Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure by Larry Forkner (summer books .TXT) 📗

his companion to the floor. Before Sean could muster the energy to make the leap, he felt a massive, powerful hand close around his foot and was effortlessly lifted into the air.

The only thing he could think to do was to turn into his dragon form. Sean desperately tried to recall how that had happened back in Rundimahair. Before he could do anything, he felt himself flying through the air again. This time he landed high up on the wall, then dropped to the floor. As he felt consciousness slipping away, Sean whispered Ashling’s name over and over.

* * *

Ashling was standing in the kitchen, in her robe and pajamas, when she felt a sudden desperation fill her heart and mind. It was such a powerful feeling that it caused her to drop the glass of orange juice from her hand.

“Sean!” she shouted, while she touched her father’s thoughts. Mind to mind, she quickly told Eamon that Sean was in mortal danger. Seconds later, she disappeared from the kitchen.

* * *

He barely managed to open his swollen eyes, as consciousness partially returned. He’d been tossed back and forth several times, as the beasts took turns beating him to a pulp. They seemed to be taking pleasure in dragging this out, after the painful injuries he’d inflicted on them.

The creature with the broken knee sat beside him now, grinning through his bloody, shattered teeth. If it weren’t for the paralyzing poison rushing through his bloodstream, Sean would have broken its neck.

When the filthy beast raised its massive arm for a killing blow to Sean’s head, it appeared to be the end. It was indeed the end, but not the one he’d expected.

He felt a searing hot wind rush by him, striking the beast with incredible force. As the heat began to sear his skin, a clear bubble of protection enveloped Sean, protecting him from the deadly heat.

The creature desperately tried to crawl away, but it was useless. While Sean watched in amazement, the brutal hulk melted down to a blob of disgusting green muck. Even through the protective shield, he felt enough of the heat to realize it was hotter than a blow torch.

A surge of relief touched his mind, as Ashling stepped into view next to his ruined bed. She raised her hand and a large, jagged beam lifted off the floor. Sean realized it was part of his ruined roof structure that was hurled across the room.

The heavy beam followed a path to where Ashling was now pointing. When Sean turned his head to follow the speeding beam, he was just in time to see it rip out a large section of the remaining creature’s chest as it passed through him. Seconds later, the beast dropped to the floor and didn’t move again.

Ashling hurried to kneel beside Sean as the protective shield dissipated. “Are you all right?” she asked anxiously, as she began to run her hands over his head and body. “Oh Sean,” she whispered sorrowfully when she realized the extent of his injuries.

That was all the sorrow she allowed herself as she went to work mending the damage. Ashling touched the swollen, bloody claw marks on his stomach and she frowned but didn’t speak.

When she waived her hand over the terrible wound, Sean saw a searing blue flame enter his body. He expected it to burn, but it was ice cold instead. The artic flame rushed through his veins quickly and cleanly, causing him to shiver. He gritted his teeth to avoid crying out from the pain. After thirty minutes of the magical torture, he gave up and screamed in agony.

Ashling seemed satisfied with the progress of his healing, and the freezing blue flame disappeared. Next came a comforting warmth surrounding him from head to toe. Soon the warmth penetrated the frigid cold, and Sean could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Without a word, Ashling stood and began moving her arms and hands about like a magical orchestra conductor. Like a film moving in reverse, Sean watched in wonder, as the debris from the roof reassembled itself in proper order. In less than twenty minutes, all damage from the attack on his home was repaired.

Sean watched in satisfaction as the gruesome, evil, magical creatures were bound up in a blinding, white light. It began to swirl them around in circles with ever-increasing speed. Finally, the brilliant light began to fade and the remains of the deadly creatures were gone.

Before he could say a word, she lifted him to his feet, while chanting something in a rapid whisper. Seconds later they disappeared, only to reappear in Ashling and Eamon’s kitchen.

“I see all is well,” Eamon said, from where he sat at the kitchen table. “There must have been a fearsome, large mess to clean up if it took this long.” His words were calm and casual, but Ashling could see the worry had taken a toll on her father.

“That it was, Father dear,” Ashling said, as she sat heavily beside Eamon. “That it was.”

“And yet, Sean doesn’t seem much the worse for wear,” Eamon said. “Sure and true, he’s fortunate to have the best magical healer who ever drew breath as his runsearc.”

Sean sat across from Eamon and Ashling as he asked, “Her what?”

“Her runsearc,” Eamon said, smiling. If you went to English, it would be something like, secret love.”

“That is more than enough out of you, Father,” Ashling said, with a furrowed brow. “I can tell you it was close to total disaster, so it was. Much too close for my liking. If I’d arrived five minutes later, it would have been too late.”

Sean wanted to discuss the “secret love” comment but could see by Ashling’s expression that now was not the time.

“I’m supposing the attackers were similar to what you confronted when you went to visit Sean at the bed-and-breakfast,” Eamon said, between bites of bacon and eggs.

“Indeed they were. Only these ugly brutes seemed to have the added unpleasantness of poison