest almost explode as the orb made contact. He smiled as Pravas' face erupted in anger. Then he felt the crushing force of his body colliding into the solid statue of Apollo. He tumbled to the ground, his body crashing into the base of the statue. Pravas ran up to Fidel's tattered body and reached out to grab his necklace. An arrow shot into her shoulder, this time tossing her backwards and drawing blood from the opened wound.

Fidel glanced over at his friends as they came in at Pravas. Abby and Cap pulling their bowstrings in alternating fashion, preventing Pravas from organizing any type of real offense or defense. Pravas was forced to defend with force barriers which disintegrated on each hit. She continued to back step, away from the tattered elf. A moment later, Cap reached into his quiver only to find air.

Cap's heart sank as he glanced to Abby with an empty hand, prompting Abby to comment, “Seriously?”

Pravas flashed a wicked smile Cap's way, noticing his ammunition exhausted. As she raised her hand, an arrow from Abby connected on her palm. Abby then tossed her quiver to Cap. She pulled out her daggers and charged in at Pravas, intending to end this wretched witch's life once and for all. Abby led with a stab, intending to follow with a slash with her left hand. She flew right through her target, the sorceress' form turning into an ethereal mist before her. Abby felt the cold of the ghostly elf as she stumbled through the transparent target.

Pravas, already taken two arrows and knowing the group was outmatching her, glanced over at Fidel, who was teetering on the brink of consciousness. She gave an evil grin, “I will be visiting your parents soon, Fidel Austempes! You can count on it!” Her form disintegrated into a non-substantial mist, then was gone.

Fidel reached up and pulled himself to his feet with the help of Apollo's clay-like foot, his grin wide at his victory. Once he collected himself to his feet, he announced to Abby and Cap, “Let's go!” He stepped forward and saw the ground rush fast upon him, his legs refusing to carry his weight and his grin disappeared. A heartbeat later, he only saw darkness. The sounds of the roaring fires faded into nothingness.

What seemed like a few minutes later, Fidel heard Lord Fineal in the darkness, “Yes, east. We have some business to catch up there.” A few more minutes passed. “Just a single one. Leave him be.”

Fidel saw a white light in the distance. The light grew closer. A human woman stood before him, her robes of pure white and an aura about her. “Fidel Austempes,” she said flatly and smiled wide. She floated over to Fidel and her expression turned grim as she spoke, “You are not ready.” Suddenly Fidel felt like he was falling. For a long time, he felt the pull of gravity and the air around him rapidly whisk by. He stopped suddenly. His heart skipped several beats and he opened his eyes, gasping for air.

He glanced around the room, his vision phasing in and out, pulling objects in and out of focus. The room looked familiar, a dresser next to the four-post bed he was laying in. A couple of chairs across the room with a table recently littered with mugs. He noticed his pack and his clothing hanging from the door. In the far corner of the room, Fidel noticed a miniature house with several clothed figurines sitting at a small table, tea cups residing before them. He rested his head back on his pillow, pondering why he would have a doll house. The light grew dim and rest found him once more.

What seemed like seconds later, Fidel awoke to a preteen girl dabbing his forehead with water. He knew this girl...brown eyes with yellow hair, no more than twelve years of age. She smiled wide as she noticed his eyes open for the first time in over a week.

Yardana screamed, “He's awake!” She dropped the wet towel on his face then spun and darted out the door.

Fidel brought his arm up, pulling the towel from his face, still not sure what to make of the situation. He was glad he was in  familiar company.

Methvas entered the room first, “Did I not say to travel safely?” Methvas commented with feigned annoyance in his voice, smiling at the sight of his son's return from the darkness. Methvas marched over to the bed and embraced Fidel with a hug.

Fidel, still half alert, returned the embrace with very little strength. “Where..am...I?” he stuttered.

Methvas smiled. “Back at Harlow's Keep I'm afraid. I tried to get you brought back to your old room, but Yardana would have nothing to do with that." Methvas continued jokingly as Yardana returned to Fidel's bedside, "She saw your arrival from her window and rushed out to retrieve you. She was rambling about her knight and health and all kinds of stuff. There really was no convincing her or pulling you from her rabid grip!” Methvas rubbed her head in a friendly gesture. She looked at Fidel and smiled widely. One would think she was the proudest person in the world at that time.

Fidel smiled back at Yardana, remembering his promise of being her knight. “Well...Yardana...I guess this knight,” he sat up, placing a pillow behind his back, “needed some help of...his own.”

Yardana replied, her voice full of joy and excitement. “Don't you worry my knight. We can save each other! Are you hungry?”

After Yardana's words left her lips, Fidel realized he was starving and nodded. Yardana bolted out of the room to fetch some food for her knight.

Fidel looked to Methvas. “So, what happened?”

A woman's voice shouted from behind Methvas, “You got real personal with the God of Knowledge, you dote!” Abby came around Methvas' side, staring at Fidel and a wide grin on her face.  “He won. Without question!” The memory of the statue getting closer came into focus. Fidel smiled as Abby gave a hug, then whispered into his ear, “Don't do that again.”

Fidel pushed Abby back to arms length. “Do what again?”

Abby smiled, “You know, you can always make a point without being overly cocky. I think Pravas tossed you extra hard at that statue because you smiled at her while you stole her destiny. Us women do that you know...wrath and scorn and all that kind of stuff.” Fidel and Abby both gave a laugh, Fidel's being much more painful than Abby's. Methvas watched the two embrace as he stood by.

Yardana entered the room with a tray of soup and bread. She set the tray down and started to usher people out of the room, her nursing instincts kicking into full gear, stating reasons of privacy, food, and rest. Abby and Methvas tried to protest but Yardana would hear none of it. She stood her ground with the two adults, pushing them out of the room. She set the bed tray for Fidel and asked if there was anything else he would like. He shook his head and thanked her. She let him know she would be right outside and handed him a little bell, instructing him to ring it anytime he needed something. She excused herself and left the room.

As Fidel was eating, he could hear many voices in the hallway trying to convince the little girl to let them in. She would turn each one away stating, “He's eating. Please come back in an hour.” Fidel smiled every time she turned somebody away, imagining the little frame of this preteen girl facing off with grown ups, and the grown ups backing down.

Every sip of the soup and every crack of the bread was the best he had consumed in a long time, each giving some more life-sustaining energy to him. He sat in his bed and made sure to eat every bite. After all, the dreaded Yardana would have his hide if he did not eat all his supper! After he finished his meal, he laid back down and allowed sleep to find him again. The bed felt even warmer and the feelings of home comforted his mind.