Flying 131

The Wisp’s voice filtered through her thoughts like smoke from a forest fire in the tops of trees. “Take aim. I know your thoughts, Terra. You know and now I know that he will protect his neck and heart as best he can. But, his lead leg will be a clear shot. And you will draw just enough to allow penetration so that one of my tentacles can enter. Then you two will be married in my mind as my best killers.”

“Draw three quarters force, now. Aim for the heart. Good. At the last moment, aim for the leg.”

Terra drew back the extra inch. The bow was a still moment of brute power to be put in motion with just the quick, slight movement of her two fingers. They burned as the string cut into them, but the pain was nowhere near the agony she felt…. Yes, that was it; she could feel the agony, the despair, the emotion. The Kinesis’ sensation; it was emotion. It was something buried in her mind that the Wisp had brought to the surface. And now it ravished her mind.

But, the Wisp loved every second of the sensation and Terra’s discovery. Her discovery that she had real feelings, especially for the boy that she would now kill. “Savory,” the Wisp thought to itself and let the idea trickle through Terra’s mind.

But, enough wasted time.

“Release!”

(to be continued)

Flying 132

Noesis knew that Terra would be able to think his thoughts. They had practiced too many mock battles for her not to know that he would try to use his shield to cover basically his heart and neck. But the Wisp would also know. The Wisp would want a shot that would penetrate, but not harm. Penetrate enough for a tentacle to enter and make him one of them. The Wisp would go for his leg.

He saw what was happening to Terra. The terrible struggle to resist to no avail. The arrow was coming soon. Yes, the wagon guard had spoken to her, to add verbal torture of a Keep person’s voice to the agony. In a second the arrow will come; Terra always did a little twitch of her right eyebrow just before making a combat move. It was a habit/superstition that she had developed and had forgotten about. He never told her, because he used it in the mock battles to beat her. She never could figure out how he knew when she would strike.

There was the twitch.

Terra drew back and released the arrow. But, Noesis had moved his shield suddenly down, not up. The shield barely made it into place as the very bottom of it deflected the arrow.

Terra screamed. Not a scream of relief, but one of rage. She reached quickly back for another arrow. Noesis moved fast, scrambling hunched down to his right, then left, making a zig zag route backwards. Try as he might, he was not fast enough to get out of range. Terra had a new arrow notched, the bow drawn, and was looking at him with eyes of a demon. Pure rage and hate.

(to be continued)

Flying 133

“I’ll kill you, Noesis! I’ll split your guts out with my arrows. You have no chance. Prepare to die.” Terra screamed the words. She was shaking with rage, teeth barred, blood splattered down the front of her armor, eyes white wide with the cataract blue rippling tears, but the bow came up, loaded with an ultra range arrow.

Noesis knew that the arrow would kill him. What Terra could not expect would be for him to charge, to kill her first. The thought numbed him into a single thought; “Kill or be killed.” He would charge. One of them would die. Probably both, for the other wagon guard would have him; he would concentrate on Terra. He could not leave her to die from Wisp dementia.

He flung himself against the wall as if to retreat more backwards, then charged forward with a spin. The arrow grazed his armor and ripped down the corridor. Terra had not planned on his charge or the spin. But, she was reaching back for another arrow. Noesis ran forward in great leaps. He was steps away, closing fast. He would arrive just as she pulled back the bow. Only two steps away, now. The wagon guard was raising his sword to strike. Noesis changed his vector so that his path was directly in front of Terra. They were face to face. Death was coming for both of them.

(to be continued)

Flying 134

She was about to release her arrow. He had his sword overhead and to deal a top helmet crushing blow. The wagon guard had his sword pulled back to strike Noesis dead center in the heart which was left unguarded; he had it faced forward to block an arrow so that he could reach Terra no matter what.

Crash! Blang! All of them were thrown against the wall by five Keep guards that had emerged from a trap door overhead and had landed on them like boulders dropped from the seventh level. Noesis had pummeled into Terra and the two of them were in a crushed heap, though she was still thrashing madly. A large Keep guard threw Noesis off of Terra as if he were a rag doll. Noesis saw that it was Pyro. Pyro pinned Terra to the stone floor. The other guard on Terra’s feet was Yare, who had smashed a battle axe into the wagon guard’s helmet on the way down. Blood issued from a large crack in the black surface like lave spewing from a volcano. The wagon guard went down with a thud to the floor and quivered dead. Terra was trying to draw her dagger, but Pyro’s weight was too much for her to move an inch. She was screaming that she would kill them all.

“Wisp traps, now!” shouted Pyro.

The closest Keep guard held a metal shaped C instrument (about as large as Pyro’s hand) with handles shaped like the end of scissors at one end. He brought it close to her nose (the open part of the C facing down) with the ends of the C touching the sides of her face, then squeezed the handles. The C instrument glowed blue and sparks ran along its black metal rim and across Terra’s face and chest body amour. A light blue stream of smoke like snake materialized, coming out of Terra’s nose. It wrapped around her lips and thrashed, earthworm exposed to the light.

(to be continued)

Flying 135

“Got it,” said Pyro. Bring the chamber bottle. The other guard brought a thick glass bottle that had a large handle on its side and two twist close valves with open ends at the top. The guard placed the bottle so that it was near to where the tentacle was held in place by the C trap. He gingerly opened on of the valves and the tentacle was slowly sucked into the bottle. As the fingers with the suction cups came out, Terra screamed, arched her back and threw up blood over the whole apparatus, spraying her father and Yare, who had joined to hold her down. She began to go into whole body spasms. Pyro called to Noesis to help Yare hold down Terra’s legs, one of which had broken from Yare’s grasp and was flailing against the stone floor.

Terra’s eyes were beet red with tears flowing from their edges. Suddenly, she stopped all movement and looked up into her father’s eyes. She tried to speak but all that came out was an “Immuhhh.” Pyro reached over and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“You’re ok; the Wisp didn’t have you long enough. But, you will have a terrible headache in a short while, worse than you have now, if you can believe that. We must get you to the emergency ward before that headache comes on. It is usually accompanied with bad thoughts. You will probably be strapped down to protect yourself, so don’t worry. And don’t worry about any Wisps. Crito and his Wisp unit have the other Wisps under control. They are probably bottled by now or dead.” Pyro leaned forward and cleaned the blood from around Terra’s nose and mouth with a small towel that he snatched from a concealed slot behind his back plate armor.

“Pyro,” said Noesis. “Before I came towards Terra, I thought I saw three wagon guards go through a secret door right on the wall opposite the compromised window. One of them had some sort of back pack.” Noesis spoke quickly to Pyro, then turned his gaze to Terra, who was looking at him. For a second, Noesis seemed to see her mouth the words, “I want to die for what I did,” but he could not be certain of her meaning because no sound had come forth. Even so, he shook his head and gave her a solid fist salute. She closed her eyes and seemed to shrink inside her armor.

Yare and Pyro looked at Noesis. “Are you positive you saw wagon guards go through a wall door in the stone?” Pyro’s eyes flashed.

“Yes, it was right opposite the window. There were three, one with that strange pack,” replied Noesis.

Yare and Pyro turned to each other. “Phora!” they both said at the same time.

(to be continued)

Flying 136

Pyro turned to the other guards who were from Crito’s Wisp unit. He scanned the names embossed on the front of the armor, which now glowed a soft silver, for they were in battle mode. He spoke to the closest one. “Tristan, you stay with Noesis. There are spears on a rack about ten feet further up the corridor away from the compromised window. Get two of them and some leather straps and form a makeshift stretcher. You and Noesis take Terra to the emergency ward. Tell them about her involvement with the Wisp. Go fast.”

“Done,” replied Noesis and Tristan in unison.

Yare moved over and smoothed Terra’s face with the back of her glove. It was armor, but the touch was delicate.

Pyro turned to Yare. “It will be close. We must get to Phora as quickly we can. We’ll have to follow them through his secret passage that leads from here to his room.” Phora squinted his eyes in thought. Few knew about the passage. “I wonder who is carrying the Wisp? Whoever he or she is, they must have found out about the passage by hook or crook,” he thought. He turned to the other guards. “Trane and Mander. Follow and stay close to us. Be prepared with the C traps and bottles.”

“Done,” they replied.

“Let’s go!” shouted Pyro and they ran towards the compromised window.

The two Keep guards at the window were clearly exhausted and injured. Both were leaning against the stone wall and breathing heavily. Pyro spoke urgently.

“Did you see any wagon guards slip by?”

“No,” replied both. The one closest to Noesis added, “But our backs were turned so that it could have happened. But where would they have gone?”

“Do not worry about that. Stay and rest, but guard the window.”

“Done.”

(to be continued)

Flying 137

Pyro leaned out to see the Courtyard below to do a scan. Keep guards with C clamps were everywhere. So were bodies. Mostly wagon guards, but he saw four Keep guards pulled to the South wall. The wagon guards had been killed by the arrows which protruded from them, terrible blows from swords and maces, and finally, an ending of life sword thrust through the neck, just below the jaw. Pools of blood had soaked into the ground leaving rust colored mud. Some of the mud had been trampled in during end stage battle, leaving tortured jagged ruts of the history of lives being lost in great pain. He scowled. Another quick look revealed three Wisp bottles with Keep guards surrounding them. Each had eight C traps around it. None of the traps glowed blue. The Wisps inside the bottles must be dead, but no one was taking a chance.

Pyro swung around quickly, rushed to the secret door panel to begin to press the correct stones to open the secret passage to Phora’s room. Yare looked out the window. Crito spotted her.

“Pyro, Yare and the rest of the team. All is well here, except that there is a Mauler on the loose. I think that it is still in the courtyard, but be on the lookout. We’ve killed three, but one cannot be found.” Crito did not wait for a reply. He spun around when one of the horses stamped its foot.

Yare yelled back, “Heard and will remember!”

Pyro had the door open with three touches on two dark stones and a sword tap on a large granite block that had a fist like appearance and bits of blinking formica imbedded in it. They rushed through the door, shields up and swords drawn. The door swiftly closed behind them and the wall became seamless again.

(to be continued)

Flying 138

Noesis watched Pyro and his team go through the door. Mander, the last to go through, snatched a look at Noesis and Tristan. He hurriedly placed his sword handle before his face the point towards the ground. Then, he vanished through the door and it closed quickly.

“Trouble,” said Noesis.

“Yes, I saw the signal, too. Don’t know what it is, not a Wisp, but not good. We’ve got to get out of here right now. You stay and guard Terra. I’ll get the spears and leather straps. You look that way towards the window. I have the other direction until I start back. Then we change views,” Tristan barked in battle voice.

“Done.”

Noesis eased closer to Terra who remained unconscious, though every once in a while she gasped as if having a bad dream. He held his sword at the ready, shield up.

(to be continued)

Flying 139

The Mauler came through the window before the two Keep guards could respond to the warning calls from the Courtyard. It looked like an oversized boar, but it had a large, tiger mouth with rows of teeth and talon claws instead of hooves. It smashed into the Keep guard on the right, turned and charged the other guard, who managed to get his shield up. But, it did not strike at the shield. Rather, it went low and grabbed the guard’s foot. It pulled back and shook the foot like a dog shaking a captured squirrel. Blood spurted as the armor was torn and began to shred. The guard went down hitting hard on his back. The right side Keep guard came forward and landed a blow on the Mauler’s right haunch, but it was off the mark to do damage to the thick hide, and though the Mauler gave up a terrible howl, it took a sideways bite at the arm that held the sword and charged. Straight at Noesis.

Noesis could see why Wisps used Maulers. Their teeth could make holes in the strongest of armor. The Keep guard had dropped his sword and was peeling back his armor to stop a severed artery in his arm. The other guard was trying to get up to assist, but the Mauler’s bite of his foot had left it useless, and he fell back to the floor.

Noesis could see that the Mauler would be on him in seconds. He must succeed in killing it. It would get to Terra if he did not; there was not enough time for Tristan to return to help, even though he was only a few steps away. Noesis was looking into an oncoming dark cavern with teeth growing in it from floor to ceiling. Two slanted, black eyes hovered like dancing pieces of burning coal above the cavern. It let out a screech of a roar. The incongruity of the sound with the horror of the rows of teeth snapped Noesis into action. He dropped his shield from his left hand and pointed his hand towards the Mauler. It swerved to attack the hand. In one action, Noesis called his arm shield to open, dropped his sword, pulled his dagger, lowered himself, and met the Mauler in a half crouch. The arm shield materialized. Just in time. The Mauler engulfed his shield and arm, but as it did Noesis pulled himself body to body with the Mauler. The shield held, though the teeth were beginning to punch through it. Both spun in the air, each wrapped around the other; hands and armor against claws and teeth. And the dagger, which Noesis shoved with all his might at the vulnerable underside of the Mauler’s throat.

They crashed to the ground. Noesis could feel the Mauler’s teeth begin to cut further into his armor and slice his arm. He could feel the claws raking his body armor, especially his right ribcage, as a cat does in a fight. But, he pulled himself closer in a death grip hold and shoved the dagger in back and forth, twisting each time to cut. The Mauler kept ravaging his arm and rending his body armor. The screeching sounded like metal plates dragged along sandstone. He could hear his cry over that: “You’ll never get by me!”

“I will not make it out of this,” Noesis thought. “But, it will never make it to Terra.” He pushed again with his dagger. Gurgling noises began in the screeching. Yet, the Mauler fought on. Pain began to ebb through his shield arm and his right side started to feel as though it was being covered with hot twisting wire.

(to be continued)

Flying 140

There was a loud smash and hair raising howl. The Mauler went limp. Tristan’s sword had cut its neck almost in half. Noesis rolled back to have his back firmly on the ground, then gave the dead Mauler a push. With the help of Tristan, the Mauler rolled to the side in a bloody tangle, its mouth quivering bites in its death throws.

“Damage?” yelled Tristan.

“Left arm trouble. Lacerations on right side. But, I can move.” Noesis grimaced with each word.

“Help me make the stretcher,” said Tristan.

Noesis moved to Terra’s side. Tristan ran and picked up the two spears and leather straps which he had dropped when he saw Noesis take on the Mauler.

Tristan laid the two spears down about two feet apart.

“Take some leather straps and join the spears in a series of rows. Make them about two feet apart.” Tristan was already at work and had one strap completed. But, Noesis could not make his left hand hold a strap.

“Left hand disabled,” said Noesis, in a straight, matter of fact voice.

“Heard. Layout the straps and I will tie them.”

“Done.” Noesis took the straps in his right hand and laid them across the spears in the proper fashion. Tristan hurriedly tied them into place, then slid the makeshift stretcher beside Terra two feet away.

“We’ll give her one full roll and she will end up on the stretcher,” said Tristan. “I’ll do the upper body, you guide the legs.” He closed Terra’s visor, then stepped over Terra and grabbed her left arm. Noesis went to the left of her legs. “Roll, now.” They rolled Terra with one smooth motion and she settled face up on the stretcher.

Tristan gave a quick look around, slung his shield to his back and put away his sword. Noesis did the same.

“I’ll lead,” barked Tristan. “Ready to lift.” Tristan faced away from Noesis and Terra; he was the front holder.

“Hold!” cried Noesis. “My left hand will not grasp. You will have to tie that side to my arm.” He reached over with his right hand and turned over his left. It was a bloody mess.

“Done, but can you stand the pain. Mauler bites and claw wounds have a toxic substance that caused terrible pain when the tissue is flexed hard. You will be really hurting. If you feel faint, let me know.” Tristan ran quickly to Noesis side. Noesis bent down and Tristan tied two leather straps from the stretcher to Noesis’ left arm.

“Ready to lift?” asked Tristan as he returned to his lead place.

“Ready.”

“Now. Lift, good. Ready to go. Left foot first, then combat pace run, now” cried Tristan.

“Done.” Noesis said the words, but they almost stuck in his throat from the pain that shot through his left arm and right mid section. He wanted to throw up, but he could not call for his visor to lift. He ground his teeth and ran on, each step flaming his body with a scorch of pain that made him gasp in groans.

The corridors were bad, but the steps were the worst. It was not far, but when they reached the first Emergency Ward guard station, Noesis was barely conscious. Tristan had to hold the stretcher in a fight for balance, for Noesis did not stop running.

“Hold or die!” shouted the guards.

(to be continued) Flying 141

“Show your faces; visors up. There are Wisp agents at large,” demanded the front guard. The station was heavily armed. Guards with swords, spears, maces and C traps were everywhere. And those were only the ones to be seen.

“Move onto the grate,” the guard said. In front of Tristan was an iron grate built into the floor and a similar grate in the ceiling. It was easy to see the massive blades hanging above and protruding up from both grates’ slots. One wrong move and whatever was on the grate would be sliced into bits from the blades above and below.

“Done,” said Tristan as he flipped his visor, reached back to make sure that Terra’s visor was open so that their faces were clearly visible. Noesis stooped and rested the right spear handle on his right leg and with his right hand rapidly opened his visor, returning his hand to secure the handle. He straightened up and a lance of pain ripped through his right side.

“Two wounded. One Wisp victim. Needs quick treatment. Other, Mauler victim. Treatment needs triage assessment. I am sound.” Tristan minced no words.

The lead guard came to stand by the grate and gave them a close look.

“Password?” he asked.

“Courtyard three team. Yellow,” replied Tristan.

“Pass,” said the guard. “Triage, two wounded coming in,” he shouted to the Emergency Ward as its doors opened.

(to be continued)

Flying 142

Tristan and Noesis almost ran pass the second guard station. It was not noticed by them until they were practically to the Ward’s door. The second station guards were operating huge scanners that were disguised as floor stones, though they were darker and larger. The lead guard motioned them to continue their run to the Ward door. They had obviously passed the scan. What would have happened to them if they had not passed the scan was unknown; neither Tristan nor Noesis could see any traps or hidden barricades.

Six triage nurses in full armor ran up to them. One, Treste, took the stretcher handles from Tristan.

He said to her. “Wisp victim on stretcher. Girl is a minor. Needs immediate treatment. Exposure about borderline five minutes. No physical damage, except extensive laceration of the tongue. No question about surgery. Follow up guard at back is a minor, also. Mauler damage to hand, and I think, right side. Could be substantial blood loss. I don’t know how the two became involved in the battle; no minors are allowed on the second level. In fact, these are the first that I know to have ever reached the second level. Check them out just to make certain that they are not new types of intruders, though I’m reasonably certain that they are not. I need some combat liquid and then a station.” Tristan left his visor up for a minute to let Treste run another scan across his face. When she had finished, he closed it and did a combat look around the Ward to get his bearings.

Treste replied, “Liquid can be found ten steps forward at the wall. Earthen container with the blue circle on it. When finished, take a station around your teammate; he’ll probably go to room fifteen.”

“Done.” Tristan quickly made his way to the wall, flipped his visor up, removed a cup from the side of the large urn, filled the cup full of a light blue, effervescent liquid, and literally poured it down his throat. The ferocity of the battle and the run for the Ward had made him more fatigued than he would have liked. He could not believe that the minor, Noesis, had fought a Mauler and had made the run to the Ward injured.

“Tough one,” he thought to himself.

(to be continued)

Flying 143

Treste and another nurse, Gelle, ran back to Noesis. Each took a spear handle, while another nurse, Jette, cut the straps that held Noesis’ left arm to the makeshift stretcher.

Noesis heard the noises. Felt the stretcher weight being removed from his body. When the straps were finally cut, the pain roared through his right side like a raging forest fire. Oddly, his arm did not hurt. In fact, it felt like a piece of wood attached to his side. He could move it somewhat, though the sensation was that of it’s not being there. Nothing was clear in his mind. He was seeing everything through a white haze that kept getting lighter and lighter, as if there were a thin sheet in front of him. “Check on Terra,” he thought to himself. “Protect.” He moved closer to Terra. She was holding the sides of her head and gritting her teeth in a barred grimace. He slowly lowered his head towards her.

“Terra. Terra,” he spoke softly as he continued to bend down to her face.

She opened her eyes and tried to speak. Nothing came out. Her hands went up to her mouth and covered it. Frightened eyes looked out at Noesis from a face covered with spit, slime trailers that went from her mouth to the sides of her head like glistening slug tracks across smooth stone.

“I am here Terra,” said Noesis. He held up his right fist to his mouth to show her that he was ok, knew about her injury, and would protect her. His head continued its downward movement towards Terra. He wanted to kiss her on her cheek if he could. “But, that would be bad combat procedure.” Nevertheless, he let his head go lower. “I am with you, Terra. You are my….” But Noesis’ head kept on going and his voice trailed off into a long “yyyyy.” Right pass the side of the stretcher. The last things he remembered was Terra’s frantic reach for his hand as the floor came up to meet him, something around his waist, and the soft bang as his helmet hit the stone floor.

The white haze that he had been looking through changed into a pool of black into which he disappeared.

(to be continued)

Flying 144

Jette had managed to grab Noesis’ around the waist as he went down past Terra. She was pulled down with him, but her effort restrained his fall so that he did not hit hard.

Terra tried to sit up in a panic, but was held down by Treste and Gelle. “Hold on there, young warrior. Jette will take care of him. We must get you treatment for the Wisp inoculation now,” said Treste, holding Terra firmly to the stretcher. She called another team of nurses over. They brought an ambulatory bed/stretcher. In a flash, they had Terra on it and were whisking her away to a room at the far end of the Ward. Terra saw that there were others being treated in many of the side rooms, some of which were surgery units. Some of them had boot tracks of mud and blood mixed on the floor. Everywhere around her there was fast movement, none of it frantic or panicky, save for her quick attempts to try to rise up to see where Noesis was, only to be pushed easily, but firmly back to the stretcher. When they entered the special room, a physician in light surgery armor came over to her. He had a glass tube. No, she saw that it was a syringe.

“This will help the pain while we prepare you for surgery. Your tongue has had damage and your brain has been traumatized by a Wisp invasion. You will wake up after the surgery, but let me warn you now. Your head will hurt much more than your tongue. We will give you something for your tongue, basically a cold compress next to your cheeks, but you will have to endure the Wisp recovery pain on your own. It is, unfortunately, the only way. You may find that we have strapped you down. This will be for your protection when you deal with the pain.” His voice was gentle and had a softness of summer leaves rustling in the breeze of a warm afternoon. His voice was comforting even though it brought the message of terrible struggle ahead.

She felt the surgical team remove her armor. Then a slight sting in her arm. She looked at the physician, but his eyes seemed to get more and more fuzzy. “Or, maybe, it is my eyes that are getting fuzzy,” Terra thought. Yet, the moment she thought that, it had gone. In a soft glide, her eyelids closed and she found peace in a deep sleep.

(to be continued)

Flying 145

Ergon and Kinesis heard the alarm bells. Both sprang to their feet.

“That’s a breech alarm,” said Ergon. “Something or intruders have entered into the Keep itself. No place is safe, especially here. We must prepare to defend Phora.” Ergon grabbed two inside combat spears (shorter and heavier) from the wall behind him and took a mace from a stand at the end of Phora’s bed. He kicked soundly the few items of wooden furniture in front of him. They smashed into pieces against the far wall, but he had gained quickly clear fighting space in front of him. Kinesis notched an arrow and held two others at the ready in her bow grasp hand. Both swept the room with hawk eyes. The air crackled with tension.

There was a moaning, grating sound of a door being pushed with great force.

The secret passage to the second level flew open. Three guards ran out. Their visors were open and blue Wisp glazed eyes dominated their faces.

“Wisps agents!” shouted Ergon. “Don’t be fooled by the Keep armor. They are enemies!” His words were barely said in time to give Kinesis enough of a split second to react.

One Wisp guard went for the main room door; the other two came for Ergon. Kinesis, now electrified into action slowed the one closing in on Ergon with a neck shot. It would have been a quick kill, but the guard had tripped over a broken piece of furniture and the guard’s uncontrolled scrambling movement threw Kinesis’ aim off. The other guard reached Ergon and swung his sword overhead, while moving towards the wall so that if Ergon tried to swing his sword, the end of the swing, if it missed, would crash against the wall. Which would leave Ergon open. But, Ergon did not miss. He swung as a master woodchopper. He aimed low and his massive sword with his strength crushed the guard’s left leg as if it were that of a straw scarecrow, bent double in a strong wind. The guards were clearly maimed.

But, both of the guards that had attacked Ergon were decoys. The main attack was a mace that was flying through the air at Ergon’s head.

(to be continued)

Flying 146

“Down!” shouted Kinesis.

Ergon heard and reacted. The mace hit as he was dropping. There was a loud “Thud” as it smashed into his helmet, not square on, but enough to do damage. It clattered to the floor next to Kinesis. Ergon dropped to his knees, stunned by the impact. But, even in a combat fog, Ergon had the fighting instinct to bring his sword around in a full swing, catching the leg smashed guard on the left temple side of his helmet. There was a loud “Thunk” and a muffled “Crunk” as the guard’s head went with the sword and his neck cracked. The guard, who was wounded by Kinesis’ arrow, clearly dying, spent his last energies rushing Ergon, desperately trying to thrust his sword into Ergon’s neck/chest plate joint. The sword struck the mark. Ergon would have been harmed, but there was no real force behind the thrust; the guard died in the very move and fell on Ergon’s shoulder. Ergon shook him off, blood from Kinesis’ arrow wound streaking his armor.

“Two down!” shouted Ergon. But, as he spoke, the blue Wisp tentacles left the dead guards and disappeared swirling like fine silt around rocks in a stream. “Don’t let that guard get to the door!” cried Ergon.

(to be continued)

Flying 147

Kinesis whirled and fired an arrow at the Wisp guard’s closest leg as he dashed for the door. It struck his thigh and almost caused him to fall, but he recovered faster than she would have thought possible and ran, half hopped to the door.

“Ergon,” shouted Kinesis. “Are you with me?”

“Yes,” Ergon struggled to his feet. “These are Wisp agents. There are invisible tentacles probably around. They can’t get to you unless there is a hole in your armor. But Phora is unprotected. We must somehow block them and find the Wisp before it can reach Phora.” Ergon looked at the secret door. Two Wisp guards came in.

“Ah, Ergon,” said the last guard to come in. As he said that, Kinesis shot another arrow at the Wisp guard at the door. It hit him in the shoulder and penetrated, but he managed to open the door and two other guards, Wisp guards with the blue cataract eyes, entered with malice written on their faces. The three turned towards Ergon and Kinesis

(to be continued)

Flying 148

“Thrasymachus,” replied Ergon.

“Yes, at least the body is,” said Thrasymachus, letting out a high pitched chatter of a laugh. Thrasymachus had a round face with pig eye sockets that seemed to bulge out beyond his eyelids. The cataract eyes looked like dusty blue marbles in a ceramic planter. His face was covered in grime and sweat that had crusted into small brown sludge in the wrinkles, especially at the corner of his mouth. Matted hair eased down in greasy streaks across his forehead.

“And now, I’m going to take Phora into the Wisp domain. I see that he has no armor. This will be too easy. For you cannot protect him.”

The Wisp guard with the arrow in his leg gave a howl, held his head in his hands and fell face forward on the floor. He began to shake and quiver, his armor making scrapes and knocks against the stones only to be masked over by his agonized groans.

“I need him no longer; the arrow shot in his neck was too deep and he would have died in a minute more,” said Thrasymachus. “The tentacle is going now for Phora. The other two are saved for you and the woman in the armor. My other tentacles are waiting for the recruits that you will gain when I have Phora. But, I do not recognize this new guard. This woman, Ergon. Perhaps, she is a secret upper guard. I heard rumors of some sort of secret guard group, which watched over the other guards, but I never thought the rumor might be true. It doesn’t matter. Once the three of you become mine, Wisp agents, the Keep will fall. It is four against one and a half. And Phora will be mine in just a second.”

(to be continued)

Flying 149

“There must be a tentacle going for Phora. It could enter through a skin puncture, mouth or nose. Go to Phora and cover his head. Now!” shouted Ergon. He pulled his shield close to him and grabbed his sword with the free fingers of his left hand, which held his shield with chain and leather straps. With one swift movement, he reached a spear, brought it back and threw it so powerfully that it cut the air with a hiss. The guard beside Thrasymachus had his shield up, but the throw was aimed at his left hip. The impact toppled the guard to his left side, the spear completely penetrating the armor, smashing his hip, and coming out the back side with tendons, pieces of bone and strings of muscle hanging off the spear head. The guard went down with a loud cry reaching down with both hands to try to move the spear, which did not budge an inch.

“Take Ergon now!” shouted Thrasymachus to the other guards. They bolted for Ergon.

“Kinesis, whatever you can do, protect Phora!” cried Ergon and went for the two approaching guards.

Kinesis looked at Thrasymachus, who had an evil smile on his face. He knew that Ergon would have his hands full with the other guards. They were bigger than the ones he had used to “soften” him up for the two now approaching. But, Phora. Where were these invisible tentacles? “Whatever they are,” she said to herself, “maybe they are subject to ice, especially a cold ice mist.” She dropped her bow. Pointing her right hand, fingers extended, towards Phora, she said with a firm voice, “As an ice mist!” Immediately, an icy shroud, a whispered breath in the coldest of air, formed around Phora. It gave off a light blue sheen of crystals dancing in the scattered light of the room as it slowly circled him.

There was a tiny snap, followed by a hiss. A Wisp tentacle appeared at the edge of the blue ice mist. It twisted, half in anger, half in pain. A dark purple spot appeared on one of its suction cups on a middle finger. Thrasymachus let out an ugly howl. Kinesis turned her head slightly so that she could see Thrasymachus, but she never let her arm with its extended fingers down. The air off the tips of her fingers glowed with a bluish frost.

(to be continued)

Flying 150

“What manner of enchantress are you?” exclaimed Thrasymachus, just as the two Wisp guards and Ergon met head on in the end game dance of combat.

Ergon pushed the one on his left to the side with his shield and struck at the other with his sword. But, the two were sharing the Wisp’s mind and could act as one agent. The guard on the right went with the shove and then faked a slash at Ergon’s legs. The other guard parried Ergon’s sword with his shield and steadied himself for a full out attack on Ergon, if Ergon followed up on the attack on his legs. Which Ergon did by lowering his shield to protect against the strike at his legs. That left his upper left side open. The Wisp guard on the right took the advantage and brought an overhand sword blow down on Ergon’s left shoulder. Ergon saw it coming as he stole a quick glance, and rolled his shoulder towards his body and down to lessen the impact. The blow was brutal, striking Ergon where the neck muscles join the outer region of the clavicle. By rolling inward Ergon prevented the blade from penetrating his armor, but the force of the blow was tremendous. He felt his shoulder muscles tear under the armor and his shield dropped lower to fix its bottom point on the stone floor. He knew the guard on his left would now try for a head swing; he was side open for a sword thrust.

Kinesis was keeping the ice mist up around Phora. It looked like a small snow storm, only the movement of the crystals was in slow motion, dancing sparkles around Phora. But, the energy it took to keep the mist intact was draining her of stamina. Thrasymachus could see that she could not fight and defend Phora with the ice mist at the same time.

“The cloud of ice you have made is new to me, strange one,” said Thrasymachus. “I can see that you cannot use your bow and cause the cloud at the same time. Too bad. For now, I shall come for you and if you go for your bow, I shall have Phora. Ah, I enjoy knowing that you are in terror. And. I see that my comrades are getting to Ergon. The sacrifice of two comrades for the blow to his head was worth it. Savor your last few moments as yourself,” he said with a glistening grin, shining from saliva that dripped from his upper lip across his teeth and down his chin bubbling at the tightly pulled corners of his mouth. He came forward at a slow, steady walk, cataract eyes in a dull, yet powerful beam, as a blue moon in the dead of winter.

(to be continued)