Chapter 5

I looked at Tygan as I said in a very tired voice, “I got a message when I finished, {you have now earned the spell shield of light.}

Tygan nodded to him as they continued to the make-shift hut. “As was explained before, all forms of magic have a shield in the more advanced levels of that aspect.”

“I can see now that I am going to have to train a lot more before I use that,” I said.

“I agree,” Tygan said. “As far as I know, it uses a lot of energy to maintain the spell. I have also heard that it is one of the strongest shields of all the magic aspects.

Huh, I thought so, I’d finally be able to protect all of us. The problem was that if it took a lot of energy, I was going to have to gain far more. No use having it and not being able to use it, I thought.

Yeah, I thought as I felt my body it felt drained. Why, I thought, did I always gain after I was so drained?

Dan wasn’t sure just how long he was out. The sun was up, way up, damn how long was he out. A blonde head poked in the door. “Well, about time you got up,” Ella, he thought it was, said.

“How long was I out?” Dan asked.

“Not all that sure, it was almost twelve as in noon,” Ella said. “Did you use that much energy?”

Dan tried to sit up, then fell back. “Yeah, I think I did.”

Tygan and En’tra both entered the hut with something to drink. “This ought to help,” both the Elves said.

Dan just stared at the dark-skinned and light-skinned females. He took both the cups offered and watched as the two looked daggers toward each other.

“Enough, if I am going to survive, I am going to need both of you. Actually, I need all of you, so quit the squabbling,” Dan said.

Both of the Elves started to open their mouths, then snapped them shut immediately. Dan drank both (they were horrible) then got up to go outside.

The large leader wolf looped up to Dan and slightly bowed to him. “You have given new life to the pack. If you ever have a need of us, you call.”

Dan nodded to the leader wolf as the others took down the hut, and they all headed out. They had guides back out to the road as they then continued north.

Dan could still feel the pull he had before, though now it was stronger. He still thought it was wrong to go to it but thought that the twins might have a point.

They had been going for almost a day when they came to the seaside. At a great distance, they saw that there appeared to be someone at the edge of the water. They also appeared to be in trouble.

The closer they got, the more it appeared to be a woman tangled in a net. They were almost to her when she started to hiss and growl at them. That was ‘til she got a good look at Dan.

They had stopped several meters from her. She was staring at Dan as if she’d seen a ghost. She tried to speak but only admitted high piercing squeals.

After, they had their hands over their ears ‘til she stopped a minute later. They lowered their hands as she started to hum.

“Are you a human?” she asked in a high voice. “It has been a very long time since one was seen.”

Dan nodded, “I am, who are you?”

“I am Marlena, I am honored to see a human,” she said.

“Your people aren’t afraid of humans?” Dan asked.

“No, unlike the Elfs, we are grateful to the humans. Without them, we would not exist anymore. We are always glad to see them,” Marlena said.

“Would you like some help, young lady?” Dan asked.

Marlena blushed, “I am only two hundred very young, thank you sir, I would appreciate the help.”

He saw that Marlena was a little pale, so he thought about it and changed his fresh to salt water. Splashing her he heard her sigh in relief. Less than two minutes and she was free.

“Thank you, Sir, I will let the kingdom know that there is a human here. I am sure they will want to assist you. Thank you for saving me,” Marlena said, then swam off.

Dan just shook his head; he needed to find out what the hell was going on. They then started to follow the seashore further on.

They were a day further when both the twins and the Elves jerked, looking back. “Is your Shadow Shield wearing off?” En’tra asked. “I am feeling that the two behind us are starting to advance faster.”

Dan cast the shadow spell again all around them. He wasn’t sure if they had time to get away. According to his companions, they were close.

He shook his head as he pulled the shadows around them, as they were vanishing, he saw a huge, scaled reptile flying their way. He almost forgot to step into the shadows as it raced toward him.

They emerged near the wolf pack area. He shook my head as he pulled again, and they were where the three females had been prisoners. The camp was in tatters; the cages were well rusted. En’tra growled as Dan apologized. Again, he pulled, and they appeared outside of Danea’s village again.

They were closer than Dan wanted to be. They were moving away as fast as they could when Dan heard a shout. Dan turned to see a huge smiling Danea.

“Each time I see you, I think it is the last time I will. I wish that I could go with you,” here, she sighed. “The clan needs me far more than my desire.”

Dan looked at the sad look on her face as he wished she could go with them also. “I am sorry we can’t stay, we or, rather I, apparently, have a Dragon after me.”

“A Dragon? Perhaps I should go with you after all. I’ve had dealings with them before it might help,” Danea said.

“That would be wonderful though. I know family comes first,” Dan said. “Especially as badly your clan needs you.”

“Yeah, I know, still if I can leave I will. You obviously need more help,” she then stood on tiptoes and kissed Dan’s lips with great passion. “I still owe you my life and I pledge that I will pay it,” this, Danea whispered, shocking Dan.

Dan could shake his head in shock, why did they think that they owed him a life? He had been happy to free them or help, to him, they owed him nothing.

Far to the north, Gre’ta and the Light Elf assassin could only stare. The place where the human and his companions had stepped into the shadows showed no residual energy.

Gre’ta and the assassin were even more confused; the very weak readings they got were a huge distance away. This was an indication that they were further than a day away.

They talked together for a few minutes, then went aways apart.

Gre’ta concentrated calling the image of Queen Ad’ella. Gre’ta bowed, then waited.

“Arise child,” Ad’ella said.

“My Queen,” Gre’ta said. “Each time we got close to the party I am after vanished. This last time, I was almost upon them when the human wrapped the shadows around them and vanished.”

“Shadow step,” the Queen said, “Has the human used any other?”

“Mam, the human, seems to have cloaked his party somehow. We cannot detect them but at very low energy times,” Gre’ta said.

“Dear, the human has advanced to the start of the mid-range spells. Now more than ever, we have to proceed with caution. I dare say that his power is approaching being equal to yours,” the Queen said. “It appears that it can use the Shadow Shield. “Might I suggest that you try to talk to the human, go in slow and try to get a bead on him.”

Gre’ta’s eyes went wide, equal to hers? For the first time, she was actually gonna meet a worthy opponent.

“How much damage will I take?” Gre’ta asked.

“As we feared, it is a four caster, though it is not to the point of overpowering you, it is close. Please proceed with care, we haven’t lost an agent in almost five hundred years. Let’s not add one to break that record,” the Queen said.

“I will do my best, my Queen,” Gre’ta said as she bowed, then the vision faded.

Gre’ta shook her head as she slightly shuddered in excitement. A caster that is at here level? This assignment was becoming more than exciting.

On the other side of their encampment, the Light Elf was having a harder time of things.

“Why in the seven hells, are you contacting me? You are working with a dragon, not even I, with my power, would attempt to go against it,” the Light Elf snarled at her.

“It appears that the human can step into the shadows to escape. No matter how stealthy we are, they seem to detect our approach,” the assassin said.

“Shadow step, interesting. Reports say that when he was first seen, he was only a two caster, fire and wet water. It seems that he hasn’t developed ice yet. There is still a chance you can kill him. I want this human as dead, as soon as you can. You have never failed me before, assassin, finish this,” the Elfen king spit.

“You know the price if you fail, if you do not return. I hope that you remember this,” the king said with an almost sneer on his face.

“I remember my family, I know of their plight, sir,” the assassin said, then the king broke the connection.

The assassin shook her head; the king was starting to seem more and more insane.

Here she thought that he was acting in a long-forgotten blood feud. No to her, this went far beyond this.

The simple fact that he hadn’t a care for her life was even more disturbing. She was starting to think, if the human could free her and those imprisoned? She would follow him ‘til such time as she expired.

For now, though, she had to do as the insane-sounding king said. Like every mission she had done for him, this was finish or die, one way or the other.

She started to cast a detection spell that was far stronger than any other most had. Hmmm she thought, they were further south than she had thought. Obviously, the human was far stronger than they had thought.

She stood there for a few more moments as she went through her arsenal. She had already removed and stored all her killing weapons. She had shifted to less lethal, sleep-inducing weapons.

She wanted to know what this human had done to incite the wrath of the king that he had. Perhaps just perhaps, with this information she might have more to use against the king.

Well, that, and if the human was an actual multi-caster? Then he could really help her to freedom more than any that had ever tried.

Gre’ta and the assassin met a few minutes later back in the clearing.

They both had a look of apprehension when they caught sight of each other.

“I take it that it wasn’t good news from home?” the assassin asked.

“As I can see that the news from your home is indeed grim,” Gre’ta said. “I am sure that you know that I am here to capture the human. Just as if the stories are to be believed, you have been ordered to kill it. I can imagine that this conflict of interests will weigh heavy later on.”

The assassin wasn’t surprised she had heard that the network the Dragons had. It was far beyond almost anything she had seen. Almost, her own network was just as good, she had even garnered information on the Dragon and the hierarchy.