Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles 1: Wizard Defiant (15 page)

I’m going to risk a low-level electronic scan, Rick. With your permission, of course,
he added hastily.

By all means, Nick. Anything’s better than wandering around these tunnels.

The battle suit’s heads-up display came to life, and Richard saw a map of the tunnel complex. They had actually mapped an extensive amount of the lower levels. Nickelo had even helped Richard use his active scan to pinpoint two possible exits. Where the exits went, he had no idea, but they were definitely exits of some sorts. It had taken all of Nickelo’s efforts of persuasion to convince Richard not to use them. Finally, Richard had conceded ‘
the One
’ would just teleport them somewhere worse if they didn’t complete their mission first.

The heads-up display showed a white dot for Richard. He saw the outline of the long tunnel where he currently stood. The area to the right of the tunnel appeared solid. The heads-up display shifted a few times as Nickelo cycled through various filters.

It just doesn’t feel right, Rick. Can you sense anything with your passive scan?

Richard double-checked. He hadn’t sensed anything before, and he still didn’t. He told Nickelo as much.

Rick, how about setting up an active scan and giving me control? Maybe between your active scan and the battle suit’s electronic sensors, we can find something.

Ok
, Richard said dubiously.
But, why are we going to so much trouble? It looks the same as the rest of the tunnels we have been down?

I really don’t know, Rick. It just seems like something is different. It’s almost as if something’s just outside of what I can sense, but I know it’s there.

Richard said nothing further. He drew some Power from his reserve and set up an active scan. He knew he was still pretty clumsy with active scans, so he didn’t mind letting his battle computer take control of the scan. Besides, even without a shared space, he could still follow along with the scan as Nickelo fed him data. After several minutes of scanning, they had found nothing.

I guess I was wrong, Rick. Sorry I had you waste Power. We should get moving. I’d hate to have something catch us in this tunnel. It’s quite a ways to any good hiding spots.

Richard turned to continue walking down the tunnel, but he stopped himself before he took a step. It dawned on him that he too felt as if something was out of place.

Nick, I think I know what you were talking about. Something does seem just a little out of place. You know it kind of reminds me of the feeling I got when we were playing that hide and seek game of yours back at the Academy. You know the one where we’d try to find the cadets who had their stealth shields up. While I couldn’t sense the cadets when they had a good stealth shield, I got so I could spot them sometimes by sensing an absence of anything to be sensed. I know that sounds weird, but that’s the best way I can explain it. That’s how the solid rock on the other side of this wall feels to me. It’s as if it feels too much like solid rock. Do you know what I mean?

Not really, Rick. What you’re saying doesn’t seem logical. But, that’s why wizard scouts and battle computers make such a good team. We supplement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. What say we give this one more try? Only this time, let’s concentrate on looking for signs of a stealth shield. It might help if you try your diviner ability as well. See if you can find any stray links or Power seepages.

Roger that, Nick old buddy
, Richard said. He quickly set up the active scan again and gave Nickelo control. Then he tried to concentrate on the rock on the other side of the tunnel while looking for Power links. He didn’t see anything obvious, but after about twenty seconds, he saw the faintest glimmer of … something. He wasn’t sure what.

Are you getting what I’m seeing, Nick? That glimmer. I’m having trouble staying fixed on it with my mind. It keeps slipping in and out of focus.

I see it, Rick. Stay on it as best you can. I’m going to concentrate your active scan on it as well. You’re down to sixty-two percent Power reserve, so we have to speed things up a bit. As long as you’re using your best stealth shield, your Power reserve won’t be able to recharge.

Richard tried to hold onto the glimmer with his mind. He had trouble, but it must have been enough, because before long, Nickelo began feeding him data on his heads-up display. He could see the outline of an open space on the other side of the right wall.

What’s that, Nick?
Richard said
. Is it a secret room or something?

That’d be my guess
, said Nickelo
. No wonder it was hard to find. It has its own stealth shield protecting it, and a strong one at that. I wonder what’s supplying the Power source.

Can we get in?
Richard said. His curiosity was piqued.

I think that smudge spot near your left hand may be some kind of trigger.

Richard looked closely at the smudge spot. It was barely noticeable. There was no indication the spot had been touched in years.

You know, Nick
, Richard said.
My unit once had to clear some mine tunnels on an out-of-the-way asteroid in the Vegos’ system. The inhabitants had a nasty habit of booby-trapping doors.

Good point, Rick
, said Nickelo.
I’ll run a low-range electronic scan and send what I find to your heads-up display.

Richard nodded his head affirmatively. The heads-up display lit up as meaningless lines of data scrolled down one side of the screen.

The door seems fine, Rick, but my electronic scan is picking up a strange Power reading on the other side. Do you see it?

On the heads-up display?
Richard said with disgust.
Heck no. That’s just a bunch of numbers to me.

Rick, we are going to have to make getting a shared space a priority if we ever get back to the Academy. It’s frustrating trying to interpret data for you using visual and audio only. But in this case, I’ll just tell you that the data is basically telling me that it’s okay to open the door and enter the room. But take it slow. I’ll use the battle suit’s electronics to check for traps as we go.

Richard touched the smudge spot. Part of the wall slid inward a finger’s width. When nothing else happened, Richard pushed the wall with his hand. The rock wall gave way easily to Richard’s touch. It swung noisily inward to create a meter-wide opening. Richard gingerly stepped inside with his M63 assault rifle at the ready in his right hand and his phase rod in the other.

The secret room was a circular cavern with roughly carved stone walls. A waist-high dais stood in the middle of the room. Several stone benches were arranged around the walls. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Doesn’t look like this place gets used much
, Richard said.

Either that, or the maid took the last few decades off
, said Nickelo with a laugh.

Richard closed the door and said,
You’ve got a strange sense of humor for a computer, Nick.

So you tell me, Rick. Well, the room looks clear. No bad guys anyway.

The room looks too small
, Richard said.
Now that we’re inside, I can sense a Power source that should be a couple of feet inside that far wall. And I can see lines of Power emanating out from it and connecting with points in the walls, floor and ceiling. I’m guessing whatever’s in that wall is what’s providing the energy for the room’s stealth shield. Do you think there’s another secret door over there as well?

Could be, Rick
, said Nickelo.
Why don’t you try an active scan on your own this time? Try to be frugal with your Power. I don’t know how long it will be before you can recharge your Power reserve.

All right, Nick
, Richard said. He had the distinct feeling his battle computer was throwing him a bone by allowing him to do the active scan himself.

Probably figures even I can’t mess this one up
, he laughed to himself.

You know I heard that, Rick
, said Nickelo.
Until we get our shared space, I’ll pick up a lot more information than you intend. I can’t help it. Sometimes it’s like you’re shouting in my ear. That is, if I had an ear.

Concentrating as hard as he could, Richard allowed a small amount of his Power to flow towards the far wall. As his Power penetrated the wall, he became aware of a small alcove hidden in the wall itself. He sensed a strong Power source in the alcove. It radiated neither evil nor good. It just was. The Power source seemed to beckon Richard as if it had waited long for this meeting. Richard resisted the urge to touch the Power source with his active scan. Instead, he probed gently around it looking for traps.

Very good, Rick
, said Nickelo
. I’m impressed. My electronics haven’t picked up anything either. I think it is okay to take a look inside the alcove if you want.

Do you think we should?
Richard said.
Maybe we’re just asking for trouble.

Normally, I’d agree with you, Rick. But since part of our mission is to ‘find it’, I think we have to take the risk. Based upon current data, I’d say there’s a thirty-two percent chance this is what we’re supposed to find. That’s pretty good odds considering the circumstances.

Seeing no counterargument worth verbalizing, Richard walked over to the far wall and touched the spot his active scan had determined was the most likely point to open the alcove. Sure enough, the spot of dark rock pressed inward. A meter wide section of the wall slid in and off to one side. Inside the alcove was a round sphere the size of a small melon. It was positioned on top of a waist-high rock cylinder. The sphere glowed with light to form a constantly changing pattern. The sphere was beautiful, and Richard was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Nick, can we look at it in white light? Everything looks red to me through this visor.

Yes
, said Nickelo.
But give me full control of the battle suit first. The Power seems strange. I’m not sure I trust it.

Activate the override, Nick. You’ve got the controls.

A moment later his visor changed from red to clear, and a light shown out of a point on his forehead to bath the sphere in white light. The sphere was a marbled blue. It was even more beautiful than Richard had thought. The more Richard looked at it, the more at peace with the world he felt. Within seconds, he forgot all about the Academy and his mission. The only thing that mattered was the sphere and how beautiful it looked. Richard felt pure contentment. He would be happy to look at the sphere for the rest of eternity, and even that would not be long enough.

The white light snapped off, and the battle suit’s visor turned red once again.

I think that’s more than enough looking, Rick
, said Nickelo.
Don’t you?

Richard wanted to say, ‘
No
’, but he refrained. He felt immense disappointment that he could no longer look at the sphere. The troubles of the real world were once again on his shoulders. Richard was sure he could easily get addicted to the sphere.

I think you’re right, Nick. Should we just take the sphere with us?

I would advise against that, Rick.
‘The One’
said to find it. He didn’t say to take it. We’ll just plot it on our map. It may not even be what we’re looking for.

Agreed
, Richard said.

___________________________________

They left the secret room as they’d found it and continued with their mapping. As it turned out, they had nearly finished mapping all of the lower tunnels when they discovered the secret room.

After another four hours of cautious traveling, they came upon an elaborate stairway leading upward. Climbing to the top, Richard found he was in a short hallway leading to a ‘T’ intersection. Richard’s passive scan picked up fewer life forms in the upper regions of the caverns.

As Richard approached the intersection, Nickelo said,
Rick, something’s coming. Kill it quick, but stay quiet.

Sure enough, Richard sensed something slipping in and out of his passive scan. Whatever it was, it had some form of stealth shield up. However, the creature was either having Power problems or its stealth shield just wasn’t as good as a wizard scout’s. The creature was close. Richard let the M63 hang freely from his right shoulder. He grasped the phase rod in his left hand with his thumb ready to hit the activate switch.

Richard heard the faint sound of a footstep from around the corner. A second later, a humanoid female turned the corner. The top of her head only came to the level of Richard’s shoulder. A shimmering band of metal encircled her head and held her long hair in place. She carried an engraved staff with a jewel at the top in her right hand. She wore a ring on every finger of both hands. Even her thumbs had a ring. A heavy chain necklace hung on her chest holding a large medallion. Several wands were tucked into the leather belt holding her robe closed. In her left hand, she held a wicked looking dagger.

The female did not see Richard until he activated his phase rod and slammed into her with his body. He pinned her against the wall. Richard ignored Nickel’s advice to kill the stranger. Instead, he chopped down with the handle of his phase rod and knocked the staff out the female’s hand. A quick twist of her wrist with his right hand caused her dagger to fall clattering to the rocky floor. He pressed her legs with his hip as he twisted her right hand behind her back and downward where he grabbed it with his right hand to join her left. She struggled, but her strength was no match for the battle suit’s assisters. Richard sensed a line of Power start to flow from the female as she started to say a word, but he raised his left hand and twisted her chin back which resulted in only a garbled noise coming from her mouth. Her flow of Power dissipated into the air.

The female twisted in an attempt to free herself, but Richard pressed harder with his hip. He easily kept her pinned against the wall. Her hands were immobilized in his grasp, and the pressure on her chin kept her from uttering a word. Richard sensed another flow of Power start to flow from the female. He did not need Nickelo to tell him it was the beginning of a magic spell, undoubtedly a spell which did not require a verbal component. Richard was sure the spell would not be beneficial for him.

“Stop it, right now,” Richard whispered harshly in the female’s ear. “I see your Power forming, and I will break your neck before you can use it. Stand down, or you’re dead.”

The flow of Power dissipated once again, and the female stood still under Richard’s hold. Her eyes blazed hatred, but she stopped her struggling. Richard was sure it was only a temporary surrender. She was only waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Now what do I do, Nick?

Don’t ask me, oh all-powerful wizard scout. I told you to kill her. She’s your problem now, Rick.

Thanks a lot
, Richard said. Sometimes he didn’t like his battle computer as much as he did at other times.

Richard looked at the female closer. She looked like a human female, probably only five or six years older than him, but something was different about her. Even through the reddish tint of his visor, Richard could tell she was beautiful. Through the seventeen thousand plus sensor threads of the battle suit, Richard could feel every feminine curve hidden beneath the female’s robe. In spite of the situation, Richard felt an unbidden response in his loins. He hadn’t been intimate with a woman since cadet 647 had been D.F.R.’d. Richard forced himself to concentrate on the business at hand.

Each of the female’s rings, as well as her necklace, staff, and dagger, blazed with Power in Richard’s mind. Several large sources of Power also came from the small pack on her back. Two of those Power sources seemed all too familiar. Richard was able to easily trace a line of Power from the female back to her Power reserve. It was quite large, but it was nearly empty at the moment. Richard had a feeling the female would be a deadly foe if roused. He could tell she was now pissed to the point of trying some desperate act to break free.

He didn’t want to kill her. He did not sense evil from her, but only a faint aura of good. Still, many good people had been killed by other good people over the years, so his danger was no less. Richard was in a quandary. He couldn’t just stand there holding her until another creature came wandering down the hallway. He had to make a decision.

“I don’t want to kill you,” Richard whispered in the female’s ear, “But at the same time, I don’t want to be killed either.” He paused to let the words sink in. “I think we’re just two starships passing in the great emptiness between the stars. Neither meant the other harm. It was just our ill luck to cross paths in this place.”

The female made no attempt to move or speak. Richard’s hold on her was so secure she had little chance to move or make a noise anyway. With just the slightest increase in pressure on her chin, Richard knew he could snap her neck like a brittle piece of wood. The female obviously knew it as well.

As Richard tried to figure out what to do, he noticed the female’s ear. It was different. Instead of being rounded, it came to a slight point.

Nick
, Richard said.
Are you seeing this? Her ears are pointed. What the hell is she?

Do you mean what is her profession?
said Nickelo.
From the looks of her clothing and equipment, I’d say she’s a sorceress. If you’re asking me what is her race, then I’d have to say some type of elf.

You’re kidding me
, Richard said.
I thought elves were the size of a person’s hand and had wings. That’s what I remember from a book I read once.

You’re confusing fairies with elves
, said Nickelo.
Besides, don’t believe everything you read in a children’s book of nursery rhymes.

After a few moments of contemplation and over Nickelo’s protests, Richard whispered, “I may not be your friend, but I am definitely not your enemy. If I release my hold on you, will you promise not to try and harm me? We can just go our separate ways no worse for the wear. If you go left, I will right. If you go down, I will go up or vice versa. Does that seem reasonable?”

Again Richard paused to let the words sink in.

“You can blink once for yes or twice for no. So blink your answer,” Richard whispered.

The female immediately blinked once. Richard also thought the glare of hatred in her eyes had diminished slightly. He took that as a good sign. Richard slowly released the pressure on the female’s chin. When nothing happened, he released his hold completely and stepped back against the opposite wall of the corridor.

A flow of Power appeared around the female. She said a word Richard could not understand, and he saw the Power shimmer in his mind as it transformed into some type of shield. However, no Power came towards Richard.

So far, so good
, he thought.

Watching Richard carefully, the female bent down and retrieved her staff and dagger. Armed once again, she spoke.

“Very well,” she said. “You kept your word, so I’ll keep mine. I am going down. You may go either left or right as you desire. But be warned. If we meet again, I will kill you on sight. Now, do you understand?”

“I understand completely,” Richard said. “And I wish you well.”

Richard started backing away, and the female copied his lead as she began backing her way towards the stairway. Richard considered warning her about the denizens of the lower tunnels, but he decided against it. The situation was still tense. One wrong move or word could set off a battle that neither of them needed or wanted.

Before Richard could take more than a few steps, he felt a large source of Power behind him. It was larger than anything he had ever sensed.

Move
! yelled Nickelo in his mind.
Head back down the stairs.

Richard spun and faced the wall of the intersection behind him. It was crumbling as he spoke. As if from a dream, a dark cave with a pool of water was revealed behind the wall. It seemed unworldly. A massive horned-head rose out of the darkness. It was followed by a long neck and two front legs ending with razor-sharp claws. Richard had never seen a dragon before, but he knew he was seeing one now. It stretched out two large wings and spoke.

“How dare you steal my treasure!” shouted a deep voice. “You shall both burn in the eternal fires for eons to come. You will beg for death in payment for your crimes, but it will not come” The dragon laughed cruelly as one of its clawed feet reached out for Richard.

A dragon would have been bad enough, but Richard sensed this was more than a dragon. Evil emanated from the creature. Richard had never believed in demons, but the word demon was the only one he could think of to describe the monstrosity standing before him.

Move, dammit
! said Nickelo.
Move cadet! Move now!

Richard’s training took over, and he reacted instinctively. He swung his phase rod at the meter-wide paw reaching towards him. His blow struck true, and upon contact, the plasma energy was transferred at the atomic level deep into the demon’s claw. Richard could feel the subatomic explosions at the point of impact. The demon snarled and jerked back its paw.

At the same time, Richard felt a flow of Power extend from the female behind him towards the demon. He heard her shout an unintelligible word. The flow of Power changed to a streak of lightning which struck between the demon’s eyes. Upon seeing the female’s lightning bolt, Richard decided his battle computer was probably right. He wasn’t sure about the female being an elf, but he could easily believe she was a sorceress. If he could believe that, he decided he might as well believe she was an elf.

The demon was flung back a step by the lightning bolt, but with a roar, it raised its forelegs and began to form its own ball of energy.

Spell, Rick
, said Nickelo.
Run
!

Richard momentarily thought about activating a defensive shield, but he immediately dropped the idea. He knew he wasn’t trained enough in shields to withstand the amount of Power he sensed the demon preparing to release his way. On the other hand, he sensed a powerful shield forming behind him. Forgoing valor in favor of self-preservation, Richard turned and dived along the floor in a slide he hoped would take him past the sorceress.

As he slid, Richard saw the sorceress holding her staff and dagger before her. Each of her rings and her necklace glowed as she shouted words which Richard heard but quickly forgot. A glowing sphere appeared as a two meter circle around the elf. Just before Richard made contact with the sphere, the lower part dulled in color long enough for him to pass through. He felt a cold chill run through his body, but it quickly passed.

The energy from the demon engulfed the sphere, and the sorceress was driven back two steps. The shield dimmed, but it brightened sharply as the sorceress renewed her chanting. It seemed as if she was concentrating all her efforts on defense. Richard brought up his M63 lightweight plasma assault rifle and sent a burst of thirty rounds at the demon’s eyes.

No
! said Nickelo.
You’re lucky those rounds passed through the sorceress’ shield. They could have ricocheted around inside until both of your looked like Swiss cheese.

Richard wasn’t sure what Swiss cheese was, but he got the picture. He hadn’t thought it through. But hell, it wasn’t like either the Academy or marine recon had conducted training on sorceresses and their shields. As it turned out, the plasma rounds hadn’t even distracted the demon. It actually laughed when the rounds hit.

Sorry
, Richard said.
Should I try a grenade?

No
, said Nickelo.
This demon is beyond your current skill level. The female seems to be holding her own for the moment. She’s obviously a competent sorceress. I’d recommend running downstairs and trying for one of the exits we mapped. We can regroup once we are safely somewhere else.

Leaving the sorceress was not an option in Richard’s mind. Marine recon never left a teammate, and he wasn’t going to do so as a wizard scout. Although they had just met, the sorceress and he were in this fight together against a common enemy. Richard wasn’t going to desert her.

As it was, he’d lost his chance to run anyway. His passive scan picked up a mass of life forms gathering at the base of the stairs below. His attention was quickly drawn back to the intersection as three canine-like creatures the size of small ponies came charging around the corner. Richard heard a gasp from the sorceress. Her shield started to dim.

Richard brought his M63 in line with the head of the nearest canine. He let loose with a score of plasma rounds. They tore into the creature’s head. Its brain matter splattered its two companions who were hard on its heels. Richard continued to hold the M63’s trigger down as he tracked the stream of plasma rounds into the chest of a second canine. It was thrown backwards as a spray of liquid began spurting from its chest. The third canine jumped over its fallen brethren and leaped straight for the elf’s throat.