Light in the Barren Lands: Travail of The Dark Mage Book One (10 page)

James came to a stop a hundred feet away from the mage. At this point, he could see the man very well. Most likely in his mid forties as his hair was beginning to turn gray, the man was definitely from the Empire. His skin color, the build of his face, everything spoke that he was of Empire stock.

The mage wasn’t attired in a robe as had others James had dealt with in the past. Instead, the man wore common clothes, the kind you would find on the run-of-the-mill Empire citizen. Yet standing before him was one who could by no means be called run-of-the-mill.

Taking a calming breath, James readied himself. Then, he connected with the island’s grid.

No sooner had he done so than the item clutched in the mage’s hand flared yellow. A visible beam shot forth toward him only to be intercepted by one of seven translucent spheres that suddenly appeared and bobbed in the air between them. The meeting of the two produced an explosion, with the resulting concussion rolling over James like a wave.

Another beam of magical force shot forth. The beam seemed to alter course as it was drawn to one of the bobbing spheres and exploded upon contact.

At this time, ceramic disks began flying over James’ head to land in close proximity of the mage. Jiron had joined the battle.

Immediately, the disks began emitting micro bursts of magic, each sending a needlelike projection of power toward the mage. Simultaneously, James launched an attack using the island’s grid. Bolts of lightning appeared from a cloudless sky.

Wham! Wham! Wham!

When the flash of the last bolt ended, the mage stood unharmed in his protective shield, the ceramic disks lay shattered upon the scorched ground around him.

Power surged through crystals placed throughout the island and the waters surrounding it as James drew full upon their resources. Not since wielding the Star of Morcyth against Dmon-Li’s High Priest had he called so much power to him. Upon sensing a spike in the magic of the mage before him, he reflexively created a shield around him.

A split-second later, the shield was hit with such force, that the oxygen in the air around the shield ignited in a fireball lasting several seconds. In his mind’s eye, James knew the workshop had felt a portion of the attack and been blasted away. Fearing for Jiron and Jira, he lashed back with an attack of his own, trying to keep the mage focused on him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pair flee from what was left of the workshop and take refuge behind the platform James had been working upon when Jiron arrived. Though Jiron was carrying his daughter, she didn’t look injured.

Again the shield was attacked. Again a fireball flared around him momentarily. The heat within the protective shield was rising with each subsequent attack but he dared not drop it. Seeking some weakness that the mage may possess, he cast a series of varied attacks.

First he caused the ground to shake and to open beneath the mage’s feet. But before more than a crack could develop, the widening fissure slammed shut. Then he sent fire, ice, spears of magical energy, all were countered and rendered impotent.

Further attacks on his part were forestalled when the yellow object clutched in the mage’s hand appeared to pulsate. James’ eyes were drawn to it as a wave of magic enveloped his shield. But instead of attacking, the magic flowed over and around the shield, settling upon it like a wet blanket.

Immediately, James’ magic began to wane. His mind’s eye saw the mage’s magic begin to trace the incoming threads of power from the island’s grid. Then one by one, surges traveled down the threads and began shattering his network of crystals. As each node in the latticework failed, his reservoir of power diminished.

Panic began to settle in. He didn’t have much time. Summoning everything available to him, he attacked the magical field encompassing his shield and threw it off. The effort left him weakened and depleted, but for the moment he was free.

“James!” shouted Jiron.

Turning toward his friend, he knew it was over. Then, his eyes settled on the platform. When Jiron arrived the day before, he had just finished making the final adjustments to the spells of the teleporter. He believed it would work now. If so, there was a way to momentarily escape and possibly regroup. If not, well, he remembered the carcass of the last test subject sent through the teleporter. A glance to the crystals of the teleporter showed they glowed red and were ready to go.

“Get to the platform!” James shouted as he bolted for the teleporter. Calling the last of the island’s magic to him, he tried to fend off another attack by the mage as he closed the distance. Struck by a blow that felt like a giant’s hammer, he felt his magical wards shatter as he was thrown forward through the air and head first into the side of the teleporter platform.

“Uncle!”
cried Jira as she saw him crack his head against the platform. Jiron came to the edge and hauled James’ semi-conscious body from the ground and onto the teleporter.

The mage was advancing toward them, the object in his hand glowing an ominous yellow.

Laying his friend upon his back, Jiron looked into eyes lacking any focus. Slapping him across the face, Jiron shouted, “Wake up!”

“Father…” began Jira as she nestled protectively behind him.

“Not now!” he shouted to her. James’ eyes blinked and they appeared to gain focus. Seeing his friend coming around, Jiron asked, “How does this thing work?” When James’ eyes started to close, he slapped him again.

“Father, he’s coming.” This was the first time he had ever heard fear in his daughter’s voice concerning anything other than fear of punishment for doing wrong. He could feel her small body tremble as it pressed against his back.

James’ eyes snapped open. His mind was muddled. “How does it work?” he heard Jiron ask. For a moment he didn’t understand what was being asked. Then, it came back to him. The mage, the platform…escape! Failing to activate the latent magic within the platform’s crystals, he tried to reach the remaining crystal in his belt.

Jiron saw what he was doing. “The Crystal? You need the crystal?” When James nodded, Jiron removed the crystal from the belt and placed it within his hand. His daughter’s scream brought his attention back to the enemy mage, and he knew fear. A wall of fire rolled toward them consuming everything in its path.

Grabbing hold of his daughter, he shielded her as best he could as the wave of fire hit the platform.

As soon as the crystal rested within his palm, James tried connecting with its magic. The blow to his head had addled his mind to such an extent that he couldn’t sufficiently concentrate to summon the magic around him. But, with the powered crystal clutched in his hand, the way was made easier.

Focusing on the crystal and the magic therein, he vanquished all thoughts of their impending doom and concentrated solely on the task at hand. Using the magic of the crystal, he was able to locate the spells embedded within the platform’s crystals. Then just as the wave of fire struck, activated the spells.

Chapter Six

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Six crystals flared to life. In less time than it took a hummingbird’s wings to flap, a field of energy enveloped those upon the platform. Not having been given a destination, the crystals sought out their creator for direction and found a mind both muddled and confused. They latched onto the first coherent thought encountered.

Jiron clutched his daughter tightly to him as the wall of fire rolled over them. Closing his eyes, he pressed his head to hers, attempting to shield her from the worst of it. A moment of searing pain, then a downpouring of water, screams of women and children, and a sound like some demon emerging from the bowels of hell.

Surprised at still being alive, albeit a little scorched, Jiron opened his eyes. Jira looked up at him with fear still very much etched into her features. Water poured from the sky, soothing the burns on the back of his neck and arms. Flames raging along one wall were subsiding rapidly under the onslaught of water.

Walls?

A quick glance at their surroundings showed they were no longer upon the platform. Nor were they any place even remotely familiar. White lights glared from overhead; strange, box looking seats in rows along the wall, and of course the ear shattering blaring sound that seemed to come from every direction.

“Where are we father?” asked Jira.

“I…I don’t know,” he replied. This place was as alien to him as any place had ever been. “Stay close.”

James lay passed out on the floor before him. As he moved an errant strand of his friend’s hair back to where it belonged, someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Glancing back, he saw a man of middling years kneeling down next to him. In the man’s hand was held a strange object. Not very long but obviously magical in nature, for one end emitted light.

When he heard the stranger say something in an unintelligible language, and then attempt to push him aside to get to James, he reacted. Shoving the man away, he came to his feet and stood over the unconscious body of his friend. Drawing his knife, he shouted, “Get back!”

Waving the blade menacingly toward the man, he was relieved when the stranger fled through a doorway located not far away. He could hear the man race away, shouting in his strange tongue.

“We have to go,” he said to his daughter. Grabbing James, he slung his friend over his shoulder and was about to leave when he caught sight of James’ crystal lying on the floor. “Grab the crystal,” he said to Jira who immediately bent over to pick it up. She put it in her pocket.

They were now alone in the room. Water still poured from the ceiling and the horrible sound continued its attack upon them unabatedly. With James over his shoulder and a knife ready in his free hand, Jiron led his daughter through the door.

On the other side they found a hallway extending to the right and left. Other doors, some closed, some open sat as quiet sentinels in both directions. A white light was flashing from a red box attached to a wall farther down to the right. Spying sunlight coming through a window at the end of the hallway to the left, he ran toward it. When he reached the window and looked out, he froze in disbelief. They were high off the ground, higher than any castle spire.

Other incredibly tall buildings sat in a stately row across from where he stood. One rose to even greater heights than where he now stood.

“Father, where are we?” Nose pressed to the window, Jira looked down at a world very different from the one in which she was born.

“I…,” about to answer, he stopped when the terrible noise suddenly stopped. Casting a glance back down the hallway, he heard a faint…
Ding!

“Fa…,” she began before being stopped by his upraised hand.

A moment later, farther down the hallway, forms begin to appear. Clothed in bulky armor, they wore strange helmets and carried battleaxes. These warriors turned and began moving quickly their way. Fearing attack, Jiron moved to a nearby door only to find it locked. He smashed the door open with a well placed kick then ushered Jira in first before following quickly after.

Beyond the door lay a dimly lit, empty room. Shutting the door behind him, he moved to the far corner where he laid James down in the shadows against the wall. What light there was available to them shone through a window looking out onto the hallway.

“Stay with him,” he told his daughter. “If he wakes, try to keep him quiet.”

Jira nodded silently. The look of uncertainty in her eyes caused him to give her a reassuring smile. “We’ll be fine.”

“What’s going to happen to mother?”

So concerned with what was going on with them, he hadn’t even thought about what Aleya and the others left behind at the manor may be going through. Would the mage kill them now that James was out of the way? Or would he take them as slaves? Fear for his wife welled within his heart. But then he pushed it aside. Such thoughts would only distract him from the immediate danger he and his daughter now faced. Whatever the fate of Aleya may be, he could not affect its outcome so would not waste energy worrying that would be better spent on the situation at hand.

“She’ll be okay,” he assured her. Laying his hand upon her shoulder he added, “Remember what your uncle said? There is no safer place than the manor.”

Jira nodded.

“So don’t fret,” he said. “Your uncle will find a way for us to get back to them, rest assured.” Glancing toward his still unconscious friend, he prayed that his words would prove true.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of three solid strikes followed by shouting drew his attention back to the hallway running outside the room.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

More pounding followed immediately by more shouting.

Crossing the dimly lit room to the window opening out onto the hallway, he peered down toward the sound of the shouting. The armored, battleaxe-wielding men were progressing from door to door. First they would check to see if the door was open. If it proved to be locked, one would pound on the door and shout while another looked in through the window. He watched as they moved from door to door, progressing ever closer to where he, Jira and James hid.

When they came to the door just down from theirs, he realized that the door to their room was ajar. Having broken the inside of the doorjamb in his rush to enter, the door would no longer stay shut on its own.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the men pounded on the next door over, Jiron rushed to their door and quickly closed it. Setting his boot against the bottom, he placed his weight against the door to keep it closed.

“Stay still,” he whispered to his daughter. He believed that, if his plan worked, she and James might remain unnoticed in the shadows if they remained motionless.

Bang! Bang! Bang!