The Path of Giants by B.T. Narro (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📗

“Anything yet, enchanter?” Leon yelled over the owner.

“He keeps flying around like a gnat!” Reuben said.

I looked back to see Reuben’s eyes darting around the room.

Reuben seemed to assume the same thing I did. This was Valinox. But what was he doing here? It almost felt like he was toying with us.

How the hell is he remaining invisible while flying?

“This is impossible,” Charlie uttered with wide eyes. “Impossible.”

Then he shrieked. The invisible Valinox seemed to snatch Charlie up and hoist him over his shoulder. I sent out my dvinia in hopes of grabbing the demigod, but there was a flash of light that startled me and caused me to lose concentration. It only took a moment for me to realize that Leon had blasted Valinox with a fireball, aiming low to avoid the screaming Charlie hanging over the demigod’s shoulder.

No, he hadn’t blasted Valinox after all. The fireball washed over Valinox’s shield of dteria, dyeing it orange as the fire disintegrated.

When the smoke cleared, Charlie was gone.

I was first out the door, looking to the sky. He was soaring off like a bird, screeching his head off.

Soon the others came up behind me to watch Charlie make a wide turn and head toward the forest. The buildings blocked our view, so I lifted myself up with dvinia to see where Valinox was taking him. I could hear Charlie yelling even from here, clearly terrified, as Valinox took him down amidst the trees and disappeared completely.

I floated down and informed the others. “He took him into Curdith Forest, less than a mile from the edge.”

“Put out this fire right now!” screamed the owner from the doorway of the tavern.

Kataleya ran back in as Leon stomped after her with very little urgency in his step. He didn’t bother to help Kataleya extinguish the flames with water, opting to yell at the owner instead.

“Didn’t you just see? One of ours was taken!”

“What do we do?” Reuben asked, tugging on Leon’s shirt to spin him around. “They have Charlie now!”

“First we figure out why the hell Valinox wants Charlie,” Leon said.

Hadley gasped so loudly that we all turned to her. “By the devil’s tail!” she yelled. “We need to get to the basement right now!”

“Why?” Reuben asked.

But Hadley was already running down the hall and holding open the curtain. “Because he’s coming back for more of us! Hurry!”

“How can you possibly know that?” At least Reuben was moving with us as he asked his question, all of us filing down the hallway.

“Because I know Valinox. He chose Charlie because he can’t put up a fight while he’s being carried away. There are others of us who are just as vulnerable.”

“Oh shit!” Michael yelled. “Hurry! Move your ass!” he screamed as he pushed everyone from the rear of the group.

“What about the tavern staff?” Jennava asked as she tried to turn around while Michael was shoving her.

“Leave them! They are useless to Valinox,” Hadley answered.

“Jenna?” yelled the owner.

“I think she’s right!” Jennava called over her shoulder. “Just lock yourselves up until this is over.”

Soon we all arrived in the basement with the door closed and locked behind us. I took the liberty to light a lamp with my fire spell, Leon and Kataleya helping by lighting a lamp on their own.

“We can’t possibly rescue the metal mage by hiding like cowards,” Reuben complained.

But then there was a slam against the door from the other side. There was a collective gasp as everyone froze. Those near the door slowly backed away.

“Aliana and Reuben are most vulnerable,” Hadley whispered. “Along with me if he has any idea who I am. Protect us.”

There was another slam against the door.

“Leon?” Reuben whispered fearfully.

“She’s right. The three of you get behind the rest of us.”

All of our weapons were down here, but I seemed to be the only one going for my sword. But then I saw Aliana fetching her bow from one corner of the room, and Michael soon rushed to fetch his blade.

I took my place in front of everyone. Michael came to my side.

“I’ll blow him against the right wall,” Michael said. “Impale his ass.”

I didn’t know Michael had become that powerful with wind, but I could tell by his tone that his statement was to be trusted.

“You two will just get in the way,” Leon said as he stepped around us. “Let me deal with him.”

I wanted to argue, but there was no time. The door burst open. We could see no one, but we all knew he was there.

Leon casted a jet of fire that filled the entire doorway. It jumped up the stairs and disappeared out of view. When the spell came to an end, all was quiet save Leon’s heavy breaths. Flames licked the open doorway.

“He’s here!” Reuben yelled, but his voice wasn’t needed. The licking flames stretched toward us then suddenly went out as a nearly invisible Valinox flew through the doorway.

I had just noticed the demigod’s silhouette that looked like heat waves when I was hit by a gust of wind. It threatened to take me off my feet, Michael grunting as he pushed his hands to the right. I heard a thud when it happened, as Valinox hit the right wall.

I found my bearings and dashed to where I could faintly see him trapped against the wall. I swung hard, but my attack went through where I had last seen him, and my blade struck the wall. Pain reverberated through my hands as I started to look around for Valinox.

Something struck me from behind so hard that it flung me into the opposite wall. It was too fast for me to do much but get my hand up so that my face didn’t strike the hard wood. Pain surged through my wrist that made my earlier injury feel like a tickle.

I dropped my sword and healed my broken wrist as absolute chaos ensued throughout the basement. All of my peers were thrown away from each other with