Ch 71: The Troubles Of Calder

“Half the camp is in a right state, ready to tuck tail and run. They’re scared, and rightfully so. Most have little, if any, experience with magic, and none have seen the likes of a demon. It fucking blinded a man without even being near him. You can imagine the whispers.”
“And the other half?” Calder continued staring at the candlelit maps before him as his Captain filled him in on the latest reports.
“The other half, well, they’re not so easily swayed. Most are convinced more now than ever that this enemy has to be dealt with, here and now.”
The Prince sighed deeply before finally looking up.
“Do you think half will leave?”
Talib shook his head. “I’ve got Olander and Kashor and whoever else can speak to it trying to convince them not to. But, we should prepare for the worst.”
Someone had to be working against them, spreading fear and doubt, and there was only one person he could think of who would do such a thing. Cal could feel the darkness, it was stronger when Tasha felt it too, but right now, it was his anger and frustration feeding it, fueling it, and he needed to let it out.
“Fuck!” The maps on the makeshift table in the War Tent went scattering to the ground as his arm swept across it before his hands slammed down on it. “I want Soreno’s head on a fucking spike.”
“Actually, Soreno’s doubled down. He wants the demon and its army destroyed so he can focus on making sure the throne is ‘safe from the likes of all you unnatural fucking power wielders’. His words, not mine.”
The Prince scoffed. “Does he not understand that magic is the only fucking thing that can save us now?”
Talib shrugged. “I say let him think whatever it is he wants to think, so long as he and his men ride with us at dawn. We’ll deal with his radical ideas after this damn thing is done.”
Calder tried to take a deep breath, shaking his head in the process. “Any word from Narelle and Helia about where the sorcerers stand?”
He could feel the shift in his Captain’s energy before he spoke. “Not yet. I went to check on her after it… let’s just say, the whole thing shook them more than anyone.”
The anger and frustration slipped away from Calder as he realized just how horrifying the whole thing must have been for those like Narelle, who had never seen war or violence of that kind.
“Is she alright?”
The look in Talib’s eyes said it all. “No, though she’d have me believe otherwise. She’s a tough one, but I think being as it was magic involved, and someone she was close to…”
Cal looked down, fully understanding what it was Narelle and the others must be feeling.
The demon had definitely known what it was doing. All it took was the smallest grain of fear, of doubt, and it would grow into full-blown chaos. What his army needed now was hope. He needed hope. They needed to know there was a way to defeat their enemy, no matter the power it held.
“Talib, I need you to gather everyone at the spell circle just before first light.”
His Captain turned his head in hesitation.
“Calder, I don’t have much of a mind for going anywhere near there again and I’ve seen some shit that would haunt a lesser soldier. You can’t seriously expect everyone—“
“I know what I’m asking, but I need you to trust me. It wants us afraid, to question what will happen. Well I’m going to show everyone exactly what’s going to happen to it, and all its fucking companions. Do whatever it takes. I need to find Helia.”
And with that he strode from the War Tent, leaving Talib shaking his head behind him.
The Prince found the older Fire Witch in the last place he expected to, staring out at the very spot one of their companions had nearly died only hours before.
“The dirt soaked up his blood as if it were water.”
There was a bitterness in her voice as he came to stand next to her, his eyes finding the dark stain upon the ground.
“Better that it return to the earth than linger for all to see.” He looked over at her. “I need your help.”
At last, her gaze moved away from the circle to him.
“I’ve done all I can to convince the other mages to stay. It seemed a good few will, but I cannot force those too frightened to continue to do so.”
“I appreciate it. But that’s not what I’m here for.” He took a deep breath. “I need you to help Astasha and I learn how to use this weapon we have, tonight.”
He expected her to tell him it wouldn’t be possible, to have some reason it couldn’t be done. But she simply eyed him thoughtfully.
“There’s been a lot of darkness today, you’re going to both have to find a way to call forth the light if that’s to be possible.”
They studied each other in silence for a moment. He knew she was right. It would be too dangerous otherwise.
A small smirk appeared on his lips as he raised an eyebrow at her. “Any suggestions on how exactly to do that?”
She gave him a weak smile.
“Remember why it is you’re doing this in the first place.”
He nodded, but before he could respond, a feeling washed over him. Dread, fear, horror; Something was wrong.
“Tasha.”
He didn’t wait to explain, he simply bolted toward the tent where Zephyr was being kept.
His hand was on the hilt of his sword as it came into view, but he sighed in relief and released his grip as he watched Astasha step out of it. When he noticed the tears on her cheeks, however, his worry soared again.
“Tasha, what is it? Are you alright? Is Zephyr…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it as he reached her, cupping her face in his hands.
She shook her head gently. “He’s asleep.”
“What happened?”
Her eyes flickered past him to Helia as she caught up, but came back to lock onto his own. “Cal, we aren’t just facing a couple of demons. There were at least a dozen bodies, sacrifices used to free them from human bounds. They’ve raised an army of them.”
Calder had to fight the emotions trying to take over, had to fight to remain strong, remain hopeful. He had to be that beacon, or all was lost. “Then we will set a dozen traps. At least now we know what to expect.”
She was shaking her head. “That’s not all, Cal. Zephyr, he… when the demon took over his body, he was able to see into its mind. He saw what it plans to do, how it plans to unleash the darkness within us, to break us so we can be molded into the Dark Mage’s weapon. Everything it’s done so far has been for that purpose. No one will survive. Everyone who rides with us, they are riding to their death.”
Whatever it was Zephyr had told her he had seen, it had shaken her to the core. The Prince wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He looked over at Helia, the same concern on her face as his own.
Sighing deeply, he stroked the hair of the woman he loved, the woman he was here to fight for, to avenge for the wrongs done to her.
“All war comes with the price of innocent lives, unfortunately. I cannot save everyone that will face battle with us. But I will not let our army fall either. I will not give that fucking monster what it wants. Whatever its plan, I refuse to bend to it.” He pulled away slightly, tilting her face up to look at him. “I need you with me though, Tasha. I need your strength, your determination. I need you to believe there is hope, because I believe in you. I know in my heart you will never give in, that no matter what they think they can do to you, it will not be enough. I need you to believe that too.”
She looked up into his eyes, and for a moment, he could feel the darkness threatening to seep back into her. But she took a breath and he felt her resolve solidify. “I’m with you, Cal, always.”
Bending his head, he kissed her deeply before leaning his forehead against her own. “Good. Then we have some practicing to do.”


**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** *Hello Lovelies! I'm so sorry for the long absence once again. Between health issues, the trials of having a one-year-old, and life in general, my computer unfortunately got put on the sidelines for a bit. But things are doing better now and I hope to be back at it as we gear up for the big battle ahead! Thank you for bearing with me! More updates coming soon! Love & Light Everyone!*