Part Two
It was chaos in the fields. Shouts and war cries filled the air with the spells and arrows flying through the night sky. Those maneuvering through the wheat could see little more than a few paces around them and most moved in every direction in a mad frenzy. Those on horseback could make out little of what transpired beneath the plants they towered over and wandered about as lost and confused as the rest. Krolmins attacked soldiers and each other recklessly, so wrapped up in fighting that they cared little for anything else.
Domino wandered blindly through the wheat as the clashes of battle rang around him. Though he had a vague idea where the road was when his horse was spooked by a krolmin and threw him, each time he spun to face a new foe, he became more disoriented. He was fortunate that he had only fallen from his horse near Damian, but he quickly began losing sight of her as his focus remained on driving back their enemies. He could hardly imagine that word had spread quickly enough to bring together so many soldiers, but there seemed to be no end to them.
Driving away another soldier, he had a brief moment's respite to take his bearings. Though he could see partly over the wheat, it was too dark to find the road. More importantly, Damian was nowhere in sight. He ran in the direction he had last seen her moving, looking and listening about for any sign that those around him knew where she was. Even the krolmins soaring above seemed to be gazing everywhere at once with no focus for any particular place.
He stopped, glancing over the top of the plants. He couldn't call for her, as that would only attract more attention. Silently, he prayed for Truth to show him her location.
Heavy footsteps stormed through the wheat toward him. Spinning, he raised his falchion in time to catch the swinging sword of the young soldier charging him. Preparing for the blow, the clash of weapons barely moved his arm, though the soldier was shaken off-balance by the force of his attack. Domino sent the soldier a steady gaze.
"There she is!" came a voice from behind. Domino repressed a reaction while the soldier he faced leaped back. The soldier's feet had barely touched ground before he lunged at Domino again. The mercenary deftly caught the soldier's blade with his own. Spinning their locked swords around in a circle between them, he brought his weapon back up to slam the flat of the blade against the side of the soldier's head. The soldier collapsed to the ground, buried under the wheat.
Turning, Domino darted through the wheat, shoving aside anyone in his path. A few paces later, a pained scream rang out from an angle to him. Stopping in his place, he glanced off in the direction of the sound. A red light flared out from the field some distance away before fading into darkness again. Feeling uneasy with the sight, he chased after the source of the glow.
As he ran, more flashes of light shot out of the tall plants, accompanied by screams. Domino increased his pace as he began to make out soldiers, mages, and krolmins lying motionless on the ground he ran past.
Turning onto a narrow path cut through the field, he found Damian before him, wisps of glowing smoke wreathing her body as she stumbled breathlessly.
"Damian," he called softly as he ran to her, holding a hand out. She turned as he approached, and he had only a heartbeat's span to see that there was no recognition in her eyes. Raising her hand almost casually, a blast of fire roared out of her palm at him. He yelped as he flew down the path, landing sharply on his back. An acrid smell stung his eyes and nose.
Rising, he found his leather breastplate smoking, though he felt only a small ache in his chest from the attack. His sword laid beside him, cast out of his hand in the blow. He sheathed the blade as he stood. Uncertainly, he gazed at Damian, now standing several paces away. He stepped forward involuntarily when she began doubling over for breath, one hand clenched tightly at her chest, but dared not move closer. Breathing deeply, he reached for his amulet.
Before he could conjure the spell, a brilliant flash of light flared out from Damian, lighting up the night sky. Cries rang out in every direction in response to the light. When Domino could look back, he saw Damian straighten and then lean over backwards. Her heels lifted off the ground and her whole body hung limply, suspended as if by a cord attached to her heart. Tongues of fire and bright red smoke swirled around her body and floated up into the sky. A stream of flames flowed out of her chest, rising as though on a gentle breeze.
Domino stood transfixed, helpless to act. He could hear voices around him marvelling at and fearing the vision they could only see above the wheat. The krolmins soaring above slowed their flight, drifting gently on the breeze as they gazed at the strange sight.
After a long moment, the flames finally fled Damian's body. Closing her eyes, she collapsed. With a small yelp, Domino darted forward, barely catching her before she hit the ground. Her body hung limp in his arms. Murmurs and worried exclamations rose up from the wheat around them. Hastily, Domino pulled off a glove and felt for Damian's pulse. Her heart still beat, slowly and rhythmically. Leaning down, he put his ear to her mouth. He let out a sigh of relief when he heard her breathing steadily.
Shocked silence rippled out over the fields. Domino glanced up, then turned his gaze directly above. The flames and smoke that had so recently escaped Damian's body began to swirl into a human form that hovered in the air. Fire melted into ivory flesh so clearly visible in the dark night that it almost seemed the form glowed from within.
The figure above became a nude woman, arms held slightly away from her body with her palms out. Her ankles were pressed together and head leaned back slightly, so Domino could see short hair darker than raven feathers covering her head. The whole field had fallen silent with her appearance.
In a voice as rich and smooth as cream, she let out a pleasurable sigh. The sound rolled out from deep within and rang across the field to tickle the ears of every man who had been engaged in the battle.
"Finally," she stated, a smile clear in her voice, "I'm free." The words sent a shiver down Domino's spine.
"The spirit has been released!" cried a voice from across the field, cutting into the silence. The woman turned questioningly to the source as another voice followed it.
"Attack!"
Startled, the woman spun to face the new voice. As soon as she had turned, an orb of light streaked through the air to strike her in the back. Her yelp mixed with the enraged roars of krolmins as the spell shoved her forward slightly, though seemed to have little other effect.
"Well, that's hardly called for," she remarked, amused. "I only just woke up." Other spells and arrows shot through the air toward her, but they simply disappeared as they neared her. Domino hunched over Damian, trying to shield her with his body, as he watched the scene overhead.
Ear-piercing shrieks and snarls rang through the air from the krolmins. The airborne creatures glided over to the woman protectively. And for the first time, Domino saw their hands begin to glow.
"Ah, my children," the woman cooed as she gazed adoringly at the krolmins. In the most beautiful and elegant voice Domino had ever heard, she stated calmly, "Kill them all." As one, the krolmins roared and flung bursts of magic everywhere into the fields. Screams echoed through the night and the land descended into chaos again.
Domino glanced anxiously at the krolmins that began soaring through the air in pursuit of the men that fled in every direction. Quickly gathering Damian into his arms, he ran down the path toward the road. Magic spells roared over his head as the screams and clashes of battle rang out from every direction.
A soldier darted through the path before him, but he paid the mercenary no mind as he raced through the field. Domino glanced over his shoulder. The woman gazed down on the destruction she had caused, a dark smile marking her face. As he watched, she faded away from view until only the night sky met his eyes.
Suddenly, a krolmin fell out of the sky directly before Domino, amber eyes lit up ferociously and a twisted knife in hand. Not slowing his pace, Domino turned and plunged into the wheat once more. The plants rustled from movement all around him. While the soldiers no longer posed a threat to him, the krolmins had suddenly become much more dangerous.
With a gritty screech, a krolmin dove toward him. Leaping to the side, he barely missed the creature's swinging claws. As he turned to flee, another krolmin landed in the tall grasses before him. Before he could move, three more fell into the wheat nearby, circling Domino.
He spun, eyeing the krolmins' placement carefully to search for an opening. While there was enough room between them, the monsters were too quick to be able to escape. Staring hungrily at Domino and Damian, the krolmins moved toward them.
Domino's mind raced as the creatures closed in on him. His amulet would be of little help now. He had come to learn since he'd been given the enchanted artifact that he was not invulnerable while the spell had taken hold of him, and magic users who knew where to look could easily see past its cloak. But without a free hand to use his sword and no other option, he found himself reaching for the pendant regardless.
Then, an angered scream ripped through the air. All heads turned to face the sound just as another being fell upon one of the krolmins, throwing the creature aside with a long, bladed weapon. Before Domino could even glimpse the form, it careened across the wheat to strike down another krolmin, quickly spinning to block a retaliating blow from another. The krolmins charged at the intruder, Domino forgotten in their fervor.
Rolling across the ground, the new fighter came up behind the next krolmin, a quick blow sending it reeling. With a jump and two more swift swings, the other krolmins were cast aside as well, and the new form stood to face Domino. The mercenary couldn't stop his eyes widening. Sir Magni stood before him, curved horns and webbed fins seemingly growing from his head. Domino had heard of the abilities of the Agaesi, but had never seen one in battle before and had never imagined that they moved so quickly.
"Come on!" the knight urged and began running through the wheat. Hesitating only briefly, Domino ran after the dragon knight, holding Damian close to his body.
Sir Magni meandered as he ran, but his movement was so swift that Domino never saw the threats he encountered until they were already incapacitated. Cupping a hand to his mouth, the knight let out a call like a loon's wail. The sound rose hauntingly over the screams and clashes of the battle surrounding them. A short distance away, a horse's whinny rang out. Changing his path, the knight ran toward the sound.
Moments later, Sir Magni and Domino broke through the field into the road. The simple path seemed enormous after the confines of the tall wheat. To Domino's surprise, the knight's destrier waited before them, along with Hope and Singer.
"Hurry!" the knight called out as he leaped onto the mare. Slinging Damian's motionless body over his shoulder, Domino climbed onto his gelding's saddle. Gently, he slid Damian onto the saddle before him.
"Hiyah!" the knight yelled as he kicked Hope off, his chestnut stallion keeping pace beside him unguided. Domino quickly followed suit behind him, carefully propping Damian up as Singer began galloping away. He glanced over his shoulder at the scene they had just fled. Smoke rose into the deep night sky from various places in the field and some patches of wheat lay scorched against the earth. The soldiers began spreading out, but most of them still ran recklessly, few daring to confront the krolmins that soared through the air like vultures. Glowing streaks of spells shot through the sky, most from the hands of krolmins, but a few from the staffs of mages on the ground. The battle still raged and Domino could make out small, unmoving bodies lying in the road far back.
Slowly, the sounds receded as their horses charged down the road. Though the gently rolling hills and flat plains allowed him to see smoke and the occasional spark of a spell for a long time following, he soon could see little else.
Facing forward, Domino simply focused on riding. He gazed down at Damian's face, soft and expressionless as it rolled limply against his shoulder from the horse's gait. Uncertainty clouded his mind. He remembered what she had told him of the diviner's reading and the fox woman's tale.
The goddess Nephrita, creator of the krolmins and the sole being responsible for the Dark Age, had been released. And though Damian, unwilling vessel for the dark goddess through her entire life, was still alive, what had happened to her as a result?
Darkness shrouded Domino as he galloped along behind Sir Magni for hours into the night. And he worried.