Wielder of the Flame (55 page)

It felt dark and powerful.

It tried to seize control of the boy.

The boy threw himself against the ground in agony and slight
convulsion.

I AM DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS
! The voice screamed,
fighting to control the boy.

The boy shook his head, struggling against the power.

“No,” the boy said feebly, “No! My name is Drake.”

Blackness began to overtake him.

“MY NAME IS DRAKE!”

And then all was dark.

Drake was quiet as the group suited
up.

He was the only one who had not spoken much of his vision
with the Oracle.

It was the next day.

Everyone was getting into their armor, preparing to face the
darkness that was consuming Sulendald.

Laura looked the most worried of the group.

“You have the crystal shard?” Marc asked.

She lifted it from the necklace around her neck.

“The Oracle said she would help as well,” Marc assured her
as he helped her buckle her chest plate.

“I know,” Laura said. “I just do not know if I can do it,
even with her help and the crystal.”

“That room has a power to it,” Marc continued, “you can feel
it. Just by standing and looking up at the array of stars and planets, it is
astounding. You will be able to do it.”

Laura nodded, “I am just worried is all. Walking the unseen
paths myself is difficult enough.”

“Don’t worry,” Marc patted her on the shoulder, both
reassuring her and letting her know her chest plate was secure. “All will be
well.”

She nodded.

“You look quite handsome with your armor on,” Laura told
him.

“Marad did masterful work in such a short amount of time,”
Marc agreed. “You look elegant as well.”

He stood, fully armored, before her and the others. Most of
them had shoulder bags as well as their weapons and armor, filled with extra
supplies like waterskins and foodstuffs if they needed them.

He felt like a true hero, a knight, a warrior. He felt like
he could conquer anything that got in his way. The rest of the party looked
just as striking.

“How do they look?” Zania asked.

“Marcus looks truly to be the Wielder of the Flame, and the
others look like his Templars.” Goodmother replied.

Zania was smiling and leaning her head on Goodmother.

“And Goodfather?” Cydas asked.

“He is on his way with your mounts.”

Cydas nodded and turned to the others.

“Ready?” Cydas asked.

They all nodded.

“Have you all finished firstmeal?” Zania asked. They replied
that they had, “Then Exalted keep you.”

“Where I’m from,” Marc said, “people say, ‘Good Luck.’”

“I like it,” Zildjin commented and smiled.

As they gathered together around the
circle that would transform into the platform that would take them below, the
two main doors opened and Goodfather came in, holding the reins of Redmor. The
other Aldoms stood outside, waiting to be led in as well.

Cydas walked over at took Redmor’s reins, allowing Goodfather
to get the other aldoms.

“We will be needing them,” Cydas said, handing Redmor off to
Marc, “As the Oracle has spoken it. Goodfather was able to acquire armor for
each one.”

The creature’s looked majestic and ready for battle arrayed
in their plated metal gear. The armor covered their legs, neck, and head as
well as their shoulders.

The others took their mounts as well.

Squeezing tightly together, they all just barely fit inside
the circle.

“Ready?” Cydas asked once more.

They all nodded a silent yes.

Cydas activated the magic, and the platform began to
descend.

The ride down the platform elevator
was mostly silent. Marc could sense everyone’s nervousness permeating the air.
The aldoms must have sensed it too because every now and then one of the
creature’s would let out a low sort of anxious growl.

When Redmor made such a sound Marc put his hand up
underneath Redmor’s helmet and scratched behind his long ears.

“It’ll be alright, boy, no worries.”

It crooned at the sensation but still shuffled.

“Armor a little tight?” Marc whispered to the creature.

It gave a sort of bob of its head, indicating that Marc was
right.

Marc felt where the armor was tightest and made some minor
readjustments.

By the time he was done, the platform had stopped.

Soon they were filing into the Oracle’s galaxy chamber once
more, this time suited for battle.

Welcome back.
Sylandria said.

Laura, you may begin when you are ready, I will help with
all the magical strength I can. Remember, the Order of the Leaf is camped away
from Sulendald, not directly near it.

Laura nodded.

“Okay everybody,” she said, “Mount up, then, let us gather
in a circle and link arms.”

It was easier said than done. Once they had gotten into the
saddles of their steeds, they had to strain to reach each other’s forearms or
wrists.

Marc positioned himself on Laura’s right, Zildjin to her
left. Sesuadra linked arms with Marc, who linked arms with Puck, who linked
arms with Drake, and then Cydas, who linked arms with Zildjin.

She closed her eyes.

Immediately she felt the presence of the creatures. They
were easily attuned to the magic.

She imagined the city and began to recall as much detail of
the place as she could.

She felt herself getting lighter and the faint outline of a
doorway began to appear before her. But she could only feel herself and the
aldoms moving in the magic, no one else.

 “This is not working,” She said, “I cannot feel anyone but
myself and the aldoms.”

Marc let go of her forearm and put his hand in hers.

Suddenly she could feel Marc moving in the magic with her,
slowly hovering towards the door.

“Yes!” she said, “Marcus, I can feel you now.”

“That’s the key then!” Marc said, “the skin, everyone grab
someone’s hand!”

Zildjin, who was on Laura’s other side let go of her forearm
and put his hand in hers.

She immediately felt Zildjin enter the magic of the unseen
paths, then, as the others linked by hands she felt them enter as well.

“I see a doorway of some kind!” Marc said. He could feel
Redmor underneath him.

The others were nodding.

“It is faint,” Laura said, “Oracle, now is the time.”

The light from the Oracle’s pillar began to brighten. The
stars and nebulas in her sky began to shift and pulse with life.

A blue force began to surround them, twirling and moving
like a tangible visible wind. Laura felt herself rising further, closer to the
doorway. The doorway grew in size to accommodate their creatures. The magic
began to whip around them, faster and faster. The lights grew brighter,
fiercer. Marc closed his eyes. He felt a force trying to pull him away from
Laura and he gripped her hand tighter.

The lights around them were blinding now and the force
passing by them buffeted them in great waves.

“I cannot hold on much longer!” Zildjin cried.

“Me neither!” Puck echoed on the other side of the circle.

Marc felt himself being stretched impossibly.

The room around them began to change.

The stairs flattened and the fog that made up the walls and
the door behind them all flattened, melting into a sort of silvery flat expanse
like a sea of mercury.

The stars in the night sky began to fall, turning into
burning trails of fire and light.

Marc felt his grip slipping from Laura.

Laura thought desperately of Sulendald, trying to will
herself and everyone else through the doorway.

“Come ON!” She yelled, “JUST HOLD ON!”

Marc felt a pain all over his body and he opened his mouth
and yelled.

Marc’s vision was blinded by a flash of white and yellow
light and he felt himself being pulled through the doorway, Laura in front of
him.

Redmor was suddenly gone. No, not gone, but no longer
underneath him, and instead, was beside him. The other aldoms were nearby too,
galloping in a disorganized fashion, but all still pointing forward.

As they passed through the doorway, Laura felt Zildjin,
Drake, and Cydas fall away, unable to cross the enchanted threshold.

Marc felt himself being dragged through a vast tunnel of
incomprehensible lights and sounds. He held on tightly to Sesuadra’s hand who
was in-turn holding on to Puck’s hand.

They plummeted through the chaotic magic at impossible
speeds, twisting and spinning in what felt like impossible ways. Marc felt the
magic pressing against him, pulling at him, trying to tear him from Laura who
was his anchor.

The aldoms were galloping in a pack now, Redmor in the lead.
They were almost overtaking Laura.

Marc felt Sesuadra slipping.

“Hold on!” He yelled.

“I cannot!” Sesuadra cried back.

“Hurry Laura! Hurry!” Marc implored.

“The end of the path is near!” She cried back, “It has never
taken this long!”

Sesuadra was slipping even more and Marc knew if they did
not reach the end soon Sesuadra would slip away and be lost to the whims of the
powerful magic.

“Almost there!” Laura cried.

The doorway at the end of the tunnel was swiftly
approaching.

But it was too late.

Sesuadra’s hand finally slipped through Marc’s fingers.

“NO!” Marc shouted in dismay.

He watched as Sesuadra and Puck fell behind, tumbling away.

Brighteyes, Ses’s aldom, screeched as his rider fell.
Redmor, the leader of the pack, turned and let out a similar sound,
acknowledging Syril. Tandur let out a grunt as well. The creatures seemed to
understand the predicament immediately and quickly turned, the other aldoms
following closely behind.

“Redmor!” Marc yelled, afraid to lose his loyal steed as
well.

Sesuadra and Puck began to disappear in the swirling magic,
almost as if they were disintegrating before his eyes. Brighteyes jumped,
catching Sesuadra with its beak, and Redmor leaped right after, grabbing a hold
of Puck the same way. The two beasts, riders, and the rest of the aldoms
disappeared soon after, leaving no trace behind.

“Sesuadra!” Marc cried out a final time.

And then he and Laura were plummeting through the end
portal.

Marc felt himself smack hard onto a
wood floor, cracking the wood slightly.

His armor absorbed most of the shock but his breath was
still knocked out of him. His helmet was slightly askew. He adjusted it and
glanced around.

It was dark.

“Laura?”

Laura was nowhere near that he could see.

He stood up and drew the Phoenix Blade, releasing its magic.

The fire from the sword and the golden aura around him
brightened his surroundings significantly.

He was in a hallway of a very run down wood and stone
building. Some of the wood was rotting away and several stones were out of
place, rubble on the ground. There were several doors leading to other rooms
and a final door at the end of the hall.

“Laura!?” he tried again.

The door at the end of the hall opened.

It was Laura.

“I am here, are you okay?”

Marc nodded, “Yeah, you?”

“I am fine, what happened to Sesuadra and Puck, and the
aldoms?”

Marc shook he head.

“They, they did not make it?”

“Sesuadra slipped from my hand, and Puck was holding onto
Sesuadra. Then Syril jumped after her rider, and Redmor leapt for Puck. The
other creatures followed after, and they all—”

“I knew it!” Laura sunk to her knees, her metal armor plates
clunking against the wood floor, “I knew I could not do it! Cydas, Drake and
Zildjin could not even walk through the first door with us, I tried to pull
them through but they fell away. They must still be with the Oracle.”

Marc quickly walked the length of the hall and got down on
one knee to comfort her.

“All is well Laura! You did your best, no one could have
asked for more than that.”

“All is not well Marcus, I do not know what happened to Puck
and Sesuadra, or our mounts, I know Redmor meant a lot to you!”

An image of the loyal animal flashed through his mind, and a
sinking feeling overcame his stomach. He remembered how Puck and Sesuadra
seemed to disintegrate into nothingness and decided not to bring it up. He
mentally shook himself and put a hand out for Laura to take.

Marc helped her stand, “There’s nothing we can do about it
here. Let’s try and find a way out of this building and see where we are.”

“I know right where we are,” Laura replied.

“Where?”

“This is the same place where I first used my magic to
escape Sulendald.”

“But this place seems so old and falling apart, I thought
Sulendald was a city in use?”

“It is,” Laura said, “And this place looked different then.
Whatever was happening here drastically changed the city in a very short amount
of time.”

“Well,” Marc said, “let’s go and see what we can see.”

When they opened the door at the end of the hall opposite
where Laura had entered they found the other side blocked by a giant pile of
broken stones and rubble.

They searched the entire area for another way out but found
every window and any possible exit blocked by debris and wreckage.

“What should we do?” Laura asked.

“Well,” Marc replied, “I have an idea.”

Marc stood in front of the pile of debris behind the door
that Laura said was the exit.

“What are you going to—?”

Marc pointed the Sword of the Phoenix at the blockade and
fired a powerful blast of magic at it. Stones and splinters of wood shot
outwards from the explosive force revealing a sort of filtered grey light into
the hall.

It took a moment for the dust to settle and the rocks to
stop moving.

Marc and Laura waited anxiously.

After a moment or two of silence Marc moved towards the
opening.

Suddenly a hunched over figure of rotted flesh jumped
through the hole with a guttural sound in its throat.

Marc reacted quickly, swinging his blade in front of him
horizontally.