Threat of the Shadow Mage

DANTE STILL SAT ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO SEAN’S COLD CORPSE TRYING to wear off the effects of what had happened and still thinking Aspen was bewitched. A tear came to his eye, but he quickly wiped it away, however, the tears kept coming because he thought he knew that he would never see her again. As he tried to bury his head in his knees and wrap his arms around the top of his head, a sharp pain shot through his arm, and he was unable to bring it up. He looked down at it, and then saw that his arm was bent in the wrong direction. Dante grabbed his bicep, and just put his head back against the wall. Just then, Aspen came to the door. She had her hand on either side of the door, and she sighed as she saw Dante still alive. Dante looked over, and was surprised to see her.

“Aspen?” He sat forward and Aspen rushed to him.

Dante put his good arm around her, and just stared, not believing she was there. Aspen just held him close with her eyes closed in happiness. Things were finally beginning to wind down, and the two of them were together again.

“I thought I lost you.” Dante said in a worried, but relieved tone. Aspen pulled herself back and put her hands on either side of his head.

“No, I’m just so glad you’re okay.” Aspen went to give him a hug again, but she brushed his arm causing him to wince.

“Ah.”

“I’m sorry. What happened?” She looked at his arm as he said, “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” she took his hand. “Dante, you’re arm’s broke.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get Lillian to mend it.”

“Later. Right now you need that wrapped enough to keep it still.”

“Aspen,”

“What?” Not another word passed between them; instead a passionate kiss was given. It lasted for quite a few minutes before the sound of shouting soldiers and the thunderous echoes of marching feet.

“We’re still not done here.”

“Right. Come on.”

And with that, Aspen grabbed up his shirt that lay on the floor, and they set off.

Meanwhile, Cai snuck out to a balcony and overlooked the army trying to find Akoff. Way towards the back, there he was. Steaming like a hot pan being drenched in cold water, there he was.

“Got’cha,” he said to himself.

Looking up to make sure he didn’t move every now and again, he made his way down and did his best to stay hidden as he made his way across the field of soldiers. Akoff was still there when he reached the other side. Cai crouched down to keep himself hidden, and when Akoff turned the other way Cai leapt up on the ledge and ducked out of sight before Akoff could turn back around. Akoff turned and scanned the area behind him, thinking he heard something, but seeing there was nothing, he went on his way. However, before he could join his troops, he was brought down with an overpowering force.

“Did you really think that you’d get rid of me that easy, Akoff?” Cai asked as he stepped out of hiding. He was keeping Akoff down with a holding spell, and it was a strong one. Akoff turned as best he could to face his offender, but chuckled when he laid eyes on him.

“Huh…Cai. I might have known you lived that false death ray of mine. Especially when you ducked out of the way and mysteriously disappeared, making it looked like I made you evaporate.”

Cai gave him an odd look.

“That’s right. I saw what you did even though you thought you could get away with it.”

“That doesn’t matter now. All that does matter is that you call off this invasion.”

“Oh really? And why would I do that?”

“Because you no longer have to seek your revenge.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tex is dead.”

Akoff gave a blank stare.

“No, no. You’re lying.”

“If I were lying, would I know that Sean and Gunter are also dead? Would I know that you had Aspen and Dante captive in the same room as you tortured Dante by him kissing Aspen?” Akoff’s smirk quickly vanished.

“Doesn’t matter. My forces will have already made it half way to the village by now, and when they get there they will wreak havoc, and the best part is that you won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“I think you’ll change your mind when you’re turned back and stripped of your title, Akoff. Besides, you should really be back at your castle in the north. Where your subjects expect you to be, handling this war from their without it reaching your doorstep.”

“You can’t change me back.”

“You know, that’s exactly what Orianna and Tex said. But…I think I’ll let Orianna explain that to you.”

Akoff’s face turned deathly pale as Orianna stepped out from behind a pillar.

“Hello, Akoff,” she said with a hint of unpleasantness in her voice.

“Dante, you’re limping.” Aspen said after noticing this fact. “Aspen, I’m fine, just focus on getting to the main hall.”

“Okay.”

The two of them walked for another few minutes before they found one of the doorways that led to the hall. They stood on opposite sides of the opening and peered inside, watching as what was left of the forces was exiting the hidden fortress. Then Aspen spotted her uncle and two other figures.

“There’s my Uncle. Come on, we have to go help him.”

“Aspen,”

“What?”

“Your uncle can handle himself. He’s been through this much, I think he can handle a thrown over wreck of royalty.” Realizing what he said was probably true she stayed back, but glued her eyes on her uncle and the two who were with him.

“Orianna…It’s nice to see you…gulp…alive.”

Orianna gave him an evil eye, and he added, “And well.”

“Cut the act, meat head. You know very well that seeing me here is a disappointment. You ordered me killed, and yet here I am. What do you have to say now?” she asked him as she stepped forward.

“So you think that turning back isn’t possible.” She cocked her head, and Akoff had a feeling that he wasn’t going to like what she was going to do.

“Well let me put your mind at ease.” She held out her hand, palm up, and a tiny ball of light shimmered and sparkled. Then she brought her other hand around and pointed at the light. Her nail grew, but instead of being black like before, it shown a very bright pearl white. Something pink made its way down her nail, and soon dangled on the edge like a dew drop dangling on a blade of grass, ready to fall to the earth. As it fell into the light, it shimmered like a shooting star. Orianna lowered her free hand, but held her gaze on Akoff’s fearsome expression. Then, as quick as a flash, she pressed the light to his chest. “No!” the voice of the Mage inside him called out.

A black steam came from Akoff’s mouth, but didn’t fade into the air like typical steam did. It lingered until the last of it slipped from his lips, and both Cai and Orianna watched the top of it until it did; waiting to see if it was a threat. It started to circle about and head for Orianna, but as she held out her hand, a gentle, ice blue mist appeared that made the black one stop and fade after they entwined. It almost looked like the black one was choked out like a weed to a flower. They looked at Akoff, and he still looked stunned. Cai let up the spell, and Orianna carefully removed her hand. Waiting for a moment, ready to defend themselves if needed, they watched as the light returned to Akoff’s eyes.

“Akoff?” said Orianna softly.

He looked at her, looking like he remembered something, and then looked at Cai. Cai curled his lips, hoping that this worked and everything would stop before it’s too late.

“Cai? Is that you my old friend?” Cai sighed, and Orianna hung her head relieved.

“Cai, my dear friend.” They held out their hands, and Cai helped him up before embracing him.

“Akoff, it’s good to see you.”

“You too, you too.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Actually, I was just wondering what I was doing on the floor.” They laughed.

“Good, he’s okay.” Aspen said after watching them. Dante grabbed his side after feeling a bit wet there. As he pulled it off, and looked at it, thoughts rushed through his head. Aspen looked over at him and saw the concerned look he was blankly giving.

“Dante?”

He looked up.

“You okay?”

“Yah, no, I’m fine.” He stopped, trying to think of how he could change the subject.

“Should we go to your uncle?” Aspen smiled, and held out her hand so they could walk down together.

“Uncle!” Cai looked over and saw Aspen coming up the odd shaped stairs.

“Aspen. You’re alright.”

“Of course I am.” They hugged, and Cai gave some introductions before he noticed Dante having trouble keeping his balance.

“You alright there Dante? You're looking kind of rough.” Cai asked after excusing himself to step aside with him. Dante just shook his head and motioned to his injuries.

“Goodness, Dante. We need to get you to a medic care taker straight away.”

“Later. How are we going to stop the soldiers from destroying the village and making their way to the outer kingdoms?”

This got Cai thinking.

“Right, we still have them to take care of.”

“Yes, but they are already a mile off, we won’t be able to catch them on foot.” Cai then got an idea.

“Don’t move,” he said before he went back to the others. “Aspen! Aspen honey, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I need you to glow.”

“Glow? Why?”

“Just trust me.”

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? You have the ability.”

“I have the ability, yes, but only when it’s pitch dark and I’m a little frightened.”

Cai then started mumbling to himself trying to find a way to quickly douse the lights, and somehow make her a little scared. Then it hit him. He snapped and went over to Dante to tell him to stand with the others, and then he went somewhere out of sight.

“Do you know what he’s doing?” Aspen asked Dante once he got up there.

“I have no idea.”

Not a minute later, they found out. The floor began to shake, and the walls crumbled.

“What did you do?” Aspen asked seeing Cai return.

“You’re just going to have to trust me. Now get down before you get smacked on the head.”

They did so, and before they knew it, the sound and rumbling stopped. As they all looked up, Aspen began to glow ever so slightly.

“That’s it Aspen. Brighter!” Her light shown bright, and before she knew it, she was just about blinding them.

The soldiers had already stopped and turned about face when they heard the crumbling, but seeing the light kind of confused them.

“Orianna, I need you to help Akoff make an appearance in her light. The soldiers can see it, and they’re trying to make sense of it.”

Orianna took over from there, and the soldiers were astonished as they saw the face of their leader appear out of nowhere. “Now call off the attack and just send them home, but bring the Mages back.” Akoff nodded and then said just that in his own words. The few Mages that were among them returned and the soldiers went home. Soon everyone was back to normal, enemy wise, and the brink of war was no longer a problem.

“We can go home now, Dante. Dante?” she said seeing that Dante was a little distant. He was staring, but not at anything in particular, and he began to sway and stumble as he was getting woozy. As Dante collapsed, Aspen was soon at his side with Cai shortly following. Blurs of reality came on and off as Dante tried to stay with them.

“Dante! Stay with me. Dante?”

By the time Dante was fully conscious again, he found himself in a familiar bed. He looked to the right, and he saw an archway that looked like on he had in his house. He looked to the left, and he saw a figure walking towards him with a bowl in their hands. She sat next to him and dabbed a wet cloth on his head.

“Hey stranger,” the voice said softly.

“How are you feeling?”

He hesitated to answer, but as his vision cleared up, he responded.

“A little dazed, but I feel okay.”

Aspen nodded her head to his arm.

“And your arm?”

He looked down the bed and saw that it had been wrapped. “Try to sit up.”

Dante’s muscles tensed from his neck down as he got up, and then as he went to push himself back…nothing. No pain whatsoever.

“Shows improvement,” Aspen said seeing he didn’t batter an eyelid, or jerk a wince.

“How long was I out?”

“Long enough to give me a scare, that’s for certain.”

Silence passed between them, and then she admitted.

“Few days; six at least.”

“Six?” Dante asked.

She nodded.

“I’m just glad you made it through all that time.”

Dante held out his arm, inviting her in and said, “Come here.” Aspen did as she was told, and snuggled inside his warm arms. He kissed her forehead, also glad that he made it through that.

“Well, you’ve done it now.”

He looked down at her.

“Done what?”

She shook her hair out of her face as she looked up to meet his glance.

“You went to whatever end to ensure my protection.” “Aw…that.”

After thinking a moment, he said, “I guess I did.”

Their lips briefly met before Lillian came in.

“Oh you two. I can never separate you, can I?”

“Sorry Lillian.”

She turned to Dante. “I should probably get off now.”

Dante agreed teasingly.

“Yah.”

Aspen slid off the bed and walked to the door, but stopped to look back at him. The look she gave him told Dante that he had indeed won her heart and proven that he would hold true to his word.

“Go on child. He’s in good hands.”

Aspen giggled.

“Alright Lillian.”

And with that, she crept out, but allowed her hand to linger as she swung around the door. Dante sighed as her fingers slipped from sight from the edge of the door, and he was positive that they had a bright future.

“Alright you,” Lillian said. Dante looked over to her.

“Let’s take a look at that arm of yours.” She lifted his arm and began to unwrap it.

“How bad was it?”

“It was nothing I couldn’t fix, but I thought you wouldn’t make it once I saw that gash in your side.” Dante remembered the day he got it, but he still had no idea how it got there.

“I’m surprised that you were able to hold out for six days. Especially considering all of those other battle scars you received. A broken arm, twisted ankle, fractured leg and ribs, and more bruises than I could count.”

Dante laughed.

“Dear boy, you’re a lucky one. Aspen’s lucky to have someone like you at her side.”

Dante pondered that comment a moment before he sighed saying, “She sure is.”

“Well there are no signs that say that you need to continue having it wrapped, so you’re good.”

“I know I am,” Dante teased, seizing the moment. Lillian gently hit his shoulder.

“Oh you. Save that kind of talk for when you’re with Aspen.” They laughed. “Yes ma’am.”