Destiny (23 page)

Pain flared through Enelya’s body with every step as Argus’ agony beat at her thoughts. As it worsened the primitive side of Argus’ animalistic mind began taking over. The instincts flooding through her were overwhelming in their intensity. The need to find a dark hole to die pulsed through her veins. With every step Enelya fought back with her resolve to live, even though there was no logical reason to go on. Their lives were linked together. If Argus died, she would too. Even if Argus somehow managed to survive his terrible wounds, she knew he would be crippled for life. Argus’ injuries were beyond the skill of her people to heal.

Still, looking at Lúthien’s sweat stained face straining under Argus’ weight, Enelya suddenly understood the why. Although her cousin could be a pompous ass, she was still family. Lúthien could have run and left them alone to die, but instead had chosen to stay. They had to fight. Otherwise, all they loved would be destroyed. Focusing her thoughts, Enelya sent an urgent message that cut through the waves of agony flooding through their shared link.

“What will happen when the Zgon finds the Pack?” Argus’ head jerked as if she’d physically hit him. With an effort of will, he lifted his head, looking at her through blood-filled eyes as her thoughts hounded him mercilessly. “How many of our people will die because they know not what they face?”

Neither one of them had forgotten the horrors from the Battle of Daeron Fortress. The Wencis’ name for the terrible beasts were the Zgon. The Sál Tengilinn were the traditional protectors of the Wild Clan. It was the name given to the Wencis and Elves that were spirit-linked to one another. During the initial invasion of the Great Forest, it was the Sál Tengilinn that had held back the teeming hordes, slaughtering the invaders by the thousands until the rest of the Clans could organize a defense. It was the Sál Tengilinn who’d led the charge, driving the Tuonellian Hordes back again and again, while the rest of the Clans held the line with the help of the Alliance. That is until the Hulks were brought forth. Enelya felt a cold shiver run through as she remembered the stories. The monsters were nearly indestructible.

The death toll had been horrendous for the Elven Clans, but the Sál Tengilinn had suffered the most. They had been at the forefront of the assault against the Hulks. Whole Packs had been lost taking down one Hulk. Their spirit-link meant that for every death blow, both halves of the pair-bond died. By the time the Tuonellians had been pushed back, the Sál Tengilinn had been decimated with only one out of every twenty surviving the battle. It was called the Time of Tears by both of their peoples, when the Hulks had nearly annihilate their peoples.

Having a Tuonellian Hulk chasing after them meant that their brothers and sisters of the Sál Tengilinn were in jeopardy once again. Pushing away the waves of pain, Argus dug his hind legs into the wet sand of the riverbank dragging them to a stop. Leaning heavily on Enelya, he stood on his hind legs arching his neck until he could meet Lúthien’s eyes.

White-lipped Enelya felt the resolution in her soul as she turned to her cousin. They would die together making the beasts pay with their last breaths. “You must go on alone to warn the Clan.”

Incredulous, Lúthien tugged uselessly on Argus’s strong forearm exasperated. “I am not going to just leave so you both can die for me!”

Speaking harshly, Enelya tore into her cousin. “You’ve wanted to leave Argus behind this whole time. Now you have your chance.” Angrily she pushed Lúthien away. “Just go!”

Tears streamed down Lúthien’s face as she spoke in a horrified whisper. “You can’t mean that! How was I supposed to know he was your soulmate?”

“What is there to know?” Incised, Enelya screamed. “Your Clan has never understood the sanctity of life!”

The mental reprimand from Argus brought Enelya up short.

Enelya felt Argus’ long claws grip her shoulder as he drove his point home.

Hanging her head Enelya knew in her heart that Argus was right. Even though Lúthien was a product of her Clan, she had always tried to do right. In truth, her anger was not for her cousin. Facing her fears, Enelya tried again.

“I’m sorry, that was wrong of me.” Enelya felt Argus impatiently shift as she met Lúthien’s eyes. “In Meliki’s name look at us, we are dying! The Clan must be warned before they are caught unaware by the Hulk. You are the only one of us whole enough to travel ahead of the monster to warn the Clan.” Seeing her cousin’s hesitation, she spoke urgently separating her words as she struggled to keep her voice calm. “You … must … go … now!”

Enelya saw the uncertainty leave Lúthien’s eyes as she suddenly came to a decision. Stepping to Argus side, she forcibly hooked his arm around her shoulder. Dragging them both forward, Lúthien snapped angrily. “If you want to make sure the Clan gets there warning then you’d better stop wasting time and get moving.” Lúthien’s face hardened momentarily. “I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

The sounds of crashing pursuit seemed to spread out behind them as they hobbled up river in the direction of Ashima Falls. The smoke from the forest fires quickly began pooling above the river as they blindly made their way through the thickening haze heading towards the distant roar. The terrible stabbing pain in Enelya’s chest was becoming worse as she gasped for breath with each step, but somehow she continued putting one foot in front of the other.

In Enelya’s peripheral vision, she saw Lúthien’s head twist around behind them searching for pursuit while Argus’ head lolled on his shoulders. His mind fought to keep conscious, but his body had been pushed beyond its limit. Enelya worried that the spurt of energy he’d used to carry them down the side of the mountain had been the last flash of life before the soul left the body. Silently she prayed to Meliki she was wrong. Enelya screamed in agony as she was suddenly dragged to the ground by Argus’ greater weight. Rolling painfully to her knees, she heard Lúthien’s shriek over the sound of the roaring waterfall.

“Galdur Eldflaugum!” Enelya saw an angry swarm of bright purple stars slam into the face of a legionnaire as it surged out of the forest behind them. Impossibly, the Minotaur was running on all fours as the magic missiles slammed into its chest and face, burning searing holes into its flesh. The shriek coming from its lips was cut off instantly as it crashed to the ground dead. Already more legionnaires were charging out of the forest as Lúthien drew her glowing fists back over her shoulders. Purple fire flared from her fingertips as she screamed in rage.

“Galdur Eldflaugum!” Again purple stars flared through the air as two more of the huge Minotaurs dropped to the ground with burning holes in their chest. It was as if their tinnearlian breastplates were not even there. Warning bells rang in the back of Enelya’s head, but she didn’t have time to listen to them as more legionnaires began pouring out of the forest all around them. If they were going to have any chance of surviving this Enelya knew what she had to do. Ignoring the pain of her body, Enelya reached out with her spirit. Plunging her hands into the ground, she called to the forest around her.

“I call on you Meliki, goddess of the forest. Help your children in their time of need.” All around her Minotaurs died as Lúthien lashed out with her glowing fists, but there were simply too many to fight. As the overwhelming wave of legionnaires charged in for the kill, her cousin open hands shot above her head as she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

”Galdur Blokk!” Immediately a semitransparent glowing dome flared around them as the legionnaires charge was suddenly thrown back at the last second. Screeching howls of rage cried out around them as the Minotaurs surrounded the magical barrier.

For a second, the legionnaires seemed confused when a guttural voice called out behind them. “Quid nafda est? Et confundantur in oppositum!” (What are you nafda waiting for? Crush the barrier!) Without hesitation, the lead bulls threw themselves at the glowing barrier. As one, they began assaulting the dome with their metal gauntleted fists.

Lúthien cried out as the powerful blows began raining down upon her shield. Coruscating flares of purple energy rippled across the barrier as the dome shivered under the powerful assault when Enelya felt the spirit of the Great Forest answer her call. While the other Elven Clans had concentrated on mastering the arcane knowledge of the Klavikians, her people had continued focusing on expanding their understanding of the spiritual energy that was inherent to all life. Her people believed that everything had its own vital life force, which was bound and interconnected with everything around it.

A shaman’s mystical abilities were not based on arcane power, but the individual shaman’s ability to commune with the vital life force of the energy surrounding them via their conduit to the spirit realm. Although Meliki was the Goddess of the Forest to her people, the concept didn’t mean a deity in the way most races deemed the concept of God, but the spiritual manifestation of the combined vital life essence created from everything that was a part of the Great Forest. The rocks, the earth, the trees, the animals, the insects … it was all part of the circle of life and the goddess Meliki.

Although Enelya was a Shaman of the Dusza Pack, she was a fledgling Spirit Seeker among her people. Still the spirit of Meliki thrummed through her body as all around the barrier thick tendrils burst from the ground. Like fingers of a massive hand, Enelya could feel the corded roots as if they were a part of her own body. Opening her fingers in the soft earth, she saw the thick tendrils arch into the air like striking serpents over the Minotaurs’ heads.

For a split second nobody moved. The legionnaires froze in their assault as they eyed the thick tendrils warily while Lúthien looked down at her in pure shock. Meeting cousin’s gaze with her white glowing eyes, Enelya clenched her fist together as everything seemed to happen at once. As one the thick tendrils shot through the nearest Minotaurs, completely piercing through their heavily armored bodies. Bone chilling screeches of agony rang out around them as rest of the legionnaires attacked the corded roots. Spreading her fingers out once again, she lashed at the Minotaurs flinging bulls into the air, but already the packed legionnaires were on the move.

Quickly they used the press of their bodies to bear the writhing roots to the ground. Within moments, they were able to tear the roots from the ground. As the bulls turned their attention back to the magical barrier, the challenging roar of a Nightclaw suddenly rang out behind them. In a shimmering blur of sleek black muscles, the enraged predator was among them. Minotaurs flew through the air with every sweep of its long sharp claws. As the Nightclaw roared out in rage, chaos erupted in the legionnaires compressed ranks.

Feeling her communion with Meliki vanish, Enelya eyes immediately changed back to normal as consciousness returned to her body. Staggered to her feet, Enelya was just in time to catch Lúthien as her cousin’s eyes rolled into the back of her head. As the High Elf’s body went limp, Enelya eased her cousin to the ground speaking urgently.

“Wake up Lúthien! You’ve got to wake up!” Groggily Lúthien’s eyes flicked open when she suddenly bolted upright in shock looking around fearfully. Seeing the savage battle around them, Lúthien met Enelya’s gaze incredulously. “Was that you?”

“Meliki chose to answer my call, but there is no time to explain. We must go quickly. Already the hunter weakens.” Climbing unsteadily to her feet, Lúthien quickly helped Enelya gather Argus up between them as they once again raced towards the thundering waterfall. They’d only gone a few steps when there was the mortal shriek of a large animal dying as the sounds of combat suddenly ceased behind them.

Catching Argus’ weight Enelya lowered her soulmate gently to the ground as Lúthien spun around to face the enemy once again. She was just raising her arms to form another magical barrier when a white fist shot out of the smoke. Instantly, Lúthien was blasted from her feet screaming as long claws slashed across her chest, opening her abdomen from waist to sternum. As the misshapen white hand whipped back into the smoky haze, Enelya stepped in front of Argus protectively. Drawing her tambos she faced the Tuonellian Hulk as it confidently strode into view.

Quick as lightning, the creature’s clawed fist shot out again across the distance. Slashing out with all her might, Enelya heard the meaty impact of her weapons and the crunch of bones as she knocked the creature’s strike aside. Smiling evilly, the Hulk drew its misshapen arm back. Holding its shattered wrist up for Enelya to see, she gasped in despair as she watched the wound instantly heal before her eyes.

“Pathetic meat sack, do you think you can stand against me?”

Before she could respond to the Tuonellian’s taunting words, the Hulk lashed out at her with both fists. Striking out defensively Enelya tried to block the flurry of blows coming at her. She managed to ward off the initial attack, but she’d already pushed her body as far as it could go.

The first hit that made it through numbed her arm to the shoulder, while the second set her head spinning. Bringing her tambos together two-handed, she spun around hammering at the incoming strikes when there was a dull crack. After that, her defenses crumbled. Enelya lost count how many times the cruel blows pummeled her body. The next thing Enelya knew she was on her hands and knees with her long mane of brown dreadlocks hanging before her eyes. Somehow she’d managed to hang onto her tambos throughout the beating.