Wynter's Rain - CH4

Lightning flashed from the tip of my sword and branched into a chain of lightning bolts, each bolt finding a target as my spell burst forth. It was a beautiful display of nature controlled by my magic. The spell worked so well. My master told me I had a gift for the Art but it still impressed me each time. Calling it pride would be true. I couldn’t help but enjoy the magic I wielded. All magic users were arrogant on some level.
One by one the ogres fell to the lightning as the bolts struck them, their bodies convulsing due to the electricity surging through their bodies. My spell was not finished. Lightning also struck the ogres from the sky further damaging their already broken bodies. My magic had a double effect, lightning from my sword and falling from the heavens. This was how a lightning bolt spell was cast. In casting it like I did, it left me a little drained.
I fell to one knee in exhaustion. The spell I weaved into existence was powerful and perhaps overkill, but I had to do it. Most spells won’t tire me so quickly but the big ones will. Those take a large amount of energy. A mortal body can only handle channeling so much other-worldly power without losing some of its own. My body took a decent hit with the use of magic but I always recovered quickly. I understood I shouldn’t tax my body but since I stayed away from magic use lately, I might last a while longer. I had enough experience to know when I needed to hold back or draw my sword instead. Sometimes I didn’t listen to experience though.
Looking up, I saw one ogre was not affected by the magical lightning. It stood in place eyeing me curiously. Ogres were never curious. Curiosity showed intelligence, something the ogres had little of and also lacked the aptitude. This one didn’t have the eyes of a creature who survives off of instinct. This one’s eyes showed intelligence, more intelligence than one of its race should have. Something wasn't right here. In fact, I would say something was wrong.
This ogre smiled. It wasn’t a pretty smile or one a bard would paint or sing songs about but instead, one that chilled the soul and stopped your breath. The ogre spoke a word of magic, a word I did not recognize, and it struck a chord of fear in my heart. Usually I could recognize most magic but this was in a different language than the traditional magic, plus I was in shock at hearing an ogre mutter magic. The race didn’t have a real language but this one had an awareness of magic. Something was not right. My skin tingled as the magical energy expelled from the ogre's spell reached out towards me. Being a conduit of magic had its disadvantages, one of them being able to perceive magic from others and attracting it. It drew magic from me without me realizing it to fuel its spell.
I watched in horror as its skin bubbled and warped as it convulsed before falling to the ground face down. I stood up slowly as its back split apart and another creature pulled itself from the ogre's skin. Chunks of flesh fell from its body as the creature stood up and roared. I felt my heart stop, fear and disbelief gripping my soul. This couldn't be happening. Only in the world’s somber history did the creature which came out of the ogre’s skin exist. Ancient records have written them as fallen and no longer a part of this world except in legend. They were lost in the past, a part of history. The creature in front of me was a dark ogre, a creature of legend and power. It seems legends hold more truth than expected. The truth wasn’t always pretty.
Its skin was black with a bluish tint. It was at the bottom of the hill, and I could tell it would be at least two feet taller than me. Its size wasn’t just in height but its sheer presence alone made it seem larger. The dark ogre’s eyes were an amber color, the same color as its hair. It stared at me in pure hatred. I heard Arianna gasp behind me. She perceived this ogre was bad news. All was lost. I’m not one for being an overly positive, but sometimes I try. This wasn’t a time to be positive. Before us was a creature responsible for the Fall of the Races and supposed to be lost to time, now standing alive and full of wrath.
The dark ogre, or as they liked to call themselves, the Kel-ed Dakar, were once a beautiful race of people. All the holy books, including the writings of the elves, show they were the first race created by the high gods. I learned about them in my magical studies. Their arcane might was matched only by the mighty dragons of the era. The only place left serving as a living testimony to their might is the ancient ruins on the Twilight Isles. It is only assumed the cities of this fallen race are still there. No one has ever gone to the isles to find out. Only texts from other races detail them and their might. These beings were gifted beyond any other race in the world of Aria.
The Keeper gave this race the gifts of beauty, magic, and free will. The Taker gave them strength, close to god-like intelligence, and pride. It was this pride that caused them to fall. Their pride was their undoing. They saw themselves as gods and subjugated the races of man as slaves. Because of this, they were stripped of their beauty, magic and intelligence. They became the degenerated race of ogres filling the world today. To see a true Kel-ed Dakar today is a bad sign. It shows the race is still alive and the world is in grave danger.
It picked up a battle-axe and charged towards me. The blade of the weapon glowed with a sickly light having become magical in the hands of the ogre. Few magic users and priests could imbue a weapon with magic by touch; usually those involved powerful rituals. I tried it once and failed. My magic was strong but without knowing how to imbue the magic, my spells failed miserably.
As the ogre charged at me, I planted my feet as firmly as possible preparing for the attack. My heart raced. I can honestly say I was scared. This being of legend come to life was stronger, faster, and smarter than me. I tried to call to mind a spell but couldn’t concentrate. I was not prepared for this. I’d rather fight a dragon, preferably a small one. I am crazy, not stupid.
It raised its axe to deliver a deadly swing at my head and froze. It then fell to the ground writhing in agony and I could see a glow behind me. Arianna had her holy symbol brandished towards the ogre, her lips in fervent prayer as she sought to repel the evil. She was determined and her faith is strong but the strain was becoming too much for her. Channeling the power of a God did to the body the same magic did. It takes its toll on the user.
“Help me, Wynter. I can’t keep this up much longer,” she said breathlessly. Her forehead was beaded with sweat due to the strain.
“Keep it up as long as you can,” I replied as I gripped my sword tighter.
I grinned wickedly as I swung my sword with perfect precision down and across its throat. Its blood poured from the wound and I could hear it choke as it drowned in its own blood. Arianna fell to the ground exhausted. She crawled over to grab my leg as I stood watching the ogre die.
I watched the ogre, knowing something just wasn’t right. It fell too easily. These were creatures with a might equal to dragons and yet it now laid dead. I helped Arianna up and heard her breath in deeply in surprise. Looking over, I saw the cut on the dark ogre’s throat heal up. I stepped back with Arianna as the creature started breathing again. It regenerated.
As much as I found this fascinating, it was also atrocious. It meant the ogre would be hard to kill like I originally expected. I raised my sword as it got up. It roared loudly and causing both Arianna and me to jump. Sometimes bravery was over-rated. It picked up the battle-axe.
“Arianna, I really hope you got more of what you did left in you,” I said without taking my eyes off the monster in front of us.
“No, last spell took too much. I will see what I can do though. The Keeper won’t leave me,” she replied holding her mace.
“I am fine with that. As long as we kill this thing before it kills us,” I said as we both stepped back as the ogre took a few steps forward.
“Some of your all-powerful magic would be damn good right now. Something with fire. Fire will stop the regeneration process,” said Arianna quickly. “Lots of fire.”
“I know a few spells. I don’t think he will sit still for a spell though,” I said. “Maybe if you ask him politely.”
“Bad time for humor, Wynter,” said Arianna with a touch of sarcasm.
What can I say, humor was a defense mechanism of mine when things quickly became bad. It drove my master crazy whenever he tested me and I’m sure it will continue to drive Arianna crazy. It helps me when I am having a hard time finding a solution to a problem. Arianna was right, fire would destroy the ogre but the spells I knew took a while to cast and with the monster only ten feet in front of us, I doubt I would have the time. I needed to cast a quick powerful spell without it failing. We would have to see how much control I have.
“Fire. I need more time,” I said softly.
Obviously I hadn’t spoken soft enough. Arianna heard me and ran past me with her mace raised and an elven war cry on her lips. Damn! I watched in morbid fascination as she deflected the ogre’s axe swing with her mace. Even in battle she was beautiful. Focus Wynter, I told myself, or your lover will die. I focused on the magic while still keeping an eye on the battle. The magic was hard to coax however due to my fear. I could hear Arianna whisper a prayer out loud. With a gentle caress on the ogre’s cheek that made me slightly jealous, I heard it scream in pain as its face opened in what looked to be a wound cause by a shard blade. I watched it stumble back.
“I reversed a healing spell. Time for you to cut in. I can’t keep up with this creature. I’m not prepared for this,” said Arianna backing away quickly from the beast.
“Ignea tempestas,” I chanted. The power built quickly as I drew sulfur from a pouch and blew it toward the ogre.
The sulfur dust quickly became small motes of fire. As they grew in size, they swirled around the ogre like a vortex. The ogre howled in pain as the heat from the small fireballs blistered its skin. I slowly closed my hand using a gesture to control the size of the vortex. The fireballs moved in closer to the ogre. As I closed my fist completely, the vortex ripped into the ogre burning it to a cinder. Reaching into my soul, I willed the magic to dissipate. I struggled as the power threatened to break free of my control.
“Wynter, what’s going wrong?” asked Arianna.
“I’m starting to lose control,” I replied feeling sweat bead up on my face.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to be calm as I focused on my control. The tile puzzle my master made me memorize as an apprentice came to mind. At the time the puzzle never made sense but eventually I came to realize it would help me place every bit of magic back where it came from. It was the perfect grounding exercise when things got out of control. Slowly I used the lesson to pick apart the spell and disperse the magic safely away. After I was done, I opened my eyes to see Arianna holding on. Too close for comfort.
“You are a strong one, Wynter. Strong enough to keep fighting even with the odds against you,” she said, breathing heavy.
“We both are,” I said, picking her up.
I looked at her. Pushing back her hair behind her delicate pointed ears, I kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly. We made it. We survived. Lightning still flashed but it seemed to flash and celebrate our victory. The warmth of the holy symbol Arianna wore, a dove made of platinum, pressed against me. The dove was a symbol of unity and strength to the priesthood of the Keeper. It was also used to show hope in a world devoid of it.
“You are my strength, Arianna. Just like The Keeper is yours,” I said holding her close. She was slowly warming my frozen heart. I looked up at the sky. The storm seemed to settle down as the magic that caused it died with the death of the Kel-ed Dakar.
“Can we have peace? Is it too much to ask the God of Light? Am I wrong to ask you such questions?”
Arianna gripped me more firmly than before. She recognized my questions as a prayer even if it was a prayer of questions. It was a start I guess. Right now we were safe. Safety was good considering where we were and what we been through. At peace? Not yet. Peace takes time, especially if its inner peace. I could use some of it right now. Still looking up, a raindrop hit my forehead. With it came a peace I never felt before. A peace from knowing I would find what I so desperately needed. I realized my prayer was answered. I don’t know how I discerned this but I knew. Then it rained. 

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