The impact had no effect on the physical plane, yet Sebastian saw the magical backlash echoing out from the walls of the fortress. The backlash exploded into both armies; sending bodies flying, soldiers hurt and killed on both sides. A familiar figure turned in his direction. It was Krystelle Mora. He locked eyes with her for an instant as the impact wave crashed into her, sending her flying.
“NOOOOOO!” his agonized cry took on new life and joined with the power of the Dragonstone. He reached out and merged with the power flowing from both the Sunstone and Moonstone, the strength of three Eligium coursing through his body. Fire in his eyes, he turned towards the armies and began willing people dead. One by one he struck them down.
Breandan grabbed him, “You must stop this!”
Sebastian turned and looked at the wizard, death in his eyes, and struck him down. Breandan collapsed, dead. Sebastian turned back to the battlefield and continued his killing. It stopped mattering to him who he killed. The rage consumed him and he worked his way across the plain, killing as he went.
“Sebastian! What are you doing?” Valeria’s voice called out. He swung an arm at her, magical energy sending the wizard flying. Sebastian had just enough presence of mind left in his rage to keep from killing her. After everything and everyone he had lost, losing Krystelle Mora was just too much.
“Sebastian!” the crystal voice rang out. It wasn’t possible. He turned toward the voice to see her standing there.
“Krystelle?”
“It is me. I am ok. You must stop this Sebastian.”
“But…you died.”
“No, you saw me struck by the magic. I am all right, Sebastian.” She walked toward him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let it go, let it go.” He slumped, still holding onto the magic rushing through his body. He was not ready to let it go.
Far above, the dragon continued to circle the battlefield and Sebastian could feel his presence. Through their link, he sensed the dragon’s reptilian indifference toward the deaths of the combatants. Sebastian latched onto that indifference as a safety net against the killing he had done.
You would make a good dragon. He felt more than heard the words coming through their link. This battle has warmed my heart, but your enemies are defeated. I must return to my home. This will not be the last time we meet.
Thank you, Cadeyrn Seaghda. Sebastian thought back.
Looking up, he watched as the dragon tilted in flight, reorienting back to the north country where he made his home. Sebastian would miss the dragon’s comforting presence. Turning to Krystelle and the others gathered around him, Sebastian struggled to find words. Opening his mouth to speak, he froze as a warning came through his bond to the dragon. Beware, Sebastian. Sterling Lex is not yet done.
Sebastian turned toward Cinaeth to see a wave of black energy coming towards him. It was Sterling Lex’s counterstrike. Once again tapping deep into the three nearby Eligium, he prepared to meet the assault. It washed over him and around him, but the power coursing through him protected him. He knew that the wave would have torn his soul from his body without that protection.
Pressing back against the assault, Sebastian projected himself into the heart of Cinaeth. He was a living flame standing in opposition to Sterling Lex and he saw the dark wizard there with King Ercanbald by his side. Lex took a step back and away from the flame and brought the obsidian stone in his hands up between himself and Sebastian.
The power of the three stones jumped in recognition and Sebastian knew this had to be the Soulstone. Black tendrils swarmed around Lex and the stone and Sebastian wondered whether Lex controlled the stone, or the stone controlled him.
No matter. It was time to end this. The flame that was Sebastian surrounded Lex, pressing in from all sides. The dark wizard fought back with the power of the Soulstone, but one stone could not stand against the three. Pressure building around him, Lex dropped the stone. Rather than falling, it remained suspended among the flames.
Sebastian continued to press in, his flame growing in heat and intensity. Holding his hands to his head, Sterling Lex screamed from the pain and Sebastian felt something give. In the center of the flame the Soulstone shattered, shards flying in all directions, shredding the King’s torso. A single shard buried itself in Sterling Lex’s right eye, ending his ambitions as it ended his life.
Fire draining from his bones Sebastian found himself back in his body. Krystelle and Valeria stood on either side, supporting him and keeping him from falling. He locked eyes with Valeria, “Lex is dead. We’ve won," he said just before collapsing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Krystelle followed Damianus, Valeria, and the elf Nynniaw through Cinaeth’s gates. Though her thoughts were on Sebastian, it occurred to her that this was the first time she had entered the fortress the regular way. With his collapse the remnants of Sterling Lex’s army had disintegrated. Finding themselves in the middle of a battlefield confused the majority of the combatants. The rest slinked away, knowing why they came and who they served. What Sebastian had done had loosed the hold Sterling Lex had on those people.
Walking through the courtyard, she saw the door on the far side leading to the tower where she and Sebastian had gone, pretending to be lovers, to recover the Sunstone. It was in this courtyard that Quiren Adelwolf fell.
Reaching the entrance to the main hall, the King’s Herald greeted them, his face ashen. “My lords…” he began.
“All will be well,” said Damianus. “The King was deceived. The one you know as Iacchus is none other than Sterling Lex. We are here to set things right.”
“The King?” said the Herald. He shook his head and gestured for the four of them to enter the main hall.
Passing through, Krystelle saw the two bodies laying there on the floor. One was King Ercanbald, his body riddled with impact wounds from a myriad of stone fragments that shredded his torso. The other had to be Sterling Lex. Blood seeped from one eye where a shard of smooth black stone stood, impaling the man.
Valeria swept over to Sterling Lex and knelt to examine the wizard, Nynniaw close on her heels. Krystelle did not understand why they were not more concerned with the king and she moved to check on him. She took a single step when Damianus took hold of her arm, shaking his head. “Let them examine him,” he said.
After a few more moments, Valeria left the elf with Sterling Lex’s body and moved over to the king. Closing her eyes, she laid a hand on the king’s forehead and closed her eyes. Krystelle held her breath, waiting and watching.
At last, Valeria removed her hand from the king and looked up at Krystelle, shaking her head. There was nothing to be done. Finished with his examination of Sterling Lex, Nynniaw walked over to Krystelle and Damianus. Valeria wiped her hands on a cloth and joined them.
“Both Lex and the king are dead,” she said. “Those shards of black stone are what remains of the Soulstone.”
Damianus gasped, “How can that be?”
It was Nynniaw that answered, “Sebastian. He tapped into the three other stones. You must appoint a new Arch-mage. The release of power here will destabilize the forces holding the Ban in place. I can not say what will happen as a result.”
Valeria bristled, “Can not or will not?”
Nynniaw looked at her, “I said what I said. The elves must return now through the Ansetl-lea. We can be of no further help here while the Ban still stands. Know this, with Soulstone destroyed, the Ban cannot last. When the time is right, we will return to this world, never to leave again. Be ready.” Krystelle gaped as the elf faded away, disappearing from view.
Valeria shook her head, “Just when we need them the most. No matter. We have much to do here, including finding a new king”
She turned to Krystelle who braced herself, knowing what must come next. Before the wizard could say another word, the rest of the High Council entered the chamber along with Uisdean, Guardian Demosthenes, and an array of others; sending things into a swirl of confusion as they explained the King’s
fate and Nynniaw’s abrupt departure. The entire contingent of elves disappeared at the same moment.
The truth settled into Krystelle. They had won, defeating Sterling Lex once and for all. It turned out that the other dark wizards had escaped, but Uriasz would see to them. Weakened through the loss of the Soulstone, the Krenon would be less of an issue. Inside she started to celebrate when a clatter of noise drew her eye to the doors where two Krenon Brothers pushed their way inside.
Damianus stepped forward to confront them, “What do you want, Krenon?” He practically spit the last word at them.
“I am First Brother Kestutis and this is my second, Brother Mihails Helmo. We have come for the Soulstone as is our right under the Ban, and to see that the magic-user responsible for all this devastation is called to account. The Ban has been grievously violated this day and we will see the Defiers punished.”
Valeria stepped up next to Damianus, “The Soulstone is gone. Destroyed in the battle. There is nothing for you here.”
Mihails Helmo scowled, “Silence! How dare you address the First? Control your pet witch Damianus.”
Damianus laughed, causing Helmo’s scowl to deepen. “Your reputation precedes you Brother Helmo, but I would not cross Mistress Valeria so glibly were I you.”
Helmo opened his mouth to respond when Kestutis caught his eye. “Is what she said true?” said the Krenon First Brother. “Has the Soulstone been destroyed?”
Damianus nodded, “It has, you can see the shards there.”
Kestutis gave a sharp twitch of the head and Helmo knelt down to inspect the fragments in response. After a few moments he looked up at the First. “It is true,” he said. “The stone is gone.”
“An account must be made of the stone’s fate, but we will deal with Gabirel and Uriasz later in that regard. For now, where is the magic-user?”
To Krystelle’s surprise, Damianus dispatched a runner to fetch Sebastian from the hill overlooking the valley. Why did they not just send these Krenon on their way? Surely they could not mean to hand Sebastian over to them?
It seemed an eternity waiting for the runner to return with Sebastian as the two Krenon stood there, staring with silent menace at the party from Gabirel and Uriasz. When he finally reentered the chamber, Sebastian was conspicuously absent.
Kestutis spoke first, “Where is the magic-user, Damianus?”
The High Councilor nodded to the runner, bidding him answer the question. “The young squire what was with the wizards during the battle, he woke up just as the elves disappeared. Took one look around, saddled himself a horse and rode away like a demon was on his tail.”
Krystelle grabbed his arm, “Sebastian left? Are you sure?”
The runner nodded, “Sure as I can be.”
Damianus turned to the two Krenon, “It seems the one you seek has left.”
Kestutis and Helmo shared a glance, “Then we will be forced to hunt him down,” said Kestutis. “We will take our leave, for now. Gabirel and Uriasz still have much to answer for in the question of the Soulstone, we will not forget your treachery.”
Krystelle watched the two Krenon march out the room. As soon as they disappeared from view, she turned toward the door, “We have to find him first!” she said.
“Stop,” the order from Damianus halted her in her tracks. “Valeria and the other wizards will worry about Sebastian. With the king dead, we need you to do something else.”
Here it comes, she thought, looking around the chamber for an escape yet knowing what was coming.
“We need you to find your mother and bring her back to the Dazhberg,” said Valeria.
A Note from Jake
Thank you very much for reading Soulstone. I hope you found it both enjoyable and entertaining! Reviews are an author’s lifeblood and it would mean a lot to me if you would take a few moments to return to the Amazon Kindle store and leave your feedback.
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—Jake
Soulstone (Eligium Series Book 4) Page 13
