The Harbinger (A Fight for Light Novel Book 2) (21 page)

Like all of the other warriors, Kellen held a shield. It was long and wide, curved inward at the sides, in the same green and gold, a lion and fleur de Lis crest engraved on the front of it. His fingers curved around the hilt of his sword, clutching it with confidence, cutting the air here and there, working the muscles in his arm against fatigue.

Our friends and allies had joined us. The dwarves were here and the centaurs. The elven army was perhaps the largest in number sent to join us. Their golden armor glowed with an almost magical quality. I noticed with humor that the gnomes were conspicuously absent. The dwarves wore heavy armor that looked like steel, their large axes and heavy two handed weapons made of sturdy and thick polished metal.

One of the mages conjured a large gryphon. Another had raised several large falcons, like human size large. They were huge. Another raised a spirit warrior. I could not figure out what he was, a ghost? A revived soul? I was not sure but several more joined him. Surely this was not blood magic…

I watched as the group in front of me all prepared for battle in their own way. Many wore plate armor and all had weapons of some kind. Shields, bows, swords, axes, the weapons were unending. We were formidable. We would hold our own this day.

As I stood there, I thought of the events that had led me to this day, to this very moment. The attacks from the demon, the attacks across the portal, my dreams and the ever present premonitions. My abilities had proven an invaluable asset.

Although I was only beginning to understand the full extent of it all, I knew without my gift, without my harbinger, I would be left in the dark. I was able to stand against an enemy bent on my annihilation mostly due to the secret knowledge I had beforehand. Even when I was left with more questions than answers, my survival was dependent upon what was revealed to me.

Every time I needed protection I was warned. My harbinger had warned before every attack by the demon. It warned me repeatedly about the battle today. Whether an uneasy feeling or a sudden tingle, or a full dream or premonition, my gift, my ability,
never
failed me.

It went far beyond simple intuition. It was partially the reason I knew I could trust Baylor. Why I knew Kellen would protect me from the beginning. And why I knew, without a doubt, beyond any argument, that today was crucial.

No matter what the result of the battle today or the future consequences of today’s actions, I would continue the fight. I would stand my ground. I would fulfill my destiny. I would do whatever I needed to, because despite the enemy’s plans, I belonged to the light.

I fought for the light.

The darkness would not win.

Not this day. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

I stood behind Kellen, letting the golden glow of my power emerge, knowing it was the only thing that could protect me if he fell. I had the antique ruby vial around my neck, my gift from Gran, holding the magic fairy-like dust in case I needed it.

And in a lightweight metal scabbard buckled around my waist was the sword Baylor had given me. I had been practicing with it daily. I was ready to use it. Kellen had not been happy but I was adamant. My training was good, it was essential. This was a means of defense and protection. It stayed.

I felt fairly confident that we would be successful. This army was remarkable. Surely we could win and beat them back. That was what I thought until I saw them.

The enemy arrived, taking us completely by surprise. By sheer number, they had us five to one. They marched in, banging their shields and weapons against their chests, snarling and growling. Many of them were covered in black war paint, some of them covered in streaks of blood. They wore armor made of heavy iron and steel, strong against attack and in hand to hand combat.

They crouched and leered at us as they approached. It was a long time before they stopped coming, wave after wave, raising cudgels, maces, and spears into the air. The last one to emerge from the rear, heading from the flank, was a sinister and dark figure.

For just a moment, a split second, he reminded me of Baylor.

But that was impossible.

Right?

The rider was magnificent, imposing and strong, riding a large black warhorse. He had to be seven feet tall. Too tall and broad to be Baylor but wow, he seemed eerily similar. This man wore shiny black armor with swirls cut into it, the same metal as Kellen’s, the individual leaf design allowing for flexibility and strength. His helmet pointed at the top, a long, dark red plume sticking up and out of it.

Terrified, I started trembling as I recognized him as the same man from my dream. I remembered the premonition of being kidnapped. Fear made my stomach tighten. Suddenly I was terrified. Was that the danger today? Was that my fate?

I heard the murmuring around me and glanced forward at Kellen.

“Domhnall,” he said, spitting, “I should have known.”

“Domhnall?” I asked.

“Yes, once a Guardian, now he thinks himself a warlord. He took the name Domhnall, meaning ‘world ruler’. We thought he was dead, guess not. I think we know who the mysterious general for the enemy is
now
,” he said angrily.

“Kellen…he’s the rider from my dream,” I told him shakily.

He looked at me sharply. “Don’t leave my side, Rhiannon. No matter what.”

I nodded to him and he stared at me for a moment, determined, before he turned his focus back to the advancing enemy line.

We knew the identity of the mysterious general now. We knew who the dark rider was that plagued me. We had a face for the enemy and an understanding of their plan. The enemy had sent the assassins and the demons. Now I knew Domhnall was behind it all. The only question that remained was, why?

The army of the enemy fully arrived. They formed a long line in front of us, shaking their weapons and shields. They were so grotesque it almost turned my stomach. Goblins of all kinds stood in front of us in addition to the men in plate armor. The harpy was back with two more like her. A large gargoyle was conjured by a sorcerer.

There was also the same kind of werewolves I had seen with the witch during my second attack, in addition to several large nasty trolls. Death hounds, weaving in and out, growled in the background. My first glimpse of these creatures, I shook with fear, my eyes widening in horror.

In addition, there were other men, dirty with grime, blood streaks across their faces and dripping from their weapons, necklaces of human bone around their necks and attached to weapons. They looked primitive and evil, carrying crude and oddly constructed weapons, as if they made them themselves. I gulped when I realized they were probably cannibals.

Dark mages continued to conjure, offering sacrifices upon the ground, and my stomach turned at the blood so carelessly spilled. Dark shadows hovered, darting in and out of the enemy line, growing in number, until dozens of demon shadows pulsed and lingered, ready to form into flesh, ready to kill.

A goblin approached Domhnall as the enemy snarled and crouched toward us, awaiting further orders.

“Lord Domhnall, we await your command.”

He crossed his jagged sword across his chest and bowed in salute.

Domhnall nodded and then scanned the open field. He seemed to be searching for something until his eye stopped and rested on me. The horse he was on kicked its front quarters up, pawing at the air, and came down with a loud thud, prancing and tossing his ebony mane.

Domhnall kept his gaze fixed on me, reining the horse in. I gasped and almost screamed. Kellen took one step back, raising his sword and pointing it at him. Domhnall laughed a loud, deep sound that shook the trees, rumbling the earth beneath my feet.

It all happened quickly after that. I don’t know who sent the arrow into whose side first but suddenly both sides were running toward each other. The sound of clashing bodies and weapons filled the air. I heard screams of rage and cries of pain. All around me the clang of metal, the ring of steel, and the sound of heavy thuds filled my ears. Every person there was engaged, swinging weapons, dodging deadly blows, shoving back against the enemy.

I stood behind Kellen, watching him fight. He took everything that came my way, any enemy who dared to push in our direction, and won easily. He was a skilled fighter. I knew that, remembering his win at the tournament.

Things were looking good until I noticed the sorcerer who stood across from us, pointing straight at me. He lifted his hands, a blue light circling above his palm, growing in size, until it glowed in a swirling ball, pulsating.

The dark shadow of a demon appeared in front of him, darting to and fro, until it started to take on flesh. With shock I gasped, disbelief apparent on my face. The demon had taken the form of a Minotaur, the same one from my first attack. He looked murderously angry about my escape. A clawed hand raised a spiked mace in the air and shook it, running toward us.

I suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. This was my nightmare at Kellen’s house across the portal. Exactly, down to every detail. The Minotaur bent on revenge, the dark rider, and the enemy army. He made his way toward us, fighting and killing along the way, hacking at any body that approached, friend or foe, ally or enemy.

Distracted, I didn’t see the harpy approach me. She flew above my head and circled around, trying to come lower. I opened the vial and put a pinch of the dust in my hand. I rose up a little higher off the ground, and waited for her to get close. She came at me fast. At the last second I threw the dust onto her. She screamed and writhed in the air as it burned her like acid, dropping to the ground dead, before she exploded into a cloud of black ash. Another demon.

I knew how they succumbed, how they went from shadow to flesh, how they disappeared when they were destroyed. My memory served me well. At least my interaction with that evil demon before had proved quite an education. I closed off my mind, sealing it from invasion, and turned my attention to the two remaining harpies, who immediately backed off from their pursuit.

I lowered back down behind Kellen. He saw me out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

“Rhiannon…” A deep voice called to me, a voice I had never heard before.

“Rhiannon…come to me.”

Domhnall.

Kellen roared and stepped back, raising his sword in protection as the evil laugh filled the air again. I shivered.

“Rhiannon,” he called, “come.”

I felt a pull in my chest, trying to fight against the invasion of my will, the clutch of determination, as I was beckoned to join him.

Commanded.

Several mages stood behind him, all facing me, a swirling wind billowing and growing until it became a small tornado. I took a step forward, and another, and another, against my will.

“No!” Kellen yelled, picking up a spear and hurtling it into one of the mages. They fell, the spell weakening, and I collapsed to my knees breathing heavy.

“Focus! Resist it Rhiannon!”

The fighting continued all around us. The Minotaur was being heavily attacked and having difficulty making his way to us. More enemies tried to reach me and were defeated by Kellen. I saw Seasnan fighting and glancing my way every now and then. He nodded at me too and continued to fight.

Time seemed to pass slowly around me as I saw my friends and enemies swinging their weapons, hacking and shoving their way through the forest. Bodies accumulated on the ground and I tried not to look too closely at the faces of those who had fallen. I knew we were losing friends and allies, even as the enemy was losing soldiers.

Standing my ground, I didn’t notice the death hounds approaching from behind me. They had tracked me down and were trying to ambush us from behind. Several werewolves gathered with them. I poured more dust into my hand and rose back up, several feet off the ground, so I wouldn’t be so vulnerable. As they got closer I threw some of the dust at them, smirking as it had a similar effect as on the harpy. They burned and exploded into clouds of black ash.

Dumb demons.

The animals that survived quickly ran off, the need to survive greater than the need to capture me. I was pretty impressed with this “magic” dust. It protected me better than a sword ever could. I was pretty sure that it could handle almost any creature. I don’t think Kellen noticed what happened. He was engaging several enemies at once, bashing with his shield and striking with his sword at the same time.

The feeling of being watched returned with a sudden vengeance and I looked up to see Domhnall watching me. His eyes were difficult to discern through the helmet. I heard him laugh sardonically and it made me shiver in pure terror. I screamed, unable to forget the premonition, unable to escape the overwhelming fear. He galloped toward me, his head lowered in determination.

Kellen backed up until he was a few feet in front of me, noticing the attention I was getting. I heard Seasnan yell, as he noticed too, and ran for Domhnall’s horse. He sliced the sword through the air as it met Domhnall’s blade. Soon they were fighting in hand to hand combat as Domhnall was forced from his mount, unable to continue his pursuit. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Shockingly, the Minotaur appeared abruptly in front of us at the same time. He swung the mighty mace at Kellen’s head and missed. Kellen raised the sword and skillfully sliced it through the air again and again, catching the Minotaur with small cuts here and there. They were swinging their weapons at each other with precision, both proven warriors. The demon must have latched onto the spirit of a soldier.

I became terrified as I watched both battles wage in front of me. Either of the Guardians could be killed. Both the Minotaur and Domhnall were skilled fighters, as good as Kellen and Seasnan, but not better. I tried not to scream and distract either of them. Seasnan was beating Domhnall, gaining the upper ground, so I returned my attention to Kellen.

The fight was close to evenly matched. They came at each other, back and forth, like a dance. The fight was so intense others stopped to watch. We were moving away from the rest of the battle, through the trees toward a steep cliff. Strike, deflect, and shove, then swing. I watched Kellen’s movements. He would win. He was magnificent.

I remembered the cliff from my journey across the portal.
Oh God
, I thought…
my dream
, both of my dreams. I remembered the dreams about falling. The premonition that I would jump over the cliff of my own volition. Shaking, I turned to Kellen. The fighting was covering a lot of ground and soon they were both right up to the cliff edge.

The Minotaur lunged at him, swinging the mace around within inches of his face. Kellen brought the heavy broadsword around and blocked it easily. Reaching up with his foot, he shoved the Minotaur backward, knocking it off balance. Rocks fell loose from the soil, tumbling to the ground far below. The drop was significant. Not survivable by any normal means.

Kellen saw his chance and brought the gleaming sword down on the creature’s right shoulder, slicing into it. The Minotaur cried out in pain, faltering, and tried to get up. Kellen brought the sword down again and hit the animal on the leg, rendering it useless. The huge Minotaur stumbled back toward the cliff edge where he lost his balance and fell.

Kellen turned and took a step toward me, his arm outstretched. I almost sighed in relief. Suddenly the Minotaur’s clawed hand reached up and grabbed his leg pulling him backward.

“Kellen!” I screamed. “No, oh please, NO!”

Not Kellen. No, my mind screamed it over and over again. I was running toward him but not fast enough. Too far away. I would never reach him in time. I saw his body fall over the side and the look of surprise mixed with horror.

For one brief moment my eyes scanned the tree line. A figure, tall and proud, darkly handsome, and with a long broadsword raised, emerged and ran toward me. I could not believe he had appeared out of nowhere. It did not matter. He was too late to help. Too late to do anything but watch me jump over the edge. Too late to see anything but my death.

Lord Baylor.

Bae.

Good bye. The word echoed in my head. I blew him a kiss as he shouted.

Everything went brighter around me like a deep golden haze. I felt my body expand, my chest spreading out, as if I had super strength, and I dove off the face of the cliff. Vaguely, I could hear Seasnan scream my name in the distance. All I cared about was Kellen. I could see him in front of me. He was hurtling quickly toward the ground. He would never survive the fall.

I threw my arms in front of me and lowered my head down to propel myself faster. I reached him about thirty feet from the ground. I wrapped my arms around his waist and tried to pull up. The momentum I was under was too fast to slow me down enough.