Hunt For The Hero (Book 5) (11 page)

CHAPTER 24

A flinch. It
saved the Bronze Dragon’s skull from cracking like an egg. Kang’s blow landed right between its eyes. The beast let out a roar so awful, Bayzog’s knees buckled.

It was Marlay that screamed
. Heaved from atop the Dragon’s back, she crashed to the ground and disappeared in the confusion.

Where did she go
?

Bayzog set his first spell loose.

A circle of bright white and yellow light launched from his arm into the air, where it hung high above them. Its glow was mighty and blinding.

The Lizard Men cringed, dropped everything
, and fled.

The Grey Scalers ripped the
ir leashes and flew away.

The Satyrs
disappeared in the grasses.

The
acolytes fled, tripping over their robes.

T
he wounded Dragon quickly backed off, snapping its maw.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Kang kept hitting himself in the head with the hammer until Brenwar crawled up his body and ripped it free. The stunned Man fell to his knees.

“Lay hands on my hammer
, will you!”

Bang!

The bull helmet klanged off the Man’s face. Kang wavered on his knees, still taller than Brenwar, eyes blinking slowly.

“Huh…” Kang managed to say.

Brenwar brought a right cross through Kang’s jaw, knocking him over. “That’ll teach you!” Brenwar said. He shifted back and forth on his feet, eyeing his enemies. “Wizard, what is the plan?”

Bayzog held his arms up
with outstretched hands, face straining. “I can ward off evil with this, but not for long. A few minutes at best.” Sweat dripped into his eyes and over his face. “Sasha, see what you can find in Brenwar’s chest. Find anything that can get us out of here.”

Ben appeared at his side with Akron ready in his hands.

“Should I start shooting?” Ben said.

“Just hold,” Bayzog said. “Save those arrows for when we really need them
!”

All of
their enemies had covered their eyes and scurried away to a certain point and then turned―hooting and gloating―little more than a couple dozen yards outside the circle. Once the spell faded there would be an all-out battle.

“Again, what’s the plan
?” Brenwar said, guarding Nath.

“Perhaps you should come up with one,” Bayzog said, irritat
ed. “I thought Dwarves were masterful planners.”

“We are when it comes to everything else but this magic stuff. Whisk us out of here or something.”

“Easier said than done. Sasha, have you come up with anything?”

Sasha rummaged through Brenwar’s chest
, shaking her head. “No!”

Bayzog ground his teeth. There w
ere the four of them to move, plus Nath, not to mention the horses―and they had nowhere to go. He had his own spells but that wouldn’t be enough, not to hold the hoard that surrounded them.

A
t least one enemy was down, thanks to Brenwar.

“Perhaps you and I should take on Marlay and the
Dragon,” Bayzog said. “Ben and Sasha will have to handle the rest.”

Marlay
reappeared alongside the Bronze Dragon, laughing.

“Hahahahaha! Such fools you are,” she said. Her voice was taunting and exaggerated. “Now you all will die, but perhaps I’ll let that woman of yours live, Wizard. Hah-ha. I might just convert her to an acolyte of Barnabus yet.”

“No such thing will ever happen!” Bayzog said. “And lives will be lost on your end. Certainly yours!”

“Aye!” Brenwar said. “
There be no mercy on the likes of you, Woman!”

Bayzog wondered if Brenwar meant that. Protecting women was one thing, but fighting them was quite another. The situation was new to him. Marlay seemed young, but more than formidable. The tattoos on her head were many, more than Kryzak
had, which meant she wielded greater power. And that bothered him. Bayzog was far more than some adept of magic, but he wasn’t a magic-user of the highest levels either. His powers were limited, but he couldn’t let on with that.

Standing on the ground
, Marlay patted the head of her Dragon. The beast’s tongue licked in and out of its mouth, and it chomped in the direction of Brenwar. It could easily swallow the Dwarf in a single bite.

“My pet will make a fine meal of you,” she said to Brenwar, “and all the rest of you as well.”

The Dragon’s great tail swept back and forth, flattening the grass.

Bayzog didn’t figure
that even all four of them could take the beast if they tried. He reached behind Ben and pulled an arrow from the quiver. The tip sparkled in the light. It was Mithril.

“What do you want me to do?” Ben said.
Despite his age, the young Man seemed confident. 

Above, the
halo of the ward against evil wavered, its bright light winking in and out.

The hisses of the Lizard Men became louder.

Bayzog’s concentration was strong but his strength was fading. He motioned for Sasha. “Well?” he said.

“I casted a summons,”
she said, wiping his forehead. “But I’ve no idea what will come, if anything, or if it will offer assistance.”

Bayzog wanted to roll his eyes. Summoning spells too
k time and weren’t very effective. But Sasha liked them. The last time she’d cast one, a herd of deer had come, and some horned rabbits. “Alright then,” he said with his voice quavering. He was sweating.

Sasha said, “You need assistance. Let me lend my strength to yours.”

“No,” he said. “Take Ben and do as I say.” Bayzog whispered quickly in her ear.

Sasha said, “Come, Ben.”

Marlay came closer, eyeing the
Halo of Light. Her eyes and hands began to charge with a dark mystic purple power. An evil smile formed on her lips.

Beside her, the Dragon
’s claws ripped up the dirt and its tail swished back and forth faster.

“This is it,” Brenwar said. “What is the plan?”

“You know the plan.”

“Aye.”

CHAPTER 25

“What is this?” Ben said, standing over the chest.

“Just hand me those arrows,”
Sasha said.

One by one, Sasha coated the arrow tips with dark green liquid from a potion vial. The metal sucked it up and turned
a little green.

“What will that do?”
Ben said.

She shrugged
. “Maybe something, maybe nothing. It’s an experiment.” She whispered the plan in his ear, finishing with “Good Luck, Ben.”

***
.

Ben returned to
Bayzog’s side and faced the Lizard Men with his bow and arrows ready. Sasha came and now they all stood in a half circle around Nath.

“On my signal,” Bayzog said under his breath. “
In only a few moments, the ward will go.”

The
Halo of Light winked in and out.

Bayzog wiped the sweat from his brow and eyes.
Here goes.
“Now,” he whispered.

Brenwar charged at Marlay.

Sasha fanned out her fingers and shot forth streaks of light at the Dragon, striking its eyes.

Bayzog held the Halo of Light a split second longer.

The Lizard Men and Acolytes came at them from the backside.

Ben turned towards the
Dragon and fired his first arrow.

Thwack!

The arrow struck the Dragon in its hind quarters, drawing a roar.

Brenwar swung
War Hammer into Marlay’s shield, rocking her back.

A split second later she blasted him full in the chest with a
handful of energy.

He fell to the ground.

The Dragon lowered its horns and barreled towards them.

Ben fired another arrow.

Thwack!

A dozen yards away
, the Dragon levitated off the ground. Up and up it went, claws ripping at the air. It let out a confused and angry roar.

“Did I do that
?” Ben said, incredulous.

“Yes!” Sasha said, “With a little help from a potion. But I don’t think it will last long.”

Bayzog gathered his thoughts and cast at Marlay.

The woman stood over Brenwar
, slamming bolts of energy into him one at a time.

Bayzog’s
arc of light slammed into her, driving her back.

Brenwar popped up and charged again.

All over the field of battle, the rest of their enemies were coming. If there was ever a time they needed Nath, it was now, but Nath lay still as a corpse on the stretcher.

Ben fired another arrow at Marlay
. It sailed high.

“Blast!” Ben said, whipping out another.

“Ben, watch out!”

Two Lizard Men
slammed him into the ground.

The
acolytes formed a ring around them, wielding their flails and maces.

Bayzog pulled Sasha to him
, unable to hide the disappointment in his face. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s alright,” she said. “You tried.”

Bayzog’s plan had been simple: bring down Marlay in one swift strike. With the leader down, chances were the others would flee.

He looked up.

The Bronze Dragon still drifted, a lone speck high in the sky, floating like a cloud. Its distant roars could still be heard and when the spell faded and the creature landed, no doubt it would come back to devour them. Perhaps it would be better if they were killed first.

I should have been better prepared.

The Lizard Men prodded them forward and pushed them all to their knees before Marlay. The small woman stood with her boot on top of Brenwar’s chest. The grizzled Dwarf was bound up in mystic bindings that were corded around his arms and legs. There was even one around his mouth.

H
e still squirmed and struggled.

“Clever,” Marlay said, “very clever
, Part-Elf. You almost pulled something off here, but what it was I don’t know.” She checked her bright blue finger nails. “Ah, you at least managed to chip one of my nails. Of course, the penalty is death for that.”

“What are you going to do with
Nath Dragon?” Bayzog said. “I’d be curious to know before I die.”

“Ah, well, if you must
know, he’ll come with us to the Great Temple of Barnabus. Selene, the High Priestess, will be the one to decide his fate.”

Bayzog had a name at least and a location. If they survived somehow
, they’d at least know who to look for, and where.

“I see,” he said, head downcast.

Marlay turned, started to walk away and said, “Grab Nath Dragon and,” she looked back at Bayzog, “bring the woman along.”

“No!” Bayzog said, holding onto Sasha.

A Lizard Man ripped her out of his arms, picked her up and slung her over its shoulder.

“Let go of me!”

Something struck Bayzog hard in the head and he fell onto his face, seeing spots and blood. He rolled over onto his back and stretched out for Sasha, who was being hauled off.

A dark blot dashed over the sky.

“What was that?” Ben said, looking over at him.

“Ayyyyieeeeee!” someone screamed.

“Great Guzan!” Ben said. “Is that what I think I’m seeing?”

A great winged ape swooped out of the sky and snatched Marlay off the ground. He was holding her by her long white ponytail.

“Sansla Libor!” Bayzog exclaimed.

Everyone
―Man, Elf, Dwarf, and monster―stopped and watched. 

High in the sky
, energy crackled from Marlay’s fingers. Tendrils of energy dug under the great winged ape’s fur.

Sansla held on
, his ape face in agony. Higher and higher he soared.

Marlay’s
face was filled with rage. Her screams shattered the air.

There was a bright light and
an explosion. The two plummeted hard to the ground.

A long moment of silence followed.

Please be dead,
Bayzog thought.

His heart
stopped when the small lithe from rose up in the tall grass and staggered forward. There was a scowl on her lips and her eyes locked on Bayzog. He could read her lips.

“I broke another nail.
You’ll pay for this.”

The acolytes ran to her aid. 

Sansla Libor’s large form rose up high above the grasses. He roared. Beat his chest with his great fists.

Marlay whirled around, screaming, “Noooooo!”

A blast of energy slammed into Sansla’s chest.

He
snarled.

Marlay blasted him again.

He charged right through the next blast. A second later he had the tiny woman in his great clutches.

“Let go of me
, you beast!” she yelled. “Let go of me—”

Crack!

Marlay’s life ended, and the acolytes froze until Sansla tossed her body aside like a doll.

The
n they bolted away, afraid of him.

Sansla bounded right after them.
He caught one in one hand and one in the other and smashed them together.

Bayzog cheered.

A Lizard Man shoved him into the ground.

“Ahem,
” another voice said, “Lizard Face.”

Krang!
Krang!

Brenwar knocked
them down one right after the other. “Get off of my wizard!” The Dwarf stretched out his hand and lifted Bayzog to his feet.

“Sasha!”

The Lizard Man whisked her away.

Sasha
grabbed its back and yelled something.

Zzzzzrt!

The Lizard Man lurched, stiffened and teetered to the ground.

Sasha dusted the energy from her fingertips
.

Bayzog
ran up to her and caught her hands in his. “Are you alright?” he said.

“I’m woozy, but I’m well enough. How are you?”

Bayzog looked around. Brenwar had the Lizard Men on the run and Sansla Libor was tossing acolytes around like dolls. The winged ape was fearsome.

After all evil had
fled or died, Sansla stopped in front of the pair of them, nostrils flared, chest heaving. Sounding more ape than Elf, he spoke to Sasha.

“I heard your summons. Strange, but I could not ignore.” His dark face jerked a little. “Such desperation. Such evil. Grrrr. You … must … go.”
He turned his big frame around and glanced at Nath. “He lives?”

“Yes,” Bayzog said, “And we
’re taking him to a safer place until he wakes.”

Sansla moved away from them and pointed. “The
Bronze Dragon comes.” He looked back at Bayzog. “Get on your horses. I’ll slow him down.”

There was a terrible roar
far away from them. It seemed the Potion of Floating had worn off and now the Bronze Dragon stormed their way.

“On the horses everyone!”

“What about Nath? We can’t gallop with him behind us,” Brenwar said.

“I can help,” Sasha said. She slipped a vial out of her robes and held it out. “This is what is left from the
Potion of Floating.” She dabbed some on Nath and the stretcher and rubbed it in. “This should last a bit.”

“Ben!”

The tall country boy lumbered over, shoulder sagging. He grabbed the reins of his horse and stuffed his boot in the stirrup.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said
, exhausted.

Everyone mounted up and Brenwar eyed the stretcher behind him.

“Well?”

“It’ll work
! Just start moving,” Sasha said.

They started at a trot and gradually the stretcher lifted
Nath up from the ground. Bayzog looked back a Sansla Libor.

The big ape waved his huge arm. A second later they were galloping away
until the battle field was long out of their sight.

“Sasha,” Bayzog said with his
hair whipping in his face. “You did well. Your summons spell, I believe―I know―saved us all.”

She smiled
. “I told you it was a great spell.”