Mysten: Part 1 by Nicola Collings (inspirational books for women .TXT) 📕

                She counted five elves and three humans, and only one of those people seemed to be as calm as her. A male elf in the corner sat cross-legged, one of which was bloody and bandaged. He was looking at her, a stare not with force behind it, but with curiosity.

                Just as Ubi was about to interact, there was a reverberating crash as a Dwergi swung an axe and thrashed at the bars of the cage, yelling something in another language, before the carriage juddered into movement, the occupants crying in fear.

                                                                                                *

                “Come on Jax! You can do it! You can take him!” yelled Grayson from behind him. Jax stood in front of Ban, the pair of them clad in iron armour clutching their weapons.

                Jax rubbed his tired eyes and focused. Staying up till the early hours putting in extra practice had taken its toll on him, but he refused to give up. Even when a group of recruits from another squad had watched him, shouting insults! It was hard going, especially as rumours were now spreading around the camp that Kori’s son was in training, and wasn’t very good. Serran had started calling him Runt.

                Ban made the first move, performing a basic stance and sending a plume of ice towards Jax with his staff. Jax dodged out of the way, clumsily, the ice clinging to his shield, as Ban raced towards him. Jax thrust with his spear, only to make contact with Ban’s staff.

                He knew Ban would go easy on him, but Jax had to show Serran he was improving. He had to end this! He had to show people he was as good as his predecessor!

                He tried to use Ban’s weight against him, but Ban pulled back flicking his hand, sending sparks of ice at Jax. He rolled forwards, but not before shards of ice nipped at his cheek. He leapt up and twisted behind Ban, thrusting with his spear, aiming for the ankles, but Ban was too fast and jumped, caught his spear in his hand and instantly froze the wood. Jax dropped it to avoid his hand from burning and brought his shield upwards in an effort to clock Ban over the jaw. Ban dodged and thrust with his staff, knocking the shield front Jax’s hand! Before Jax could lunge for his fallen spear, he found an ice-coloured crystal pointed between his eyes, sparkling in the sunlight.

                “Hahaha! Did you see his face?” came a shrill voice from the other side of the arena. Jax and Ban both straightened and turned to see Serran.

                “Runt couldn’t even get contact! OH! That was funny!” Serran looked down at his advisors. “Wasn’t that funny?” his advisors immediately burst into laughter. “I don’t know about you, but I for one, would like to see Jax fight someone like that!” Serran pointed as he walked forwards, to a soldier across the arena. Nearly everyone nearby turned to look at the over-grow human, around double the size of any dwarf and twice the height of any elf! He had one of those faces Jax imagined to be permanently grumpy and eyes that looked too small.

                He mooched forwards, using his hammer as a walking stick.

                He smiled. A horrific gesture that Jax thought was not possible from a face like that!

                “Now!” laughed Serran. “Keith, wouldn’t you like to spar with the famous son of Kori?”

                Keith’s smile widened.

                “Good. Off you go.” Serran took a few steps backwards, winking at Keith. Jax was still looking at Serran, when he felt the world spin, pain crashed through his shins and the sand came up to meet his face. Men yelled, some laughed, but all of them backed away as Jax flipped himself over to see Keith raise his hammer, ready to strike again!

                He hadn’t even given him time to find his shield and spear!

                Jax cursed as he rolled over, feeling the thump of the hammer hit the sand. He scrambled over the ground, looking at as Ban appeared in front of him.

                “Get up you fool!” he had something in his hand.

                Jax jumped up, pain sparking through his legs and twisting out of the way as Keith swiped at him again.

                “Heads up Jax!” yelled Ban, throwing something to him. His spear! Jax grabbed at it, rolling over and spinning out of the way of Keith’s hammer.

                Jax fell into a basic stance and continued to dodge. He spied his shield lying in the sand, and dodged in the direction of it.

                Keith yelled, and Jax danced out of the way, but as Keith’s hammer hit the sand, Jax saw an opening!

                He thrust with his spear, making contact with Keith’s ribs. He danced away, picking up his shield and turning, expecting to see Keith writhing in pain.

                Instead, he saw Keith racing towards him at full pelt! Jax tried to dodge, but felt something heavy hit his shoulder blade, sending him flying. Once again, he lost his shield and found himself face first in the sand.

                Somewhere in the distance, someone was laughing.

                Jax growled in anger. He stood, gripping his spear. His shield arm hung limp at his side. Pain was no longer an option.

                The only piece of armour Keith wore was a helmet, one that looked too small, yet did the job. There was a black mark in the steel. A weak spot? Jax looked around him; the two were in the middle of a ring of recruits, who mostly cheered, thoroughly enjoying the show.

                Keith looked Jax dead in the eye, before thundering towards him again. This time, Jax turned and ran, the crowd of people parting madly. He could see the railings before him, and a group of advisors beyond who looked terrified.

                There was only one chance!

                Jax jumped up, onto the railing. He could hear Keith yelling behind him as Jax leapt up again, turning and bring his spear around, thrusting it into Keith’s helmet.

                There was silence as Jax fell to the floor, grunting in pain. There was a clang, and a thud.

                And then cheering?

                Jax cradled his arm as he looked at Keith’s limp body and bleeding head.

                “Jax! That was amazing! God that was awesome!” scoffed Grayson who appeared next to Jax. “Was a bit more intense than normal sparring, but I think that’s what Serran had in mind.”

                “Serran?” Jax stood, looking at Grayson, sharply. “Of course, Serran wanted me humiliated.”

                “I’ve never seen anyone jump that high!”

                “What do you mean?” Jax raising an eyebrow at Grayson.

                “You leapt off that railing and ended up 50 feet in the air! Or that’s what it seemed like! But Keith looked up at you, and you shoulda seen the look on his face!” Grayson laughed.

                Jax looked around. Ban stood cheering with a group of recruits from the same squad, but other looked concerned. More than that...

                Confused? Not afraid, just unnerved.

                He hadn’t jumped that high, had he? He’d only leapt up so he could clomp Keith in the head!

                “C’mon, Jax!” laughed Ban, taking his shoulder. “To the medic tent, and then into town. I’m buying you a drink!”

                                                                                                *

                Calos stood in the shrine tent, gazing at the statue of Amarth. He counted the minutes before the others called his name, before the caravans were ready.

                He prayed, with everything he had, he implored Amarth to stop this! Dwergi had always been a peaceful people! Sure, one of their traditions was to not mingle with the other species, and magic did not run in their veins, but that didn’t mean the rest of the world had to be like them! Did it?

                Maybe, magic could come to the Dwergi, if someone would climb down off their high horse and marry a human, or an elf, or a dwarf. But it wouldn’t happen.

                Dwergi were too proud.

                Calos prayed that pride would be taken from the Dwergi. Maybe then, the war would stop. Maybe then, the Dwergi would return to their pacifist ways!

                “Calos! Calos!”

                Hearing the yell of his name sent goosbumps over his pale blue skin. He stood, pushing his single braid behind his ears and left the shrine tent. Hopefully Amarth, God of Tenah- the Psychic Realm, where the Mind was in place of the Body- would hear him.

                Outside, the Galantel capital spread out before him. Galant wasn’t the nicest of cities, but it did house the biggest shrine on the earth dedicated to Amarth. The mountain was where it resided, and Calos stood at it’s peak, looking down with disappointment. His mother had taught him the original ways. It was a shame no one upheld them.

                And now, he was being swept along with the current.

                “Calos!” yelled Falon. A group of Dwergi stood around the top of the mountain, where the ground gave way to a dark pit, the depths of the mountain. “We’re ready!”

                Calos approached. Some of them wore priest’s robes, but most of them wore traditional, Dwergi armour. Next to the pit was the dark heap of a body. Human, by the smell, and unconscious.

                “Do it.” Said Falon, motioning to the other Dwergi, who formed a ring around the pit.

                Calos pulled out his knife and knelt down, next to the girl. There was a rather bad wound on her head, but apart from that, she was still alive.

                Calos had no choice. What was he to do? Refuse to make the sacrifice and get killed?

                Damned if he did it. Damned if he didn’t.

                Despite what his mother taught him, this world was no longer about choice. He positioned the girl so her neck was over the pit. He looked up at Falon, who nodded, then slit the girl’s throat, watching the blood spill into the darkness.

                “God of Tenah! God of the Mind!” yelled Falon. Calos couldn’t help but notice the winds pick up.

                “We beg your audience!” yelled a priest. “And your assistance!”

                “The world has wronged you!”

                “We want to give back what the world took!”

                Calos looked around. Nothing happened. The world was strangely still.

                All of a sudden, a huge burst of light appeared from the depths of the mountain and shot upwards, stopping in their air a few metres above the pit!

                Calos stared at it. This was impossible! If this was what he thought it was, this hadn’t happened for years! Centuries!

                “He has answered us!” one of the priests gasped.

                “What do we do now though?” asked Calos. “We can’t just throw every mage in the entire world through this portal!”

                “Portal?” Falon raised an eyebrow. “You mean, this is...”

                “Of course it is!” Calos folded his arms. “You’ve only gone and opened the portal to Tenah! We could send magic back to the psychic realm by hurling all the mages through but how do you expect us to orchestrate that?”

                The Falon closed his eyes, thinking. “We open more.”

                The priests gasped. So did Calos.

                “What?” he cried. More portals. More sacrifices... more killing, more death! Mages all over the world were already being slaughtered!

                “We open them all over the mainland. You know what they say, if someone passes through the portal, their body become figurative. It’s destroyed, and all that’s left is the mind. Spirits. There’s no coming back.” Falon turned to look at Galant. “See to it!”

                The priests scattered, leaving Calos. “Are you sure, Falon?”

                “Calos. You are the best person for job I need doing. You know more about the Gods than any of the priests. Go with them. Go to Faylandel. I’m putting you in charge of the portals.” Falon turned and looked up at the circle of blue light, high above the mountain. “This is the only way send magic back to Tenah.”

                                                                                                *

                Jax sipped at his ale as recruits gathered round their tiny table, listening feverishly to the