Emergence: Return of Magic book 1 (11 page)

Cassie shook her head, “Maybe you can’t feel it, but you’re
using magic when you manipulate life, I can feel the connection between you,
Cynthia, and the others.”

He wasn’t sure what that meant, except that he was sure now
the aliens had nothing to do with his power.  But did that mean iron would
stop him as well?  He’d felt the life force of those men two nights ago,
maybe the shield would stop magical fire, but it couldn’t protect their whole
body, and they can’t block what they can’t see.

As if his thoughts summoned them, he got a warning from one
of his guards out front.  People were coming, a large group of them. 
He had his zombies assemble out front as he got up, and he was glad he hadn’t
sent any out on errands yet today.

“I think they might be back, some large group is coming
anyway,” he said as he pulled his clothes on.

Cassie and Cynthia got up and started to dress as
well.  By the time they were ready and moving toward the front of the
school, he could feel thirty people outside.  He stopped at the door and
looked out of the pane of glass, they were those armored idiots alright, and
this time he wouldn’t show them mercy.  They shouldn’t have come back.

He didn’t see any projectile weapons, just swords, shields,
and chainmail armor.  He wondered where they got it all from as he walked
out the door.

“Give us the witch, and we’ll spare your lives!”

That… pissed him off, what kind of sick fucks were these
people?  His reply was not in words.  His zombies charged at them,
except of course Cynthia, who stayed behind to guard him.  He also reached
out with his power and started to pull their life energy one at a time, as
quickly as he could.  The zombies were strong, and fast, though nowhere
near as strong and fast as Cynthia was, but still enough to parry the enemies’
sword strokes with their bats in one hand, and the machete in the other.

Three of the armored nutcases broke away from his zombies
and ran at the three of them.  He pulled one life force, while Cynthia
struck faster than the man could swing his sword, hitting his inner wrist which
made him drop the sword.  She finished him with a throat strike, crushing
his larynx, followed by a kick to his chest which put the man who struggled to
breathe, but would never do so again, on his back.

Is it wrong Cynthia’s fast and hard violence kind of turned
him on a bit?  She was magnificent.

The third man lost his head, quite literally.  He
looked over and Cassie’s face looked, sickened.

He’d already drained about six of them, and felt hyper
enough on all that life energy, so the rest were killed by his zombies, save
one who was held down.  He started to feed life energy into them all, but
the one that lost his head was… missing that empty spot.  Apparently he
could grow back limbs, and heal crushed heads, throats, and other mortal
wounds, but decapitation was beyond his power to fix.

He added twenty-nine zombies that day, it took a lot of
energy to get it done, to raise them, and heal their broken flesh.  He had
to fix several of his zombies who had been run through, luckily none of them
had been decapitated.  The energy use was why he’d had his zombies save
that last one, which he latched onto and pulled the life from, and then raised
him as well.  That way he still had an abundance of life force inside
him.  It took much less energy to raise than he could absorb from one
life.

Cassie looked like she’d recovered a bit, definitely not a
hardened killer, but not afraid to defend herself either.

Cassie sighed, “I… thought if I did something they couldn’t
see, as opposed to fire, he wouldn’t get his shield up to block.  I… shot
compressed air at him, I only meant to knock him down, possibly crush his
throat.”

He nodded, “But it took his head off, try not to do that
anymore, I can’t raise that one,” he said in a clinical voice.

She laughed a little hysterically, “No problem, I’ll think
of something else.”

When he realized that was rather insensitive, he went over
and pulled her into his chest, “Sorry, it’s okay, they’re past being able to
hurt you now.”

She shivered and hugged him tighter, “Will more come do you
think?”

He frowned, he’d absorbed seven life forces, and the
information in his head wasn’t the best news.  His first instinct was to
be protective, but she was a sorceress, and although he would protect her, she
needn’t be coddled.

“There are more.  They work for some nut bag by the
name of Nathaniel.  He believes he’s on a holy crusade to stamp out people
of evil magic, worse, he has magic of his own that is highly persuasive to a
normal man.  He’s also got a thing about females, so in his mind any
female with magic is evil.  I don’t know… what kind of magic that is, but
it’s like a cult.  These people were brainwashed.”

Cassie asked, “How do you know all that?”

He shrugged, “I can read their memories when I take their
life force.  I don’t know why, I just can.  So I got seven different
looks at Nathaniel, I had to read between the lines of course, all these morons
thought the sun shined out of his ass.  Right now he has about fifty more
men, but he can get more.  Sorry, that isn’t very comforting.”

She shook her head, “No, I need to hear the truth, what will
we do?”

Cynthia smiled darkly, “Find them, and kill them. 
Before they can grow.”

He returned her smile, what a splendid idea.

“We’ll go in a day or two, we can’t take all the zombies,
because some of them will need to stay and protect the others.  We’ll take
half, thirty-five or so.”

Cassie nodded, “I want to go too, I can help.”

He frowned but nodded, he wouldn’t stop her, but he hoped it
wouldn’t destroy who she was.  The power was addicting; he knew that first
hand.  So far, he’d been on solid ground just defending, and resisted
taking the life force of anyone from just the temptation of it, the attending
head rush.  But Nathaniel knew where they lived, and when his people
didn’t come back Nathaniel would just recruit more patsies…  Sean needed
to stop the threat before it grew to large.

He sent the thirty men off to find bats and blades without
iron, “Let’s go get cleaned up, and plan our attack.  I know where he is,
and how many guards and traps he has.”

Cassie nodded, and he kept an arm around her as they walked
back inside.  Cynthia supported her as well, from the other side.  It
wasn’t a good thing what they had to do, but he would protect his own.

Kurien’s magic whispered across the field, encouraging the
crops to recover.  After they’d left the battle-shocked town behind, and
he’d spent a long wonderful night with Arielle, they’d travelled until they
found this farm.  Arielle was able to cleanse the land, as a priestess of
Charites, and he was using the innate magic of his kind to encourage nature to
recover faster than normal.

It had taken a bit to convince the farmer to let them try,
in the end it’d only been the fact that the crops would fail anyway that swayed
him.  Even then, the old man was also convinced they were crazy kids
dressed as elves for… what did the man call it?  Oh yes, he remembered
now… cosplay, whatever the hell that was.  The old man was a little
annoyed a few moments ago, entirely sure they were wasting his time, which he
insisted he didn’t have much left of.

Still, that was better than shouts about evil demons or
alien invaders, so Kurien would take it.  Through the magic, he encouraged
nature to accelerate and grow to his will.  He watched, satisfied, as the
crops stood up straighter, and regained their normal color.  They even
grew a bit taller, perhaps he overdid it slightly.

“Well, I’ll be,” the old man drawled, “You three is really
elves?”

As he pulled back his magic he heard Bria’s dulcet tones.

“Just those two.  I’m, something else.”

The old man laughed, “You are at that young lady.  So
what now?  I’ll never get that in with no machinery.  It’s just my
wife and me here you know.”

Arielle said softly, “We’ll have to send people your way, it
will need to be done by hand at harvest time.”

He turned in time to catch the old man nod thoughtfully and
then he said rather gruffly, “What can I do to repay you?”

He replied, “We have no need of things, but you could tell
other people the truth.  That elves and magic are back, and were brought
back to stop the aliens from destroying the rest of humanity.  We… desire
peace, or as much of it as we can get.”

The old man shrugged, “I can do that, but I’m not sure what
difference it will make.  Or if I’ll even be believed.”

Arielle smiled, “Maybe not at first, but when they do,
they’ll remember what you said.  You seem pretty calm about it…”

The man laughed, “When you get to be my age, you learn to
roll with the surprises in life.”

He smiled, and decided not to tell the farmer that they were
all at least as twice as old as he was.

They talked for a little while longer and then got back on
the road. 

He was in a fairly good mood, that had gone well, and of
course finally getting with Arielle had him in high spirits, and he was looking
forward to a repeat performance tonight.  They travelled a few more hours
into the early afternoon when the eagle who had agreed to scout for them saw a
large number of men moving down the road.  Per usual, he didn’t get much,
just that there were men with weapons.

“There’s a group of people ahead, carrying weapons, and
coming this way.  We should get off the road.”

Arielle nodded distractedly, “Alright…”

They moved off the road with their horses, luckily the road
here wasn’t highly elevated, and they led their horses into the trees, a little
of his magic assured the mounts would be silent so as to not give them
away.  They were fairly well concealed, and the three of them looked out
toward the road.

“What’s on your mind?”

Arielle blushed, and smiled, “Looking forward to tonight
actually,” she said a little naughtily.

He took a deep breath before looking back to the road, damn
she was beautiful.

He caught Bria shaking her head in amusement out of the
corner of her eye. 

Arielle didn’t look bothered though, and said, “We should
meet up with Katie, Nim, and John tomorrow.”

He reached out and took her hand, interlacing their fingers
together as they watched the road.  The people came into view, a large
number of men wearing green clothes and caps, along with sabers, started to
march past.  He squeezed her hand back, when she squeezed his, and they
shared a speculative look.  These didn’t look like looters, maybe it
wouldn’t be a problem, but they stayed hidden as they had through most of their
mission. 

These people didn’t look like they needed help to him, so
there was no reason to risk a confrontation.  They all had large packs on
their backs as well, so they were well equipped.  A few looked more alert
than the others, scanning the trees around them, but they were concealed far
enough back that they weren’t noticed.  He counted the last of them as
they passed by, two hundred sixty of them.

Bria asked in a low voice, “What do you suppose that was
about?”

He shook his head, “I don’t know, an organized military
maybe, like the guards back home?”

Arielle nodded, “I hope so.”

They waited until the group was far from both earshot and
out of view before they got back on the road.  They travelled for a while
longer, but didn’t run into anyone else, and stopped long before sunset to set
up a camp.

Arielle updated them, “They’re close, a few hours at most.”

Bria grunted, “Why don’t we set up a good camp, and take
down a deer, we can wait for them in the morning,” she added with humor, “It
will let us sleep in a bit more, and get cleaned up as well.”

He nodded, they could keep clean with magic, but it wasn’t
the same.  After a week he wanted some soap and water as well.  Well
they’d picked a good spot, there was a good sized stream about a quarter mile
away.  He kissed Arielle, quite thoroughly, before grabbing his bow and
moving into the woods to get some fresh meat…

“Report!” he growled angrily.

Garrock frowned, “The men are… disturbed.  There have
been ten more deaths, and reports of seeing shadows moving among the
trees.  By the time they arrive there though, they find nothing.  We
haven’t found any technology, or indications where the anti-technology field
originates.  It’s not good sir.  Perhaps…”

Tarrock growled, “Perhaps what Garrock?”

“I’m sorry sir, but perhaps we ought to return to the downed
ship, and await rescue.  This place is… unnatural.  Perhaps it’s just
a side effect but…”

Tarrock frowned, he knew moral was low, and they had nothing
to show for all their pains in coming here.  He also knew that depending
on rescue with the field up was… not likely to be successful.  He hadn’t
shared his insights into himself, or the other captains so as not to further
damage moral.  He still didn’t think that was a good idea, chances are the
next ships would crash as well, if they were lucky enough not to explode.

“We are being hunted Garrock, we will not flee.  How
did the others die?”

Garrock answered in a dubious voice, “They were pulled into
a tree.  Eye witness reports say it was done by a small human shaped
female.  More were drowned as well, when washing, although this time there
were no females, the water just… pulled them under while the others heard
disembodied voices.”

He grunted, “Take me to this tree.”

Garrock turned and strode away, he followed and his anger
grew as he was led through the trees to a very large tree.  Some of his
men looked… scared.  Though they would never admit to it.  He neither
knew nor cared that it was an ancient oak tree he was led to.  He removed
his pack and dug out some supplies.  He doused the tree in some fire
starter, and lit a match.  He threw it onto the tree.

He heard a female scream as the tree lit on fire, and the
bark turned black where the fire consumed.  A moment later, a deluge of
water came out of nowhere, and he spun.  There was a human shaped being
there, but it obviously wasn’t human, and where did it get the water?

He growled, “Catch him, now!”

The being held up his hand, and thick bands of air shot from
it, pushing his men back, but they weren’t stopped.  His race was strong
and it was only a matter of time.

The man looked right at him and said, “You will leave this
place, or we will kill you all.”

Tarrock pulled his own machete, and ran at the creature,
determined to kill him, kill
something,
anything really. 

Then the man shimmered, and grew.  He couldn’t believe
his eyes as a very large reptilian creature appeared in the man’s place, the
size of a troop lander.  Then the… thing roared at him, and negligently
tore into one of his men before jumping for the sky.  He pulled back his
arm and threw the machete with a mighty throw.

It bounced off the golden scales, and fell back to the
Earth.  He watched in frustration as it flew away, but he felt a presence
behind him, and reached back as quick as a darting snake, and grabbed the arm
of the small woman, pulling her away from the tree.

He growled, “You will tell me what I want to know, now.”

The dryad, though he did not truly know what he held,
squirmed and tried to escape, but his hands were like iron manacles around her
wrists, and his other two hands grabbed her waist.  He crushed the
creature to his body though it’s long ugly brown hair and two arms disgusted
him, until she relented.

She sighed and drooped, “What is it you wish to know?”

He growled but his voice came out surprised, “You will
answer my questions?”

She nodded, “It is required of me, if I am captured, will
you release me when you learn what you must?”

He frowned, afraid if he told her the truth she’d withhold
her tongue, “I shall consider it.  Now tell me all you know about the
field that suppresses technology.”

When he learned the truth, that it could not be turned off,
he screamed with rage and ripped the small beings arms off, and crushed her
underfoot.  When he came to his senses, he was shocked to see the large
tree instantly wither and die.

Garrock asked, “Sir?”

Tarrock thought for a moment.  The field, or magic as
that creature called it, depended on several magical races, gods, and something
called the balance.  He knew his people would slowly die if he stayed to
fight, but that didn’t mean he would give up, or that he didn’t have a plan.

“Come, gather our people, we go back to civilization to
prepare.”

Garrock asked, “Prepare what?”

Tarrock frowned, “The trees have ears, we will discuss it
later.”

Garrock nodded in chagrin, “Yes sir.”

Tarrock, and his remaining crew left the area at a very fast
pace…