The Compass Key (Book 5) (41 page)

“I get it,” Delvin whispers with a grin. He tur
ns to face the corrupted guardian and loosens the straps on his shield. “Release the rope and check on Timoran, Nyx. I think I can handle this thing long enough for Luke to kill it.”

Nyx violently yanks the bile serpent close enough to punch it in the eye before she releases the rope. The raging beast shakes the mountain with its rampage and tries to bite
the caster when Delvin’s buckler strikes it in the other eye. Barely able to see, the monster spins around and dives at the warrior. The bile serpent misses by inches, allowing the warrior to slash at its gums and break some of its teeth. He is knocked down when the beast whips its head to the side and takes his legs out. The acid leaves marks on his pants and legs, but the contact is not enough to cause him too much pain.

“This ice is too thick!” Delvin shouts to Nyx and Timoran.
He rolls away from the bile serpent and scrambles to his feet. “Can you two melt and break it? Trust me!”

Delvin has no time to watc
h them start working on the ice because the bile serpent slithers out of the water. It looms over the warrior, acidic drool burning holes through the floor. He jumps away from the incoming bite and slashes at its mouth again. His sword skitters along the teeth, sending sparks into the beast’s mouth. Delvin takes a step back and is caught off-guard when part of the floor melts out from under his foot. He glances at Nyx to see that she is pumping fire into the thick ice, making it grow thin and brittle. While he is distracted, the bile serpent whips its head and tries to catch him in its mouth.

“Move, Luke!”
Delvin screams, as he leaps into the monster’s mouth. He drives his longsword through its lower jaw, pinning the beast to the ice. “Keep thrashing, you rotting bastard.”

He draws a dagger from his belt and slams it into the roof of the bile serpent’s mouth to prevent it from closing.
Acid seeps through the chainmail to slowly burn his skin as he keeps his head down to avoid getting any of the liquid on his face. He struggles to ignore the growing pain, pushing it out of his mind and focusing on keeping the bile serpent pinned. The high-pitched shriek of a diving griffin gets closer as he shoves his sword and dagger as far into the monster’s flesh as they can go. His muscles are about to give when the corrupted guardian is rocked by a sudden impact, pink energy coursing through its mouth. The warrior lets go of his weapons and leaps out of the monster’s mouth as the griffin, bathed in the Ring of Uli’s energy, spiral dives through the bile serpent.

Shattering ice and the death throes of the
melting beast fill Delvin’s world as he falls into the freezing water. His body is numb from the acid and he sinks underwater even with his enchanted armor. There is a mild burning on his skin as the water mixes with the bile serpent’s toxic blood. A bubbly chuckle escapes his lips as he imagines drowning to death and he closes his eyes. Full awareness stirs in his senses when something grabs him from below and shoves him toward the surface. Delvin’s head breaks the surface and he is immediately hoisted to solid land by Timoran.

“We have you, my friends,”
the barbarian declares, putting his hand on the warrior’s heaving stomach. “Nyx is struggling to reinforce the ice. It is against her nature, so we must get into the hallway quickly.”

“Friends
?” Delvin repeats in confusion.

“You are too numb to feel it, but Luke is clutching your ankles
. Hauling both of you out of trouble twice in one day is a sign that you have to be more careful.”

Delvin glances down at the barely conscious half-elf, who is clinging to his legs with all of
his dwindling might. “I wondered what happened to him. I guess griffins aren’t good at swimming. Makes sense with their wings.”

Timoran carries the injured warriors to the hallway and whistles for Nyx to follow. The ice splinters
and shatters as she races to join them. They watch the corpse of the bile serpent ooze into the water, which bubbles and hisses.

“
Are you two going to be okay?” Nyx asks as she gingerly inspects the burn marks on Delvin. “I wish we had healing potions or a priest with us. Maybe we should leave them here while we find Risar and get Sari.”

“No!”
Luke defiantly shouts. The tired half-elf uses Timoran to pull himself up to his feet and draws his sabers. “I came this far to save Sari. I’d rather die than be left behind.”

“I’m not that dramatic, but I want to see this to the end
. Besides, my armor protected me from the worst of it and I can already feel the pain going away,” Delvin says. The warrior stares forlornly at his bare shield arm. “I should start looking into using metal shields. I keep losing my wooden bucklers.”

Nyx shakes her head and magically lifts
the warrior to his feet. “I love your priorities.”

18

The silence in the library is shattered when Timoran smashes through the wall. He pushes the chunks of ice out of the way before he steps out of the stairwell. Everyone is quiet as they look at the devastation around them. All of the bookcases have been knocked over, but only a few books are on the floor. Most of the tomes are hiding on the ceiling, shivering and cowering like a colony of terrified bats. Chunks of ice are scattered about the floor with blue blood still oozing out of them and pooling in the center of the room. They can feel that the ground is now slanted toward the middle as if they are on the edge of an impact crater.

“They tore Risar about,” Nyx
whispers as she walks further into the library.

“It looks like he killed a few of
the vampires,” Luke says, pointing to the seven shredded corpses in the doorway. He winces at the pain running through his body and lets his arm drop to his side. “I wonder where the rest of them are. Maybe the traps that we avoided took them out.”

“I do not believe we are that lucky,” Timoran states. He sniffs at the air and coughs at the stench of sour blood. “I hope they are
unable to reach the peak. The vampires could be too much for whatever is protecting Sari.”

“We should search the books for how to get to the peak,” Delvin suggests as he looks through the wreckage of the bookcases.
He scratches at the itching burns on his neck, his fingers coming away with blood. “Anybody see a shield or anything I can turn into a shield? I don’t like the idea of fighting vampires without extra protection.”

“Use the remains of my chest and it shall protect you inside this temple,” Risar declares, startling everyone. A gentle chuckling is heard as
the champions look for the ice giant. “I am above you. Though I am not whole.”

Following his voice, the adventurers see Risar’s head attached to a chandelier that has been partially torn out of the ceiling. His eyes are blank voids, but his mouth still opens and closes to take in gasping breaths.
Drops of blue blood fall into the thick pool, which shakes whenever his head coughs.

“Gather his parts and we’ll put him back together,” Delvin orders as he sheathes his sword and picks up what he
guesses is a shin.

“I
am afraid it is not that easy, young champion. My people can survive as long as our head is intact. I will be fine if the temple’s master is revived and decides to heal me. So, it is important that you not waste any time here.”

“Want us to get you down?” Luke asks
as the ice giant has a coughing fit that spins the chandelier.

“It is safer for me to stay up here in case those vampires return. I sense they are wandering the temple in search of you,” Risar explains, his voice getting softer and weaker. The blue of his icy skin is beginning to turn a dull white. “
With the death of the bile serpent, the corruption in the temple has started to flow into the corpse. You must return to the throne room and take the secret lift to the peak. Once there you can revive the champion and she will put everything to the way they should be. Please hurry.”

“We should take care of those vampires,” Nyx
claim, kneeling over one of the corpses and examining it. She picks up a fang and drops it when she feels it quiver between her fingers. “I don’t want those monsters sneaking up on us or attacking Sari before she’s fully awake. Is there a way to track them?”

“The vampires are not important
! The master can handle them when she wakes up!”

“I agree with Nyx,” Delvin
states, raising his hand to stop Risar from talking. He gently puts the icy limb down and bows to the ice giant’s head. “We respect your opinion, Risar, but these vampires are a different breed than the ones you remember. They don’t share the same powers as before and they are a lot stronger. We need to consider their presence before we revive Sari. They are too dangerous to ignore.”

“I have said my
piece. The rest is up to all of you.”

The pool of ice giant blood freezes and Risar’s head slumps on the chandelier. His mouth hangs open and his eyes freeze over, giving h
im the appearance of a frozen corpse. Every few seconds, the room is filled with the sound of mighty lungs taking in a deep breath. All of his body parts rattle against the floor when he slowly exhales, which gives the champions some comfort in knowing Risar is still alive.

“
I found his chest over here, Delvin,” Luke announces from a corner of the room. “I don’t know how you’re going to strap it to your arm.”

“W
e have bigger problems,” the other warrior responds, rubbing his eyes and thinking up a plan. He fights the urge to scratch his wounds again, the sensation fading away when he focuses on them disappearing. “We need to take care of those vampires before we wake Sari. I know she can handle them, but whatever is outside might need her at full-strength. The vampires would be a waste of energy.”

“If we
fight the vampires first then we could be injured,” Timoran argues as he walks to the entrance. He peers into the hallway and sniffs the air, checking for any sign of danger. “We do not know what is guarding Sari. It could be a creature that is too strong for us to handle after fighting a pack of new world vampires.”

“I see where this is going,” Nyx groans.

“Me too,” Delvin agrees with a nervous smile.

Timoran looks at his friends
and shakes his head in dismay. “I disagree with what you are planning, Delvin.”

“I’m not following any of this,” Luke admits with a small moan. Everyone turns to see him rubbing a chunk of ice on his burns. “This magic ice is
easing the itchiness and dull pain. You should try some, Delvin.”

“Do you realize you’re rubbing a piece of Risar on your body?” Nyx asks, fla
shing her friend a cruel smile.

Luke drops the ice on the floor, looking at it in horror and disgust.
He glares at the caster, who is trying to hide her laughter. Muttering to himself, the forest tracker picks up the large, flat chunk of ice at his feet and carries it to Delvin. He gently puts it on the floor before his friend and takes a seat on a toppled bookcase.

“We’ll make the divisions smart this time,” Delvin calmly declares
, rolling his eyes at the confused look on Luke’s
face. “I know you understand what we’re saying and you’re playing dumb, Callindor. We have to split up and handle both problems. It’s our best chance at rescuing Sari and getting rid of those vampires.”

“Can’t we rescue Sari and keep an eye out for the vampires?” Luke asks, rubbing his palms against the pommels of his sabers. “
It feels like a wasted hunt and an unnecessary risk. They might have split up too.”

“
I can attract them,” Nyx claims while massaging her wrists and carefully choosing her words. “There was a vampire that Luke and I encountered soon after we met. He seemed to be excited about tasting my blood. I can use my magic to put some of my blood into the air and pull the vampires to me.”

“That is a risky plan,” Timoran
argues.

“It’s the best plan we have.”

“We can rescue Sari and handle the vampires with her help.”

“I don’t want to let them near her.”

“She is supposed to be more powerful.”

“What if she’s broken!?”

Everyone freezes as Nyx’s voice rings out and travels down the empty hallway. A cold wind whips through the library as the adventurers think about her words. None of them want to consider that Sari will be returned to them damaged and irreparable. Nyx takes a shuddering breath and fights back her tears, slapping Delvin’s hand away when he tries to touch her shoulder.

“Sari is tougher than people realize,” Luke softly
says with a warm smile. “She’s faced monsters and enemies of all types without fear. Well she was scared, but she never showed it. I don’t think Sari will fail.”

“We have to make sure she’s safe,” Delvin
claims, taking advantage of the somber atmosphere. “If we revive Sari only to have the vampires kill her then it’s a mistake that is on our heads. I would rather risk our own lives than put her in more danger.”

Timoran scratches the tiger claw scars on his shoulder and licks his lip.
“I still believe this is foolish, but I feel I cannot talk you out of it. How should we split up? You and Luke are injured, Delvin. I can see the two of you wincing in pain as you walk. It will be worse in battle and you may be a liability.”

“Then Luke and I have to be separated
. I will go with Nyx to fight the vampires while Luke and Timoran revive Sari. I’m sure Luke would prefer to be a part of that. I think I’m in better shape to handle the vampires anyway. That’s the best plan I can come up with since we don’t have much time and don’t know the terrain.”

“Don’t forget your new shield
, Cunningham,” Luke says as he follows Timoran out of the library. “Good luck, guys.”

Delvin reaches down to pick up the chunk of Risar’s chest and holds it out in front of him. With a shrug, he puts his left forearm against the freez
ing ice. He holds back a yelp of surprise when two straps of blue blood emerge from the ice and tighten around his arm. The edges of his new shield melt and mold until it is a perfect circle. Delvin experimentally moves his arm, enjoying the light weight of the ice. He draws his longsword and gestures for Nyx to lead the way, grinning at her teasing curtsy.

*****

“Were you serious about being tired of fighting?” Nyx asks while she stretches her arms.

“I don’t think this is the time or place,” Delvin answers, cautiously watching the shadows and doorways as they walk. “The vampires could hear us if we have a conversation.”

“I put a silence bubble around us. Please answer the question, Delvin. We have the time since we haven’t found an ambush site yet.”

The warrior fakes a half-hearted smile that does not reach his eyes.
“It’s battle fatigue. It happens when you have days of fighting and death with very little rest. The stress gathers and you feel your nerves start to snap. I’m feeling very numb and not just from the bile serpent acid. Almost like my body and mind are on the verge of separating. I’ve been here before and I’ve seen warriors go to the point of no return. It isn’t pretty and I’d rather avoid it.”

Nyx bites her lip and rubs her amethyst
necklace. “How do you keep it at bay?”

“I tell myself that I can keep going or remind myself why I’m fighting,” Delvin calmly replies. He puts his forehead against the cool ice shield and enjoys the feeling for a few seconds before talking again. “I know I have my limits and I pay attention to my feelings. These last few days have been rough, but I keep telling myself I can make it one more fight. If don’t do it then someone could be killed. That would feel worse than breaking.”

“I don’t know if that’s what I’m feeling,” Nyx admits, stopping to touch the floor and scan for the vampires. She scowls before she stands up, shaking the water from her hands. “I’m tired of all this fighting and I wonder if this is all there is to being a champion. Battle after battle until we’re either dead or the Baron is defeated.”

“
Well, we can’t quit and they’re not going to surrender,” the warrior points out. He sighs at the hurt look on his friend’s face and gently nudges her shoulder with his fist. “We fight so others don’t have to. Maybe this isn’t the norm to being a champion. After all, they have Sari and they invaded Gaia. We’ve been having to stop plans that are already in action instead of working to prevent them from happening. It’ll get better.”

“I don’t think you understand.”

Delvin blinks and stares at Nyx, who is staring at her feet. “Do you regret being a champion, Nyx?”

“You make it sound like I had a choice,” she bitterly snaps, immediately feeling sorry for her tone. With a small growl, she turns away and crosses her arms. “I was born to do this, so I don’t feel like I was given a choice. Yet, I never thought it would be nothing more than battles
and death. I studied history and magic, learned spells beyond combat magic, and prepared myself for all manner of traps. This constant fighting is only making me feel like . . . a weapon. Nothing but a being of destruction that will kill her enemies and then lose all purpose in her life.”

“I think you’re being overdramatic, Nyx,” Delvin whispers. He leans away from her sudden swipe, but feels a sharp breeze smack his cheek. “I’m tired of the fighting, but it must be done. It doesn’t mean I exist solely to kill. When I can retire my blade, I will relax and find a way to create something. For now, I’m going to focus on protecting everyone I can because that
is the purpose for my existence.”

“
I wish I had your confidence.”

“Want to know a secret?” he says with a warm smile. “The rest of us wish we had your confidence, Nyx. Out of all of us, you’re the one that seems to always know what she’s doing or freely admit that you’re stumped. You’re my hero.”

“That is so sickeningly sappy that I want the vampires to drain me now.”

Making another turn, the pair pause when they see a billowing light emanating from a doorway. Delvin steps forward to lead the way, but Nyx gently pushes him back and creates a blade of fire from her arm. He nods and stays a few steps behind, his ice shield ready to block whatever leaps out
of the room. His mind races with thoughts of dragons, demons, and horrible creatures from ancient tomes. Each image makes him wish he was the one leading the way instead of Nyx.