Logan Marsh: A Thrilling Fantasy Novel (Action Adventure,Mystery, Y/A Book 1) (26 page)

"You have just won a quick lesson in parachuting. Remember first to duck," De-Stik said and threw him through the great window, "farewell and good luck."

Narook looked around in amazement. Achtisanor leapt on Sernin Crouzar, took the horn from his hands and smacked him right on his face.

"De-Stik, get Krunch and leave this place with Kiril. Logan and I will follow you," Achtisanor called and tucked the horn in his sleeve.

De-Stik took Krunch with one hand and with the other supported Kiril. He began running to the west door and climbed with them on the staircase.

Lightning bolts leapt from Sernin fingers toward Achtisanor's chest. Achtisanor was thrown from his place and landed on the floor next to the north door of the room. Logan ran to him and stumbled on Narook's leg. She raised her head in anger and looked at Narook, who managed to grab his sword.

"Well, twin. It seems that I need to exact the punishment on you," Logan leapt to her feet and started duelling with him.

Sernin continued to hit Achtisanor with a lightning bolt, again and again, without pause or remorse. Achtisanor looked for Acthis down the stairs. His body shook with each bolt, his heart fluttering in pain.

After shooting dozens of bolts and arrows at him, Sernin approached Achtisanor, who laid on the floor, his body still and eyes closed. "This is your grim end, Achtisanor," Sernin told the bleeding knight. "In the play of your life, you are a tragic hero."

Suddenly, an unknown figure put a cold metal in Achtisanor's hand. Precisely at the same moment that Sernin bent to retrieve the horn from Achtisanor sleeve – the final word was uttered:

"And here is your end," Achtisanor said in a whisper and stabbed Achtis in Sernin Crouzar's chest. "To the memory of Patrick," he called and pulled the sword from Sernin's body with his two hands. "And to the memory of Carinian," he yelled without strength and stabbed the sword again, leaving Sernin a dead husk.

"Father," Narook called, and his sword fell from his hand.

Narook looked with shock at the body of his father. Then he looked at Logan's eyes and started running to the west door.

Logan's sword went after him, flying through the air, but it refused to hit him, and it swerved upward and hit the wall above the door. The stone bricks cracked and fell on Narook, burying Narook under them.

"Thanks," Wounded Achtisanor whispered and looked back.

"Y… Yer welcome, Achtisanor," Serdamus said, standing on the staircase next to the Dunlop, looking stunned in the broken room.

"Achtisanor," Logan called and went to him.

"Logan…" Achtisanor said in a weak and hoarse voice.

Dunlop and Serdamus entered the room and looked around in disbelief. Dunlop’s notebook shook in his hand, and the coal in Serdamus hand refused to scribble on his pages.

"You are brave, Logan, braver than any creature I've known," Achtisanor whispered and his body shook with pain. "The horn is in my sleeve. Take it and complete our mission."

"You are coming with me, Achtisanor," Logan said and tried to lift him.

"No, Logan…" Achtisanor said, "I… I have fulfilled my mission."

"Achtisanor," Logan called.

"Return Acthis to Domarwink…" Achtis said, "Tell him that… it was not revenge that led me on… but love." Salty tears choked Logan's throat. "Take care of Rood for me… and… take care of the two…" Achtisanor's head fell back and his sword fell from his lifeless fingers.

Torches burned in the warriors' hands. The horses neighed and jumped in fear. They heard from afar the cheers and the terrible battle roars of the dark army approaching their lines. The hungry wargs’ cries joined the horn call.

"Hold," Domarwink called his army.

Wargs riders crossed the field. The soldjas and gnolls ran after them with hateful cries and waved their swords in the darkness.

Many flashes of bright lights were seen at the battlefield from the blazing mines that the squibs planted in the place.

"Cannons," Domarwink said.

"Cannons," Alystus called, "fire."

Dozens of catapults and fire ballistae shot rocks and flaming oil barrels toward the dark army. The archers shot a deluge of arrows after them. From the opposite side, the dark army shot fireballs, ice blocks and knives on Nature army, and wounded many of the warriors and knights.

"Who is hitting us?!" Alystus called.

"The wizards," Domarwink yelled. "For Nature, fight for your lives," he enflamed his people and rode at the head of the army toward the dark mass.

Sword clashes, metal scraped against metal and terror cries were heard in the dark battlefield of the bistons mines. The wizard army attacked ceaselessly Nature warriors. The warg riders ran toward the infirmary tents and destroyed everything in their paths.

Domarwink fought valiantly against the many enemies that sought to kill him. Alystus did not leave his side and defended the king.

Smord waved his axe at the centre of the battlefield, hacked and slashed everything that stood against him. The soldjas trampled many of the warriors.

A green flare was shot into the sky from Domarwink sceptre.

A moment passed, and trumpet calls were heard from the north of the battlefield.

"Attack," called Genghis, lord of the bistons.

From behind him came the four members of Iron Fist and four well-armoured, axe-wielding dwarven battalions.

"Throw them to Zooloo chasm," Genghis called and caused the army to cheer.

A biston battalion ran toward the wizards and attacked them without mercy. The soldjas and gnolls screamed when they saw the burly army running toward them, and scattered in all directions, the warg riders also retreated.

"Fight, you cowards," Smord screamed when he saw them fleeing the field. "Fight, die for Klaxes…" darkness engulfed him.

Long minutes that seemed like an eternity passed when the bloody battle raged on.

"Victory for Nature," Alystus's voice pierced the darkness.

"Victory," Domarwink called.

The warriors gave a great cheer and the bistons started dancing in the battlefield.

"Return to camp and regroup," Domarwink called. "The battle is not yet over."

Nature army warriors returned to camp. Strange voices were heard above in the black sky. The archers looked up in fright.

"What is this noise?" Some of them asked.

"Domkachil," the shouts were heard from the sky, and a large war bat passed over them.

Buzzes were heard from beneath the scorched Nessit field. The noise grew stronger. In the light of the fires burning on the battlefield, thousands of skeletons, carrion eaters, spectres and liches arose from the ground. "Domkachil," the cry was heard again, answered by the masses of undead warriors.

"Abirino Diltogos," the call echoed on the battlefield, and to the surprise of Nature's warriors, the dead rose to their feet, along with the many soldjas and gnolls corpses. Skeletons, liches, grey bistons and dead spirits of all the races of the earth.

"Zombies," Domarwink called, "Hubris's undead army."

"Gods preserve," Alystus said.

"They number much more than us," Genghis said.

"Nature warriors," Domarwink said to his army. "This is the last battle of the war. They are many, but we are braver than they are. I am going to ride on the most important fight of my life, and I will fight until I die."

"Until we die." The army called behind him.

"May the gods be with us," Domarwink closed his eyes.

"Domkachil," the call said a third time. Hundreds of green fireballs were shot from the liches hands toward Nature army.

"Fight," Domarwink called and rode firth, Alystus at his side.

Nature's warriors ran toward the undead army.

"Until we die," Genghis shouted, wielding two axes in his hands.

From above, huge war bats with archers and grey=skinned fighters covered the sky.

Nature's soldiers fought valiantly and without fear. Many fell to liches foul magic, skewered by the skeletons swords, eaten by carrion eaters and zombies, or cursed by the spectres. Dozens of priests pushed forward, holding talismans. They sang the turning hymns and managed to banish for a little while the skeletons and spectres, but their effect on the battle was minimal. Thousands of stones tied ropes to the bats and used them to drop to the ground in a matter of seconds, falling like black snowflakes from the sky.

"Our chances of winning are decreasing with every passing second, Domarwink," Alystus called to the king, still fighting against a zombie. "The bat archers are hitting us hard, as well as the liches."

"Don't let your spirit down, Alystus," Domarwink called to him, "look."

The ground started shaking to the north of the battlefield. At the southern sky, thousands of silver lit the sky, and a noise rose to the east.

"Hey, who called for help?" Dor screamed at the head of a flock of huge eagles.

"Hey, look, guys, look at all the carrions down there," Con called to him, "Is this heaven or am I dreaming?"

The thousands of eagles started to drop on the battlefield. They dropped the grey elf archers and gobbled the undead army.

From the east appeared a whole army. At the head walked an old bistoness, her lacy dress made of metal and wearing a steel cap. Next to her walked a tiger with two little squibs, Chase and Dupree.

Thousands of angry human women, bistonesses, and elven maids stood behind her. They were armed with bows, clubs, swords, and axes.

"Genghis," the bistoness called, "just wait there, I am coming to get you."

"Girls, let's show them what we can do," the bistoness yelled. The women ran to the battlefield.

From the north came a big army. You could even say, that it was giant in its proportions.

"What is the first rule that we obey?!" Fitz stood on the royal tiger and shouted.

"Never kick a squib today," two hundred of mountain giants called.

"What's the second law decreed?" Sai said, riding on the neck of the giants' leader.

"Come to aid when there is need," the giants called.

"What's the third rule, punished by death?" Fitz called.

"Every Friday we must bath," the giants called as one.

"And the fourth rule, please confess?" Sai called.

"Every giant wears a dress," the giants shouted.

"And the last rule of them all," Fitz called.

"They saved our commander, so the big ones are not angry on the small," the mountain giants called.

"Giants, stop!" Sai commanded.

"The city of the squibs was destroyed by the Ashon forces," Fitz called.

"We must avenge their death," the giants said.

"Destroy every single soldier of the dark forces and help Nature's army," Sai called.

"Charge," the two squibs shouted. The earth beneath the giants charging into battle shook and rolled.

The horn still clutched in her hand, Logan exited the castle with the two reporters.

Sludge the boar slept by the gates and snored. Next to him were the bodies of two big and grey goblins. "It seems that they have died from lack of air," Dunlop said. "It probably gave them a merry chase until they dropped dead."

"Sludge," Serdamus ran with joy to his boar.

"Logan," Krunch called and ran to her from the darkness.

"Krunch, you are okay," Logan called and hugged him.

"What are you doing in this place?" De-Stik said after he saw the two reporters, "This castle is dangerous; it is not a competition or a race."

"Yes…" Dunlop said, "but… we came to warn you."

"We sailed in their boat, and then looked all over the castle for ye," Serdamus said.

"And when we arrived… well… "Dunlop said.

"It was a bitsy too late," Serdamus continued.

"Dunlop and Serdamus helped us to win the battle," Logan said and winked to De-Stik.

The two reported lifted their head high.

"How bad is he?" Logan went to Kiril and examined his wound.

"Krunch already put some ointment on it," Kiril answered. "It is good to see you, sister." The two hugged, "mother would have turned in her grave if she knew that you came back for me."

Logan smiled.

"You have the horn," De-Stik said when he saw the conch in her hands. "This is a light in this night. But why your face is long? And where is the knight?"

Logan frowned. De-Stik, Krunch and Kiril looked at her eyes and kept silent. Tears filled their eyes.

"Let's get away from here," Logan said with determination, "the mission is not yet completed."

Logan turned to the two reporters who were still writing and painting until that moment.

"Dunlop, Serdamus, where is that boat of yours?" Logan asked.

"It was here…" Dunlop said, "Near the pier…"

Dunlop and Serdamus looked at the place where the boat was left. They could see from afar a dark shadow sailing on the dark sea.

"Dunlop," Serdamus said, "Are ye sure you dropped the anchor?"

Logan put her fingers in her mouth and whistled sharply. A few seconds afterwards, Catch landed on her arm.

"Catch," Kiril was happy to see the old hawk and patted him, "You are also here."

"We need help, Catch," Logan said to the hawk, "We must leave this place and reach Meltadarf."

Catch called once, flew and disappeared into the dark sky. After a short while, Catch returned with the two eagles.

"Hey, wait," Dunlop called.

"Don't ye leave us here," Serdamus called.

"Go to the south-east," Logan called from Con's back, "This is where the lava pit stands." Below her, the battlefield raged. Con passed it quickly and flew up high.

"Look. Logan," De-Stik called, "not only is the horn in our possession; it seems that the dark army is on the brink of destruction."

"I see Meltadarf," Logan called, "I can feel its searing heat from over here."

"Logan, De-Stik, look back," Krunch called, riding on Dor with Kiril at his back.

"What?" Logan asked.

"I think we have company," Krunch called.

Three war bats chased them. At their head were Hubris and his huge bat. They shot arrows toward the giant eagles, which turned and twisted to dodge the missiles.

"Slower, Con," Logan called when she almost lost her balance.

"De-Stik, hold the horn," she called and passed him the conch. She took her bow and aimed an arrow at the target.

"Krunch," she yelled, "Do you have any spells left?"

"Sernin took almost everything from me," Krunch said, "I have just one spell left for me today."

An arrow was shot from Logan's bow toward Hubris. His bat managed to dodge, but the arrow struck the face of the bat behind him.

Krunch took Kiril's sword hilt and pulled it from the scabbard. "I don't think you'll mind if I borrow it," he shouted toward Kiril. Krunch looked back. Hubris and another grey elf chased them on the back of two bats.

"As the eagle we cry and fly!" Krunch whispered, leapt from the eagle and flew quickly toward the bats, holding the sword in his hands.

A great scream was heard and the bat dropped from the sky. Only Hubris remained.

"Whew," Dor called, "This lutin is brave."

"Hubris is gaining," Con called.

Logan looked back and saw Hubris pulling the bow's string.

"Kiril," Logan called to her brother, who rode on Dor's back, "Take the horn and continue to Meltadarf. De-Stik and I will try to stop Hubris."

De-Stik reached his hand to deliver the horn to Kiril, and at exactly the same moment, an arrow was shot and hit Con's rear.

"Oi," Con squeaked and lost his balance.

The horn slipped from De-Stik hand and fell downwards. Con fervently hit his wings in the air to stay afloat.

"Where is the horn?" Kiril called, "I can't see it."

A screech filled the air, and Catch, the old hawk, appeared next to them, holding the horn in his claws.

"Catch," Kiril called with joy.

"Catch," Logan called, "Throw it into the lava pit."

Catch screeched one more time and flew forward.

"We are landing," called wounded Con, "I can't bear the pain anymore."

Hubris's bat passed them and pursued the old hawk, incessantly shooting arrows at him. The two other bats disappeared.

"Come on, Catch, you can do it," Logan called to him.

Catch was already descending into the lava pit when a fire arrow was shot and caught him in the wing.

"Catch," Logan screamed, seeing the erratic movements of Catch. Fires burned his feathers. He sank like a phoenix into the lava pit, screeching his last heart-wrenching cry.

Hubris's bat almost touched the melting lava, but flew up once more, screaming all the time. Hubris lost his hold on the bat's reins, slipped from his back and caught his feet.

"No, you stupid bat, return to the castle," Hubris screamed and lost his hold. His screaming continued as he fell deep into the depths of Zooloo chasm.

"Catch made it," Kiril called.

"Catch made it," Logan felt the pain of the hawk's death.

"He asked to serve Nature one more time," De-Stik said. "Not all of us manage to fulfil our wishes in our prime."

A great trumpet call was heard again over Nature, but it was different from the previous ones. Its sound was not disharmonious, and her sound did not hurt the ears of the listeners.

It was the call for peace, long and echoing, comforting and consulting.

And the blackness of the sky was banished in the light of a big and purple moon.

My heart is broken, shredded and aches,

A pain so big, it burns me inside.

The world is empty of joy and friends,

My blooming garden has suddenly died.

Kneel, universe, on your bended knee,

Because a hero died not in vain,

Cry, moon, and scream all your pleas,

Until the sun rises up once again.

Sleep my hero, safe and sound,

You gave a mighty blow,

Finally sleep, your spirit will not hound,

And your love will be there to follow.

Sleep my hero, safe and sound,

While all of us crying because you have died.

De-Stik "Journeys"