Wild Sorcery - Chapter 31

Chapter 31

A Rescue!

I plunged through the crowd of chanting, crying, screaming slaves and servants of the sorcerers. I was ntent on reaching the giant platform on which the Sorcerers stood about their sacrificial victim and stopping their ritual before it properly began. Their servants and slaves crowded about the platform. Some were swaying from side to side, others tearing at their hair and flesh, some screaming, and others trying to chant with the Sorcerers. It was sheer insanity.

I shoved my way through the packed bodies, trying not to see what I pushed or what I stepped in. I moved around a group of twelve who turned on one of their own and were tearing him apart with their hands. A flying glob of I-don’t-wnat-to-know-what struck my cheek and I suppressed a shudder. One of the slaughterers stepped back to kick their already-dead victim . He knocked into my shoulder and almost sent me sprawling. I desperately kept my feet. To fall here would mean as good as death. If I were not trampled, I would as likely as not be seized on and murdered.

Then I reached the platform. It stretched up above my head, ten, fifteen, twenty feet and there were no stairs or ladder I could see. There was yet another obstacle I could see between me and my goal - a line of Demons of The Blind Avatar. They stood shoulder to shoulder, physically blocking anyone who sought to reach the platform.

And more than a few did. Perhaps loyal servants trying to join their masters, or unwilling slaves trying to stop the ritual as I was, some purely and simply insane. Dozens of people tore at the guardians with teeth and claws and bare hands, trying to tear a way through. But the Demons of The Blind Avatar struck back with swords and axes. Blood coated the floor beneath my feet, a spreading slick of gore.

The Sorcerer's chant struck a new pitch. I glanced up and saw Darth Vadake step toward the Lost Wraith, his stone dagger raised. I had no more time. I drew a deep breath and tightened my grip on the dagger preparing to fling myself on the Demons Of The Blind Avatar and try to tear a way through.

But before I could carry out my suicidal resolve, an odd purple-blue light sprang to life high in the air, beneath the dome of the arena. For a moment, the chant of the Sorcerers faltered, the screams and scrum of their followers ceased. The light flashed several times, flickering and alternating - orange, pale blue, red, green, yellow, bright scarlet. As it flickered, it spread, breaking up into dozens of sparks that slowly began to fall through the air to settle about the room. The Sorcerers and all their followers backed away from the mysterious sparks, backing away from them as they settled to earth.

Where each one fell, it lay glowing for a moment, then flashed blindingly for an instant, so all had to turn away. The lights vanished, and where each spark had landed there now stood a person. I gaped with the rest, realizing that the entire Cabal had arrived!

High above on the platform, the God of the Malformed Ones glanced about him with a cheery smile. “Hello,” he called. “I hope we’re not too late.”

Darth Vadake stared at him, choking with rage, then screamed. “KILL THEM ALL!”

The Minor God smiled and flicked his fingers. A long sword appeared in his hands and with a shout, he rushed to attack. Darth Vadake stumbled backwards, desperately defending himself with the dagger, and the entire room dissolved into a chaos of screams.

I planted my dagger in the throat of a Demon of The Blind Avatar and seized it's sword as it fell. Then I hacked my way through the line of them. The high platform was as ruinous as the rest of the fortress and I began to climb it, easily finding plenty of handholds. But those aided my enemies as well. Several Demons of The Blind Avatar came climbing after me. Being lighter in weight, I outpaced them and scrambled onto the platform to find a maelstrom of terrible combat.

In the midst of it all, I saw the Lost Wraith, still bound, pulling frantically at her chains. I had to release her, to ensure the failure of the Sorcerer's plan, whatever the result of this battle.

I started toward her, at the center of the platform, but found my way blocked by a Sorceress. She had slanted blue eyes. Her neck-length, wavy hair was the color of jade, and worn in a military style. She has a petite build. Her dress was blue and gray and it moved and flowed about her like a vicious, strange liquid. She raised a long wand in her right hand and flourished it at me, shouting something unintelligible. A green mist flowed out from the tip of it and flew straight at me.

A Doom Child rushed at me, a long scythe in its grip. I dodged its clumsy swing, grabbed it by the arm, and flung it into the path of the green mist. The Doom Child screamed and writhed as the green mist folded in around him. He dropped to the floor, and I had no more time to see what happened to him. I rushed at the blue-eyed woman before she could muster another spell. With one slash of my sword, I cut her wand from her hand, then grabbed her shoulder and threw her over the side of the platform. Not waiting to hear her land, I turned back and rushed toward the iron ring.

Before I got there, something struck me from behind and I fell with a cry. I rolled over and looked up to see the Mad Sorcerer Valorious standing over me with a furious look on his face and black magic glowing in his hands.

“I’m going to kill you this time!” he raged, raising his hands. “I won’t take the time to gloat- ugh!” he grunted, then fell with a dagger in his back.

It was Telammosiel! I screamed welcome to him, but he had to chop down a Demon Of The Blind Avatar before he could rush to my side.

“Sorry we took so long!” he called, holding his hand down for me to grab.

I took it and rose to my feet. “Better late, than too late!” I rejoined. “Cover me!”

“With pleasure!” he assured me, easily cutting down a Doom Child that leaped at him. He put his back to mine and raised his blade invitingly to the others.

I hurried to the ring in which the Lost Wraith hung and bent down to see the chains that held her legs. Fortunately, the Sorcerers had spent so much time planning the magical component of the restraint, they had neglected the physical component. While the runes carved on the chains would have kept a Minor God bound, the chains themselves were unlocked, but held closed about her ankles with pins. These I easily pulled free, and the Lost Wraith’s legs swung freely.

“Look out!” Telammosiel shouted.

I ducked, and a bolt of lightning aimed for me struck the iron ring, blasting a chunk out of it. The remaining iron structure groaned and crumpled as I ducked away. The ring bent, then fell down to the platform.

With her legs free, the Lost Wraith avoided being crushed by the mass of iron, but stumbled and fell to the floor. Then the chains binding her hands struck the stone and were broken. They cracked actually, but that was enough. With a cry like an eagle, the Lost Wraith raised her hands above her head and shattered the iron like it was made of wood. There was a flash of light that burst out and struck me.

She leaped into the air, and midway between here and there, she changed. Now there was a shadowy, bird-like form hovered in the air above our heads, then she stooped like a bird of prey and struck at Darth Vadake. He was still locked in desperate combat with the God of the Malformed Ones. Darth Vadake screamed once, and died.

Continued in Chapter 32