Chapter 6
"Mel, I have a question." After the laughter had died down from all sides, we all got comfortable in each other's company. This last question was from Aalen.
"Mmm?" Was her response.
"Well, how did you get here so fast? I was only 'lost' for a month." At this, Mel smiled.
"I was fortunate. The messenger that came to get me had heard the latest gossip from that town down there, and was a magician from your country, meaning he could transport me here, or, at least, to the town where you were last heard of." Turning to Wren, she took on a grave face.
"I have news for you too, young Wren. Your queen, her magician, healer, and cousin have all been kidnaped." At this, Wren let out a small gasp. "Also, some very odd people told me to tell you that they are not in the Isles, but in the desert, in the Fortress Abandoned. I do not know what this means." Wren gaped.
"Your highness - er, Mel," she added with a look from her. "Did these people have silvery blond hair? And eyes that seem as if they know all, but will tell little?"
"Actually, now that you mention it, yes. Why? Do you know what they meant? I have no clue where this 'Fortress Abandoned' is. If you are hoping they told me . . . "
"The Iyon Daiyin! Yes!! I DO know!!!" turning to Hawk, she told him, "We DON'T have to travel for years!!! They are in the Great Desert!"
"Yes, while that is all well and good, when don't know WHERE in the Great Desert. That alone may take us years to find the fortress. I have never heard of an abandoned fortress in the Great Desert that isn't three hundred years old, and they were all destroyed." He pointed out in his cynical voice.
"Ahh, while there is no abandoned fortress you know of, what about The Fortress Abandoned? Do you remember years ago, there was a team of soldiers posted at a nameless fortress, and as it was in the middle of the desert, with rare contact from the outside world, they decided to name the fortress 'Fortress abandoned?'" Memory flashed in Hawk's eyes.
"Yes! I do remember now! I guess whoever this wizard is has killed the soldiers."
"That or she bought them off. Whoever she is, she needs physical reinforcements. You cannot survive in this world without. At least if you want to do something this big." Now, before I leave for the desert, and you three go your separate ways, I think we . . . "
"Hold on there now!"
"Not a chance."
"No way!" All three called out simultaneously.
"What?" Wren raised her arms. "Hawk, you said that your quest lies to the south, Mel, you all but flat out told us that you came looking for Aalen, and Aalen, now you can return, and soothe Aunt Niss and company that you are okay. If you did come, you would just be pointlessly risking your safety." Aalen crossed her arms. "You all very well know that I don't seem to attract the safest of people. Quite the opposite, actually. That Belro-" She was cut short by a rushing noise.
"Damnit, here's another!" Wren yelled at the top of her lungs.
If the Belrothol was something fearful, this creature was one that would give anyone nightmares . . . except of course, they who called upon its forces. Wren and Hawk recognized it as a Ryushnia, a union of Yushala, Welarnea, and Roloyra, the only way that Yushala could take form on land was if Roloyra took its wind and picked it up, but little damage could be done, so Welarnea added its cold bite and colder heart to the mix.
"Two in the same day!" Wren caused a tiny chuckle, albeit a fearful one, to course through those human occupants of the cave. "Damn, Hawk! It's headed from the village!" She called as she shot a lightning bolt at the head of the creature. The dark blue slits that served the monster as eyes opened wide, as a small chunk of the head evaporated. To everyone's astonishment, the piece missing from Its head grew back!
"What the hell?!" Wren cried. The creature grinned and threw a large ice ball towards where Aalen and Mel stood, dumbstruck. Luckily, Mel woke from her stupor in enough time to shove Aalen out of the way. The creature paused, giving Wren just time enough to observe her opponent.
It had, as stated before, dark blue slits where its eyes should be, and the entire creature looked as if a giant, man shaped Ice crystal, but lighting flashed, and clouds swirled inside. Long spindlely fingers of the clouded ice were as large as some of the stalactites in the cave, and glowed with trapped electric energy, and everyone could see it was just itching to get out. An abysmal black void was the servicing mouth, but all that came from its depths were blood-curdling shrieks and a laugh to disturbing to describe. There was no nose on the face, a face that if anyone squarely looked into would feel as if death was at their doorstep. This was the face of a cold, painful death.
A second ball of ice and lightning was thrown at Aalen. Hawk and Wren, with a few well timed lightning bolts, took of the creature's arm. The huge limb fell in the fire, and while extinguishing it immediately, the owner screeched in pain. Then the painfully simple truth hit Wren.
"Hawk! It's part of Roloyra! Lightning won't affect it! It's vulnerable to FIRE!!!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him away from a third ice ball. He cried out; a large splinter of ice was lodged in his arm.
"Hawk!" Wren yelled over the Erolia's scream. "What spells do you know for fire?"
"Well, there is this one. . ." he told her, pointing in his student booklet, which he kept in his pocket at all times.
"No, that requires fire to begin with, and we have none... wait," Wren turned her head, an eerie song flowing through her head. A very familiar song.... she did not have enough time to ponder it. "Your Highness!"
"What?" she called, diving under the sweeping arm of the monster, for once putting up with her title.
"The hill folk, do they have . . . er, are they of elements?" Wren continued, hacking off the Erolia's hand – if you could call it that.
"Yes! Earth mostly, but some fire, wind, and water!" Mel took out her daggers and flung one at It. Predictably, it deflected harmlessly.
"WONDERFUL! Quickly, come here! Take my hand!" At this, hawk felt a slight pang of jealousy, that Wren did not need his help, but saw Aalen barely deflecting Its magic with her own, and ran to help her.
"Mel, think of fire. Of anger, death, anything searingly hot. Send those thoughts, with your emotions, to me!" Mel nodded and shut her eyes.
'Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. Fire. Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. Fire! Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. FIRE!' Wren kept repeating to herself. She felt the heat flow through her veins, her being. Energy flowed in from Mel.
'Blast, I hope this enough...' Mel thought. She opened her eyes.
"FIRE!" the word tore from Wren's throat. She grabbed the thing's finger and said it again. "FIRE!" she let go of it, flinging her into the wall. The rest of the group gathered around her. Letting loose another cry, It threw one more ice ball at them. Wren knew, along with everyone else, that no one could move out of it's way.
Tyron moaned himself awake. He was the only one. Being a creature of habit, and a nervous one at that, he started to recite the rules of crisis.
Any hybrid of the elements.
AN- I know I am probably going to sound ignorant, but I just found out that Miss Smith is coming out with a new Wren book, Wren Journeymage, probably coming to stores in fall 2005.
Sorry for the short chapter, but people have been bothering me coughcoughdadcoughcough and others have been bugging me to post, so here you go! I had no idea I was so popular!
"Mel, I have a question." After the laughter had died down from all sides, we all got comfortable in each other's company. This last question was from Aalen.
"Mmm?" Was her response.
"Well, how did you get here so fast? I was only 'lost' for a month." At this, Mel smiled.
"I was fortunate. The messenger that came to get me had heard the latest gossip from that town down there, and was a magician from your country, meaning he could transport me here, or, at least, to the town where you were last heard of." Turning to Wren, she took on a grave face.
"I have news for you too, young Wren. Your queen, her magician, healer, and cousin have all been kidnaped." At this, Wren let out a small gasp. "Also, some very odd people told me to tell you that they are not in the Isles, but in the desert, in the Fortress Abandoned. I do not know what this means." Wren gaped.
"Your highness - er, Mel," she added with a look from her. "Did these people have silvery blond hair? And eyes that seem as if they know all, but will tell little?"
"Actually, now that you mention it, yes. Why? Do you know what they meant? I have no clue where this 'Fortress Abandoned' is. If you are hoping they told me . . . "
"The Iyon Daiyin! Yes!! I DO know!!!" turning to Hawk, she told him, "We DON'T have to travel for years!!! They are in the Great Desert!"
"Yes, while that is all well and good, when don't know WHERE in the Great Desert. That alone may take us years to find the fortress. I have never heard of an abandoned fortress in the Great Desert that isn't three hundred years old, and they were all destroyed." He pointed out in his cynical voice.
"Ahh, while there is no abandoned fortress you know of, what about The Fortress Abandoned? Do you remember years ago, there was a team of soldiers posted at a nameless fortress, and as it was in the middle of the desert, with rare contact from the outside world, they decided to name the fortress 'Fortress abandoned?'" Memory flashed in Hawk's eyes.
"Yes! I do remember now! I guess whoever this wizard is has killed the soldiers."
"That or she bought them off. Whoever she is, she needs physical reinforcements. You cannot survive in this world without. At least if you want to do something this big." Now, before I leave for the desert, and you three go your separate ways, I think we . . . "
"Hold on there now!"
"Not a chance."
"No way!" All three called out simultaneously.
"What?" Wren raised her arms. "Hawk, you said that your quest lies to the south, Mel, you all but flat out told us that you came looking for Aalen, and Aalen, now you can return, and soothe Aunt Niss and company that you are okay. If you did come, you would just be pointlessly risking your safety." Aalen crossed her arms. "You all very well know that I don't seem to attract the safest of people. Quite the opposite, actually. That Belro-" She was cut short by a rushing noise.
"Damnit, here's another!" Wren yelled at the top of her lungs.
If the Belrothol was something fearful, this creature was one that would give anyone nightmares . . . except of course, they who called upon its forces. Wren and Hawk recognized it as a Ryushnia, a union of Yushala, Welarnea, and Roloyra, the only way that Yushala could take form on land was if Roloyra took its wind and picked it up, but little damage could be done, so Welarnea added its cold bite and colder heart to the mix.
"Two in the same day!" Wren caused a tiny chuckle, albeit a fearful one, to course through those human occupants of the cave. "Damn, Hawk! It's headed from the village!" She called as she shot a lightning bolt at the head of the creature. The dark blue slits that served the monster as eyes opened wide, as a small chunk of the head evaporated. To everyone's astonishment, the piece missing from Its head grew back!
"What the hell?!" Wren cried. The creature grinned and threw a large ice ball towards where Aalen and Mel stood, dumbstruck. Luckily, Mel woke from her stupor in enough time to shove Aalen out of the way. The creature paused, giving Wren just time enough to observe her opponent.
It had, as stated before, dark blue slits where its eyes should be, and the entire creature looked as if a giant, man shaped Ice crystal, but lighting flashed, and clouds swirled inside. Long spindlely fingers of the clouded ice were as large as some of the stalactites in the cave, and glowed with trapped electric energy, and everyone could see it was just itching to get out. An abysmal black void was the servicing mouth, but all that came from its depths were blood-curdling shrieks and a laugh to disturbing to describe. There was no nose on the face, a face that if anyone squarely looked into would feel as if death was at their doorstep. This was the face of a cold, painful death.
A second ball of ice and lightning was thrown at Aalen. Hawk and Wren, with a few well timed lightning bolts, took of the creature's arm. The huge limb fell in the fire, and while extinguishing it immediately, the owner screeched in pain. Then the painfully simple truth hit Wren.
"Hawk! It's part of Roloyra! Lightning won't affect it! It's vulnerable to FIRE!!!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him away from a third ice ball. He cried out; a large splinter of ice was lodged in his arm.
"Hawk!" Wren yelled over the Erolia's scream. "What spells do you know for fire?"
"Well, there is this one. . ." he told her, pointing in his student booklet, which he kept in his pocket at all times.
"No, that requires fire to begin with, and we have none... wait," Wren turned her head, an eerie song flowing through her head. A very familiar song.... she did not have enough time to ponder it. "Your Highness!"
"What?" she called, diving under the sweeping arm of the monster, for once putting up with her title.
"The hill folk, do they have . . . er, are they of elements?" Wren continued, hacking off the Erolia's hand – if you could call it that.
"Yes! Earth mostly, but some fire, wind, and water!" Mel took out her daggers and flung one at It. Predictably, it deflected harmlessly.
"WONDERFUL! Quickly, come here! Take my hand!" At this, hawk felt a slight pang of jealousy, that Wren did not need his help, but saw Aalen barely deflecting Its magic with her own, and ran to help her.
"Mel, think of fire. Of anger, death, anything searingly hot. Send those thoughts, with your emotions, to me!" Mel nodded and shut her eyes.
'Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. Fire. Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. Fire! Hate. Death. Pain. Heat. Anger. FIRE!' Wren kept repeating to herself. She felt the heat flow through her veins, her being. Energy flowed in from Mel.
'Blast, I hope this enough...' Mel thought. She opened her eyes.
"FIRE!" the word tore from Wren's throat. She grabbed the thing's finger and said it again. "FIRE!" she let go of it, flinging her into the wall. The rest of the group gathered around her. Letting loose another cry, It threw one more ice ball at them. Wren knew, along with everyone else, that no one could move out of it's way.
Tyron moaned himself awake. He was the only one. Being a creature of habit, and a nervous one at that, he started to recite the rules of crisis.
Any hybrid of the elements.
AN- I know I am probably going to sound ignorant, but I just found out that Miss Smith is coming out with a new Wren book, Wren Journeymage, probably coming to stores in fall 2005.
Sorry for the short chapter, but people have been bothering me coughcoughdadcoughcough and others have been bugging me to post, so here you go! I had no idea I was so popular!