The Attack of Ganhai Mountain

You Idiot!

 

Leevan and Normir searched desperately, but they could find nothing resembling a spell that could affect an entire race.  Leevan figured it must be hidden, but try as he might he could find it nowhere in the passages of this castle.  Normir was looking around even more desperately.

"We'll find it," said Leevan reassuringly. "We'll find it."

But the truth was, he was losing hope too.

They kept passing squads of cyclopses in their full body armor.  If they could end the spell those cyclopses might just become their allies, but for now they were enemies.  Leevan was thankful for the invisibility spell, but Normir got panicked whenever he saw his kind.  Leevan kept having to tell him

"We'll find it."

But he wasn't certain he believe it himself.

 

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Jaxia demanded.

Maelin looked at her with his one eye.  He really did look like a cyclops, but Jaxia knew he wasn't...and he was standing next to the metal cyclops statue that could only be Hurvun's spell.  This was bad. She looked at him with as much anger as she could muster, but she wasn't certain how frightening she could look at the moment.

You see, she was really very scared.

"I just told you," said Maelin. "I'm going to break the spell.  I don't believe the humans will steal cyclops metal craft, so if I touch this spell, it will break, and the cyclopses will see Hurvun for what he really is."

"Maelin, Normir is a real cyclops.  If he touched the spell it would break.  You, on the other hand, are not a cyclops.  You are merely an imitation of one.  If you touch that statue the chances of breaking the spell are very low.  Either nothing will happen, or something worse."

"What could be worse than an army of cyclopses in invincible army?"

"Do you really want to find out?"

"I do.  More than I want to find out what happens when Leevan tries to break the spell."

Jaxia paused, and then laughed.  She laughed long and loud, "Oh I get it.  This isn't about breaking the spell, it's about remaining the top magician isn't it?  Leevan figures out how to beat Hurvun and you can't stand that he outdid you.  Can you?" She became angry again. "Well your jealously is putting us all in danger, so I'm going to end this now!"

She ran forward, drawing her sword and looking Maelin straight in the eye!  But Maelin just pulled out his wand...that looked suspiciously like a knife...and shot a red beam of light at her.  She collapsed on the ground, her sword skittering to the side.

She cried out in pain, and looked at her hand.  It was wrinkled, as if she had aged fifty years in less than a second!  She tried to move but a few of her bones had broken.  She cried out again and stopped.

"Don't worry," said Maelin. "You'll be young again in an hour.  The spell is just meant to incapacitate so the blade of my wand can finish you off." He looked at her curiously.  "You didn't really think your fear spell would work on me did you?  I could see the enchantment directly on your eyes.  You know, I used to respect you Jaxia, but putting stock in Leevan could get us all killed."

He turned around and looked at the statue, the focal point of the spell.

"Leevan," he spoke to himself. "Why?  Why is it when I'm the best magician it's your father that loves you, and mine who says I'm not good enough?  Why?  Well, after today, maybe I'll fix that once and for all!"

He touched the statue.

"No!" cried Jaxia weakly, reaching her hand out.

 

Leevan and Normir looked around as a bright light came from the troop of cyclopses ahead of them.  The cyclopses themselves seemed confused as the two of them remained hidden.  The armored soldiers pulled their weapons out.  Instead of battle clubs, they were now armed with swords.  Swords that looked suspiciously liked Maelin's wand knife.

Once cyclops pulled his sword up and shot a red beam from it!  Leevan and Normir looked on in horror!  Leevan asked himself.

"Maelin?  What did you do?!"

 

General Hevman waited with the rest of the soldiers, watching the castle that looked like a giant rock.  Eventually the drawbridge opened, and the general heard Maelin's voice.

"The spell is broken!" he cried. "The spell is broken!"

The general wondered for a second why Maelin was there, but he still felt he would have to ask questions later.  He raised his sword and cried

"Attack!"