The Mage of Orlon: The beginning (31 page)

Nathan smiled, it had to be a joke.
Who would leave behind a beautiful body like that for a different one?
He figured he would play along.
“
So what did you look like when you had your original body?
”

“
I was shorter by about three inches, my breasts were smaller, but my most memorable characteristic was my eyes.
”

“
What was so memorable about your eyes?
”
Nathan asked.

“
When I pulled back my bow string my eyes turned red allowing me to see heat!
”

Nathan
’
s smile dropped.
“
The joke has gone on too long, and it wasn
’
t funny.
”

“
My name is Ileana the Demon Archer of Santrose, and Nathan, Tirana has my body and my bow.
”

Nathan crossed over to the blond, Lela stepped in front of him.
“
She is telling the truth Nathan. She knows about the sleeping root and about Maddy.
”

Nathan looked back at the woman who seemed so vulnerable.
She was staring at her feet.
Her hair was golden, her eyes were blue, but she had to be twenty to twenty five easily.

Nathan looked like he didn
’
t believe her.
Ileana spoke the first thing she thought of that might prove who she was.
“
You breathed for me, when the plant sprayed me with poison.
We were fighting, I was trying to tell you I wasn
’
t as helpless as you were trying to make me feel.
”

Nathan began to cry, it was her!
He hugged Ileana.
He whispered in her ear,
“
I thought you died in the fire.
I have had nightmares seeing you die alone.
I have wept for you every day because I hurt you, and wasn
’
t there for you when you needed me.
Who burned your town Ileana who?
”

“
I did Nathan.
”
Ileana said.

The shock that slid across Nathan
’
s face was mirrored by Lela.

“
You have to understand both of you.
When Nathan chose you Lela It destroyed me.
I ran through the forest.
I didn
’
t care if I got hurt or not, nothing mattered.
I found myself back in Santrose. I was half crazed with rage.
Nathan had passed me over like all the other boys did!
My first target was the festival hall.
Three arrows shot into the building, the strange thing was my anger made the arrows burn!
The next target was my house.
It was small and pathetic like I had been, throwing myself at you with no pride at all!
It went up in flames.
I hunted through the entire village destroying every house that wasn
’
t good enough for me.
Then I realized it, the whole village was in flames!
I ran away.
I wanted more, no I needed more!
I ran until I could no longer move my legs.
I slept in the area outside Cravenwood.
I had ran all that way in only a night and a morning!
”

“
When I woke I hunted for food, it was during today that I decided to take a bath.
But the pond I went to was occupied by Tirana.
I didn
’
t know who she was at the time.
She healed my eyes Nathan!
I could see!
I could also see she was naked, well this body was naked.
She asked me to pick up my bow and I fell apart.
I couldn
’
t see using it.
She kissed me and when I opened my eyes I was looking at my own body!
Nathan she has my bow and body!
She could kill both of you!
”

Nathan took all this in.
Ileana was alive, but without her body.
It was time Nathan finished this once and for all.

Nathan and Lela followed Ileana to the pond.
Bloodied rags lay in a pile on the ground, but boot prints lead away from the pond.
They followed the boot prints to the cave.
Lela began to walk to the mouth of the cave when the first arrow hit the ground in front of the princess and exploded.
Lela was thrown backwards landing in a heap and unconscious.
Wicked laughter rang through the heavily forested area.

“
How is that for history repeating itself?
”
Tirana yelled.

“
You will pay for that Tirana!
”
Nathan yelled.

“
Hardly, do you know what is interesting about body hopping Nathan?
You get to experience all the body
’
s memories.
Like when you went crazy and burned the store this body was standing on the last time Lela was nearly killed.
The new trick is, I am standing on a cave.
The rock that it is made of will withstand the heat of your power.
What will you do? Save the princess or try to kill me?
Keep in mind I am wearing Ileana
’
s body, any damage you do to me will follow her for the rest of her life as scars!
”

“
What do you want Tirana?
”
Nathan asked.

“
My kingdom back!
”
She screamed as an arrow zipped by Nathan
’
s face.

“
That won
’
t happen, I wouldn
’
t turn all those people back into monsters for you!
”

“
Then I hope Ileana likes her new body, because she isn
’
t getting this one back!
”
Tirana yelled.

“
I think she likes her new body just fine, she always wanted to be a blond.
”
Nathan yelled back.

“
Oh in that case
…”
Tirana snapped her fingers.

Ileana began screaming as the changes slid back to the red hair, the tan faded to creamy white skin which began to have cut marks appear in it.
Ileana screamed as each wound Tirana had healed once again sliced into existence.

“
Believe me Nathan the last wound is a real killer!
”
Tirana laughed.

Ileana looked at Nathan as her thighs were crossed with deeper cuts.
The final wound was a blade thrust to the heart.
The wound over her chest opened, Nathan dove for the redheaded Ileana who was close to death now.
Nathan found the old wound that was opening up.
The last wound had killed the body!
Nathan focused on the wound as it opened.
The wound slowed down, and then stopped.
Nathan began trying to close the wound, but it wouldn
’
t close.

The golem popped into his mind and him shattering the thing trying to close a similar wound, Despair crept into his bones, this could not happen to her.
He had Lost Ileana once, he would not lose her again!
Never again!
The power flooded the wound and Ileana screamed as raw power poured into her.

The wound closed quickly, but like before Nathan remembered the golem and held his hands over Ileana
’
s damaged body.
The power rebounded and tried to tear its way from the young woman
’
s body!
Nathan bounced the power back towards Ileana
’
s cut thighs.
The deep cuts healed and the power bounced back.
Nathan redirected it to the shallow cuts that had appeared on her face and wrists the slices healed perfectly.
The power bounced back again, Nathan did the only thing he could think of to do with the power
…
he absorbed it.

It was the wrong choice. The power tore through Nathan
’
s body throwing him into the air like a rag doll.
Nathan
’
s body landed on the ground with a thud directly in front of Tirana!

A sneer played across Tirana
’
s face, the arrow appeared in the bow she held.
Her fingers released it!
The arrow
’
s path went right to Nathan.
Lela looked up in time to see the arrow released, but she was too far away to do anything but watch.
Ileana raced from the bushes, her hair streaked the air like crimson fire.
She reached Nathan right before the arrow struck her back!

Nathan raised his hand and aimed what was left of his magic at Tirana.
The bolt flew from his hand crackling with energy.
Tirana
’
s instincts took over, she body jumped just as the bolt hit the demon archer
’
s body and exploded.
Tirana woke up on top of Nathan.
She had escaped his last attempt at killing her.
She might die from the arrow, but the mage was dead, and the body she escaped from was, was, standing beside her?

“
I saw the mage destroy you, how?
”
Tirana gasped.
It was hard to breathe.

“
The energy blast hit the body just as I was back into it and it didn
’
t hurt.
It was just a lot of smoke and noise.
”
Ileana said.

Tirana laughed as best she could.
The little upstart had beaten her at her own game!
Tirana
’
s vision began to fail her.
Breathing was more painful and a bigger chore, she would die soon.
At least she was taking Nathan with her.
The thought was comforting, she had made good on her word that she would have him dead or alive.

Nathan floated in an endless void for what seemed like forever.
He noticed a light ahead.
The light seemed familiar to him.
He felt comfort in the knowledge that he might have died, but Ileana was safe.
Nathan heard a familiar voice calling his name.
He was feeling so peaceful so serene until the slap landed on his face.

“
Damn that hurts!
”
Nathan nearly screamed.

He looked at his assailant; she had blue eyes and blond hair.
The leather gloves that covered her hands hid scars from view of a past life time.
Nathan looked into the eyes of his beloved Lela.
She was still wiping away the tears that were running down her cheeks.
They began to kiss; their passion was exchanged in that one moment.
Everything Nathan loved was right here.
Lela was in his arms.
Ileana was standing beside the woman who would have killed them all.

“
Nathan she hated you so much!
I once thought I hated you enough to wipe you from the land, but she showed me how destructive that road is.
I won
’
t be a traveler of that path.
”
Ileana said.

The End