Callia's Redemption

The next day hits and I’m already at the stable with Mary. I take all of our cooking gear we just bought and put it in my old bag, after taking everything from my old bag and putting it in my new one. Mary is dozing in the corner, never being one willing to be up before sunrise.

“Ready to leave already?” Someone asks as I finish packing Liza.

I grin as I turn around. “It’d be best to leave before morning is in full swing. Gstalt and his men will likely be waiting for us somewhere nearby. If Gstalt has finally found the Windy Plains, then he’ll likely be right outside that gate.”

“Hopefully, that’s not the case. We are hard to find,” Jon says as he grins. He’s wearing gray clothing today. It looks like they’re his sleeping garments.

I give a small smile. “He has been here before Jon, remember? When we were young. Gstalt-back then his name was Lavar-and I came to this city to study. Gstalt has never forgiven the spirits for rejecting him, so he was never taught here. In retrospect, it might be what spiraled him onto his dark path.”

Jon’s face slightly falls. “All the Elemental spirits rejected him. They saw a darkness in him we had not yet seen.”

I nod. “I hadn’t sensed it then either. I should have though. Gstalt has always been jealous of my magic’s strength. The fact that I was orphaned and he, a direct blood line to an incredibly rich and powerful human mother and God father, was weaker than me, drove him to be absolutely mad sometimes. There is so many times I wish my younger self had recognized that sign and destroyed him when I had the chance…” I shake my head. “There is no use living in the past now.”

“No, there is not. Here.” Jon hands me a black satchel. I open it and find a silver, crystalized diamond stone. It’s lighter than air but nothing in this universe can break it. It’s completely clear and is about the length of my palm. So much destruction can come from one of these little empty stones.

I touch it and nearly yelp as air whips at me. It’s not attacking, more like embracing. I can hear a faint voice, like a breath, in that wind as well. The voice is saying my name. I look at Jon once the wind stops, his jaw is completely open. “What was that?” I’ve never had a stone behave like that for me.

His eyes are wide as he looks between me and the stone. “The Spirits. They’re approving you, more like blessing you I should say. This has only happened once before. Over five thousand years ago for a warrior. That warrior later turned into a Spirit, Callia. That warrior had died in the battle.”

I snort. “Wouldn’t be the first time I died. I don’t care if I die in battle, as long as I defeat Gstalt first.” I take the satchel and look at it, imagining it being locked in a box that disappears into my heart. Purple encompasses the satchel, and it vanishes.

“Where did it go?” Jon asks.

“I hid it inside my heart, binding it to me until I have need of it. This way it cannot be stolen or lost.” If I die, however, it will emerge, and someone can steal it then. It’d probably be best if I didn’t die.

Jon nods. “Keep it safe.” He bows, looking at me like this is going to be the last time he sees me.

“I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll also get your stone back for you. If you want to earn the Wind Spirits favor, I do suggest you fight, Jon. If not, your city might fall.”

“I’ll keep that under advisement.” He says quickly, right before leaving. I shrug and return to packing.

Garth shows up after I’ve finished, with Arin and Alaric in tow. The boys give a groggy nod in my direction before mounting their horses.

I sigh and swing onto Liza and whistle loudly. Mary jumps up as she screams, looking for danger. “Let’s go sleepy head.” I laugh while she lurches to her feet. Mary climbs onto a beautifully solid gray horse and follows me out of the city.

Around midday we stop for a break. The trees are thinning as we head further south. Soon the wetlands will be visible and that’s where we’ll find our Water God clan. Garth still appears to not be speaking with me, and I still do not know why. Arin and Alaric immediately jump off their horses. Mary groans as she stretches, yawning as she goes.

I’m about to get off of Liza when something catches my eye. Footprints. I jump off of her and kneel down. The ground is cold where they’ve step. The impression is not very deep or noticeable, so they’re trying to cover their tracks. Judging by the size I’d say they belong to a man. By the style I’d say soldier.

“What is it Callia?” Mary yawns again.

“Footprints. They look fresh, maybe a few hours old.” There are no other disturbances over them. With the amount of wildlife in this area, there would have been something disturbing them within a day.

She shrugs. “Could belong to a hunter.”

I look back at her. “Judging by the style and size I’d say male soldier.”

Garth cocks his head. “Let me check.”

Alaric looks at Arin. “Where is Gstalt?”

“I don’t know. I couldn’t use my magic in a God City. It’s too protected.” Arin snaps. “Let me check.” He says in response to the nasty look his answer resulted from Alaric.

A green ball shoots out of his palm, and it returns in seconds. Arin’s eyes widen. “We need to move. Now!”

A black ball interrupts our movements. It collides with Arin and Alaric, knocking them onto the ground. I move to protect them but am knocked to the ground with black magic binding my arms to my side. Mary summons a windstorm to protect us, surrounding us in a small wind tunnel. I scream out as the magic pulls tighter, trying to pull me through Mary’s shield.

“Callia!” Garth yells as he jumps off his horse.

“Don’t!” I yell, stopping him from touching me by inches. “If you touch me it’ll infect you. Gstalt is famous for this spell.” I scream out again, pain living in every part of my being.

“What is he doing?” Garth demands.

“Trying to bring me to him. The longer I’m not with him the more intense the pain grows. It also paralyzes it’s victims magical center.” I scream as I hear Gstalt laughing. “I can’t access my magic.”

“Do something!” Mary yells as she is trying to get Arin and Alaric to their feet.

“Like what?” Garth demands. “I have only ever done tracking spells; or nullified them. That’s it.”

“Callia!” Gstalt yells, causing both Mary and I to scream as he tries to pull me through her shield. Mary is being assaulted magically as he tries to break her barrier.

“Go back to the underworld!” I yell as I bite back another scream. “Garth,” I pant, addressing him now, “access your magic. This is a binding spell. He’s grounded the spell to his essence. You can do it. Find the weak point. Do not attack it directly.”

“How do I do that?” Garth nearly yells in frustration. Mary falls to her knees, sweat starting to form onto her brow.

I resist crying out in pain by yelling instructions at him. “Find your magic. Center it around me. Feel the power surrounding me. Look for Gstalt’s magic. Find the weak spot!” I curl into a ball as the wind shield is starting to rip at my back skin as it’s already ripped apart the back of my clothes.

“Garth!” Mary yells, her skin starting to pale.

Garth closes his eyes as Alaric sits up. He looks at me, eyes wide. “I can’t!” Garth yells. He’s panicking and doesn’t know what to do. He’s forgetting what he already knows.

Alaric comes over to me, crawling on his hands and knees. A soft green glow forms around his hands as they hover over me. Soon his magic covers me as his eyes turn a bright shade of green. He starts paling and slowly lowers himself.

“Do not attack his magic directly.” I tell him calmly. “Find the weak spot. Force it to move.” I instruct.

“I can’t hold on much longer!” Mary yells, falling to the ground.

Alaric nods as he moves his hands around me. Mary’s shield falls. I turn my head and see Gstalt grinning with a hundred soldiers with him. How did he get all those men past me? A man with dark skin and a shaved head is standing next to him, his hand on Gstalt’s shoulder. A light green magic is on his hand. His eyes are coated in a dark green magic and his face has a thick beard. A long scar goes from the left of his forehead down to the right side of his chin.

Gstalt raises his hand, black magic beginning to show. I feel his spell lift from me as Gstalt fires his magic. Lilac shoots out of me, raising from the ground like a shield as I picture a mirror. Gstalt’s magic hits it, reflecting his magic back to them. Gstalt and Arwen duck the ball, but it hits his soldiers, who were too slow. His soldiers fall to the ground, instantly killed. He killed about a third of them.

I stand as I focus my magic, preparing for another attack. I lift my hand as he fires his magic at me. I imagine catching a dirt ball and squeezing it, letting his magic crumble. Something I was not expecting happened. My body absorbed it, emptying it into the stone inside me that already carried his dark magic. Gstalt falls to his knees, my body taking more of his magic. Arwen takes his hand off Gstalt, sweat forming on him as Gstalt tried to take more of his magic.

“Leave!” I yell as I feel like there is something not right. I picture a tidal wave, magic pouring from me as it slams onto them. It ushers them away as Gstalt screams my name. I picture the wave disappearing and returning to the ocean, with all of them in it. It zaps a lot of my strength, but it gets the result I need.

I fall to my knee as I clutch my chest as Gstalt, and his men disappear. I can barely breathe. Garth is immediately at my side and keeps me from falling. My chest feels tight, like someone is pushing against it from the inside out. So much of my strength is gone from accidently absorbing Gstalt’s magic that I wasn’t expecting it.

Mary quickly comes to my aide. “What’s wrong?” Mary demands.

“My energy…absorbed.” I gasp, alarmed by how breathless I am.

Her eyes widen. “Boys, go and check for anymore soldiers. Get some fresh water as well.” Garth nods as he stands, looking very unnerved by my condition. He follows Alaric to go wake up Arin.