Richard Tuttle - Army of the Dead

“Shields are the most important spell we will need,” Xavo said. “It is vital to shield your mind from his attacks. Our bodies will quickly begin to wither and die with tormenting pain, but do not worry about it. We are assured death in the end. Dobuk can ill afford to keep us alive without Vand on the island to watch us. He will kill us. Keep your shields around your mind.”

“Alright,” nodded Lady Mystic, “and how do we injure him when we are concentrating on our shields?”

“I had planned to feign death,” admitted Xavo, “but with two of us, there is a better option. I will verbally spar with the demon. I will taunt him with Vand’s losses while you seek a crippling blow. Do not dally once we enter the chamber. Time will be limited. How are you feeling?”

“I am refreshed enough for this task,” replied Lady Mystic as she approached the door to the chamber. “Let’s do it.”

Xavo nodded sadly and moved alongside Lady Mystic. He nodded his head exaggeratedly, and on the third nod he threw open the door and charged into the chamber. Lady Mystic raced after Xavo and came to a halt alongside him. She looked around the room, a pall of confusion distorting her features.

“I expected something more,” she whispered as her eyes scanned the room. “Where is the demon?”

Xavo shook his head silently, his own eyes scanning the room with disbelief. The room was empty, devoid of furnishings or other exits. There were no mountains or vast plains. No lava flowed from towering peaks, and no sky was visible, angry or otherwise. It was simply an empty room.

“I do not understand it,” Xavo said softly. “This is the right doorway.”

“There are no other doorways on this level of the temple,” replied Lady Mystic. “There is the throne room, the exit to the roof, and this door. This is the right doorway.”

“Perhaps he is hiding,” frowned Xavo. “He may have changed the look of the room to avoid detection.”

“From the invading elves?” Lady Mystic shook her head. “I hardly think so. It is more likely that Dobuk has left the Island of Darkness. We have missed our chance to wound him.”

“Impossible,” scowled Xavo. “How could such a creature leave without our knowledge?”

“Easily,” shrugged Lady Mystic. “Even Vand left without our knowing it. Who can say what form Dobuk is capable of taking?”

“Do not harm them!” came a voice from behind the two mages.

Xavo and Lady Mystic whirled around to face the door that they had just come through. Standing before them was a large group of elves. Xavo recognized King Avalar.

“Welcome back, Avalar,” Xavo bowed slightly. “May I introduce Lady Mystic, Vand’s daughter, but an ally of the elves. I am Xavo, but I was Aakuta the last time we met.”

“I recognized the woman’s voice as the one who warned us of the Motangan flanking maneuver,” smiled the elven king. “I am pleased that the two of you have survived.”

“How did you manage to get up here?” asked Lady Mystic as she stared at the feet of the elves. “The stairs are covered in blood.”

“We came from the roof,” grinned King Avalar as he waved his men off to continue the search of the temple.

“How is the battle coming?” asked Xavo. “We saw your ships arriving before we had to come inside to battle the Motangans.”

“The battle is won,” answered the elven king. “I must thank you for the destruction of the catapults. Those engines would have cost the elves dearly. It seems that every time we meet, I incur a debt of gratitude to you,” he added with a grin.

“You owe me nothing,” smiled Xavo. “You are allies of my daughter, fighting an evil that must be fought.”

“Your daughter?” Avalar asked with confusion. “Do I know her?”

“His daughter is the Star of Sakova,” answered Lady Mystic. “What will you do now that you have conquered Motanga?”

“The island is being secured by the former slaves,” answered the elven king. “As soon as I am satisfied that the Motangans can not take it back, we are off to the mainland to help with the fight. Will you join us?”

Xavo and Lady Mystic glanced at each other with unspoken questions. Xavo smiled and returned his eyes to King Avalar.

“We will be going to the mainland,” declared Xavo, “but our answer depends on your destination.”

“Ah,” King Avalar nodded knowingly. “I am afraid that we are not heading to the Sakova. Our armies are needed elsewhere. The Chula have already taken Alamar and moved inland, so the Sakovan coastal cities are not in danger. The situation is more urgent elsewhere. If you will excuse me, I must see to my army.”

Xavo nodded pleasantly and let the elven king depart. Lady Mystic looked at her lover questioningly.

“Are you really planning on going to the Sakova?” she asked hopefully. “I was afraid that you would pursue Dobuk.”

“I must pursue him,” Xavo answered softly. “My task has not changed, but there is no need for you to leave. I did not want to mention anything to the elves until we had time to discuss it between ourselves.”

“If your task had not changed,” frowned Lady Mystic, “then why would you think that mine has? Wherever you go, Xavo, I am going with you. If you will have me,” she added questioningly.

“I think you would follow me even if prohibited it,” grinned Xavo. “As for having you, I could think of no one else I would rather have at my side. Let’s go find ourselves a boat. We have no need to wait for the elves to secure the island.”

The two mages walked out on the roof of the palace. They saw a large vine extending past the roof and walked towards it. Leaning over the edge of the roof, Xavo saw that the vine had been grown out of the ground, presumably by elven magic. He extended a hand to Lady Mystic and ushered her onto the vine. The two mages descended to the ground and made their way through the city. Just before the docks, they saw a large group of Motangan prisoners guarded by elven warriors. One of the prisoners was General Santiock. Xavo dropped Lady Mystic’s hand and approached the prisoners. Santiock saw Xavo coming and worked his way to the edge of the group of prisoners. He spat in Xavo’s direction.

“Tsk, tsk,” smiled Xavo. “That is no way for a general to act. I have something to tell you Santiock.”

“I do not need to hear anything from the lips of a traitor,” spat Santiock. “How could you do such a thing?”

“I am no traitor,” smiled Xavo. “In fact, I am not Xavo. I am Aakuta. I stole Xavo’s body from him before you rescued me. Still, I am grateful for your actions, so I will offer you some advice. The people that Vand is trying to destroy are your brothers and sisters. They are the descendents of those who fled from Vand a thousand years ago. Instead of blindly following such an evil, I beseech you to understand what is going on in this world. You are a good man at heart, and I think there is hope for you.”

“What hope?” snarled Santiock. “The elves will surely kill us.”

“After what our people have done to them,” interjected Lady Mystic, “it is understandable that you would think so, but you are wrong. The elves have no desire to kill those who wish to lay down their arms. They value life much more than Vand does. Think about it, Santiock. Your life depends upon it.”

The general’s eyes clouded in confusion. He watched Xavo and Lady Mystic turn and walk away. As their words echoed through his mind, he felt the bitterness drain from his body. He began to think about his life on Motanga, and how much he really knew about his professed enemy.

“Have you tried Sudamar or Eldamar?” asked Premer Doralin.