Rin let out a rich laugh and shook her head. “They are all natural, chala. Or at least, they were, in the time before the Weatherblight. The vodakai are the monsters that move within them. They are… how do I describe this… wind lizards? Wind snakes, perhaps?”
“I really don’t like the sound of that,” muttered Kerys.
“Let’s keep moving,” said Ari. “We’re almost there.”
They hurried through the thin stretch of forest at the bottom of the hill and then up the slope. Ari could only barely make out the tower through the swirling dust that the tornadoes had picked up. He heard Eva shout something, and then they were all running for their lives.
One of the tornadoes had rounded the edge of the hill, and it traveled faster than any of them could run on a path that cut through their route toward the tower. Ari felt a tug on his arm and had to physically pull Kerys back down to the ground as the wind threatened to take her.
She was screaming incoherently and tears were running down her face. Ari clutched her arm against his tightly enough that he knew that he must be hurting her.
They sprinted back the way they’d come, taking cover behind a large boulder that emerged from the ground at the slope’s base. A shape came loose from the tornado and landed near them. This time, to Ari’s surprise, it was Eva screaming, and a single glance at the oncoming danger was enough to explain why.
Rin’s uncertainty over how to translate the word ‘vodakai’ had been well founded, as far as Ari could tell. The wriggling creature approaching the boulder looked like both a lizard and a snake, while also looking like neither. It reminded him of one of the pest insects down in the Hollow, a millipede or a thin-roach, except blown up to the size where it could be a physical threat to the average person.
The vodakai was at least eight or nine feet long and as thick as Ari’s neck. Small flaps of flexible wing material jutted outward from its sides, just above its legs and almost in a comparable number. It moved in a zigzagging pattern as it approached Eva, the nearest of their group. She didn’t hurry to move out of the way, instead falling back onto her butt, staring at the monster with an expression of frozen terror on her face.
Ari didn’t hesitate, despite his own fear and disgust. He took a loping step toward it and kicked the end that looked the most like the head. His foot connected with a satisfying crunch, and the vodakai flew backward a few feet. He made note of the way the wings flared outward, allowing it to shift and descend into a more graceful fall on the way down.
“Come on!” Ari helped Eva to her feet, and then hooked his arms around her and Kerys. Rin was watching the tornado blocking their way, and after a couple of seconds, she gave a quick nod and started running.
At first, Ari thought Rin was trying to leave the rest of them behind, but there seemed to be a purpose to her being in front. She flapped her wings in opposition to the rushing wind, creating a wake through the windstorm behind her, albeit one that was still somewhat turbulent.
The nearby tornado shifted direction, traveling in a small circle as though contemplating which way to go next. Four vodakai flew out from within its swirling depths, landing in the path of Ari and the others. He had just enough time to push Kerys forward toward the tower and toward safety before the monsters were upon him.
“Eva!” he shouted, extending a hand.
She shifted into her sword form without hesitation, and Ari suspected it would make the fight easier for them both, given her previous reaction. He took a firm grip on the hilt and tried to cleave downward through the foremost vodakai.
He missed, and again, he was reminded of the pest insects down in the cavern, which always posed a significant challenge to squish, due to their speed. Ari had to fall back on the defensive, swinging Azurelight more to keep the monsters at bay than to do damage.
A rush of wind knocked him off balance, and he was a second too slow to recover. Ari felt a horrible, flesh tearing pinch as one of the vodakai closed its mandibles on his tricep. He let out a gasp and stumbled backward, swinging the sword as much to regain his confidence as to ward off the creatures.
He felt that same fear, the insidious terror that the fishers had originally teased out of him. It had been there in the background since he’d first seen the windstorm, fermenting like fine wine. Ari couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. He was screaming, and swinging his sword, and silently praying for Dormiar to spare his friends, at the very least.
Eva was still with him, which he knew was important to keep in mind. He shot a glance at the tower and saw Kerys and Rin watching from inside as they struggled to keep the wind from flinging the door wide open. They were safe, for now. And if he could just get a little closer, he could make sure that Eva was, too.
He didn’t think the vodakai or the windstorm posed a threat to her while she was in sword form, but if he died and left her to be carried off by one of the tumultuous tornadoes, it would amount to the same thing. She’d become dormant again without her bonded master for an indeterminable amount of time. Perhaps forever. It was just death by a different name.
He swung his sword in a sweeping, circular arc, and was rewarded with the sensation of the blade catching and bucking slightly as it sliced one of the monsters in half. The one he’d killed was the one that had been directly between him and the tower, and his legs seemed to realize that fact well ahead of the rest of him as he took off at a dead sprint.
The remaining vodakai came after him in pursuit, some of them crawling, and some of them flying. Ari heard a clicking noise and ducked on reflex, barely moving his head out of the way of a mandible attack that would have taken a chunk out of his neck.
Kerys was waving to him and shouting something that he couldn’t hear over the wind. Ari still had the heavy pack on his back. He would have ditched it had there been time for him to do anything other than run.
Two more of the monsters slithered forth to block his way as he reached the last stretch. Ari tried to cut at them with his sword, but they were too fast, and the blade cut into the earth instead. He didn’t have time. The tornado was coming at him on the left. He’d been too slow by a couple of seconds, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Ari gripped the hilt of his sword, the hilt of Eva, and then lobbed her through the tower’s half open door. Kerys dodged out of the way to avoid taking a nasty cut to the arm and furrowed her brow in confusion as she came back into view.
“Close the door!” Ari shouted.
One of the vodakai landed across his shoulders, and he felt a pair of razor sharp mandibles tearing into his upper shoulder. He screamed in pain and tried to pull the disgusting monster loose. Another one wrapped around his ankle, tripping him to his knees as he tried to stumble forward.
Rin appeared in the tower’s doorway. She slipped outside, leaving the safety of the refuge she’d so expertly bargained for, and surged forward in a burst of movement. She slid to a stop next to Ari and flung the vodakai around his ankle away, using her wings to amplify her throw with a burst of concentrated wind.
Ari could barely think as she pulled him to his feet. He felt dizzy, and it was hard for his eyes to focus without blurring and doubling the object of his attention. Eva came out to help Rin, and he felt the two women all but dragging him inside the tower.
Kerys slammed the door shut and barred it with a piece of wood as soon as they were within the common room. The windstorm could still be heard howling against the tower’s walls and buffeting it with the bits of debris constantly coming loose from the tornado. The tower was sturdy, however, and it was holding strong.
Ari smiled, feeling relieved that his friends were safe, even as he felt his awareness fading, and his fingers going cold. He’d been bitten by the vodakai more than once. Rin hadn’t mentioned that they were venomous, but as old Milo would have said, sweat stinks for a reason.
Is that what old Milo would have said? Ari let out a weak chuckle. He hoped it was a bathing day. His body felt so cold, and the hot springs would
be perfect for warming up.
“Get him into a bed, you fools!” shouted Rin. “He’s going to die if we don’t hurry!”
INTERLUDE (MYTHRIL)
Lord Mythril Dekaranas ran his hands through the rocks, finding one that suited his purposes after a couple of seconds. It was cloudy out, and the lakeside was absent of people other than him and his niece.
“Here,” he said. “And this time curl your finger around it more.”
“Like this?” she asked.
“Like this,” he said, showing her the grip he had on the rock in his hand. He pulled back his arm and sluiced it forward through the air, releasing at just the right time to send the rock skipping across the lake’s surface.
She made a determined fist, took a few steps back from the water’s edge, and then tried to imitate him, except with an exaggerated and childish running start. Her rock sailed forward in an arc and sank into the water with a resonant plop.
“You will get it eventually, Evastria,” said Mythril. “Just keep trying.”
“I need another rock…” she said, in a pouty voice.
Mythril smiled, watching as she scrunched her face up and began searching for one that was suitable to throw. She was young and small for her age compared to the other girls at the Tutorhall.
Her silver-blue hair was still wet from the swimming they’d done earlier. The coloring was rare enough that there was a name and a legend about it: Lucia’s Locks, the same color as the hair of the Face of the Trium.
“Eek!” Evastria let out a small squeal and fell backward onto her butt. Mythril’s hand went to his sword before noticing what had prompted her reaction and relaxing.
“It’s just a bug, Evastria,” he said. “I don’t even think it’s one that can hurt you.”
“I don’t believe you,” she said. “It looks gross! I don’t want it to touch me.”
Mythril chuckled. He scooped up another slim rock from the lake’s shore and moved to pass it to his niece. She took it and then looked out toward the hills in the distance. Mythril had heard it too, though he’d been trying to pretend like he hadn’t. The soft, pulsing hum of an approaching rune sled.
He knew who it was even before he saw the sleek, metallic vehicle crest over the top of the nearest hill, popping slightly further into the air beyond its usual hovering distance as its driver took advantage of the terrain. Diya kept his hair long, letting it fall almost to his shoulders, and it rippled in the air like a flag whenever he rode without a helmet. Which, given his personality, was more often than not.
“I told Diya that today was a day just for the two of us,” said Mythril. “He must have a really good reason for coming to find me.”
“It means you’re going away again, doesn’t it?” Evastria’s expression was simultaneously crestfallen and heartbroken in the way only a child’s can be.
“Just for a while,” said Mythril. “The Emperor knows our situation, Evastria, and he’s understanding. He won’t send me anywhere far away.”
It had only been him and Evastria for close to three years. Mythril’s parents had been loyal to the current Emperor’s father, and they’d both died during the last dynasty war, along with Evastria’s mother. She’d fallen into his care, and he’d dutifully watched over her to the best of his ability.
“Please, take me too!” said Evastria. “I’m not scared, Myth! I can help you, and I don’t want to stay here with the house maiden again.”
“Liza isn’t so bad,” said Mythril.
“She’s old and stuffy,” said Evastria. “Please, uncle?”
Mythril sighed and set a hand on your shoulder. “Not this time.”
Evastria scowled at him, but Mythril could tell that she was only wearing her anger openly in a conscious attempt to hold back tears.
“When you’re older, I’ll take you everywhere with me,” said Mythril. “I’ll teach you to fight and fend for yourself, and I’ll even make you an equipment set of your own.”
“You promise?” asked Evastria.
“I promise,” said Mythril. “As soon as you’re old enough to fight, you’ll never leave my side again. Unless you want to, of course.”
Evastria hugged his leg and looked up at him with slightly wet blue eyes.
“Why would I ever want to leave your side if I didn’t have to?” she asked.
Mythril chuckled. “Between now and when you’re my age, I’m sure you’ll think of a reason or two.”
Diya brought his rune sled to a stop with an exaggerated slide that kicked up sand in its wake. He tapped one of the foot controls and let it drop to the ground before hopping off and nodding to Mythril. Upon seeing Evastria’s face, Diya gave an exaggerated bow and fell to one knee in front of her.
“Milady Evastria,” said Diya. “I offer my most sincere apologies for interrupting your cherished family time so suddenly. If only there was something I had through which I could make it up to you.”
Diya frowned and held his hand out in front of him. He opened and closed it several times before reaching out toward Evastria’s ear and making a show of “pulling” a small slice of candied orange out of it. Evastria was caught between expressions, fighting a smile as she continued to pout. She finally let the smile win as Diya handed her the candy.
“Always the charmer, Diya,” said Mythril.
“Until the day I die,” said Diya. “As you may have guessed, Emperor Horace ordered me to come find you. I think it’s related to the abolitionists.”
“Undoubtedly,” said Mythril. “Can it wait until tonight?”
Diya shook his head. Mythril ran a hand through his hair and fought the urge to take the Trium’s name in vain. Having the Emperor’s favor was the reason he’d been able to take care of Evastria so easily in the wake of her parents’ deaths, but it also meant being called upon to serve at unusual times and with little notice.
“Fine,” said Mythril. “Let me bring Evastria home to the estate, first. I’ll meet you at the palace.”
“Myth!” cried Evastria. “I don’t want you to go again…”
“I’ll keep him safe, milady,” said Diya. “And… what’s this?”
He made a show of checking her other ear and pulling another candy out of it for her. Evastria remained sullen as she accepted it, but she didn’t object any further. Mythril gently took her by the hand, led her over to his own rune sled, and began floating home.
***
Emperor Horace was a young man, only five years older than Mythril and Diya. It was part of the reason why the three of them had grown so close and become so casual with each other. Horace never bothered to meet with them officially in his audience chamber anymore, instead inviting them into one of his private lounges where they sipped on wine poured by scantily dressed slaves as they discussed the state of the realm.
“How goes your work on the golem construct?” asked Emperor Horace.
“It’s slow, but consistent,” said Mythril. “The basic idea is sound, but there’s a lot of busywork involved. Chiseling the shape of the body, inscribing the motion wards into each joint. That sort of thing.”
“You should take Diya’s advice and buy a slave to assist with the process,” said Emperor Horace. “I’ll even lend you the funds. This project is a priority for the defense of our realm, I must remind you.”
“As I’ve said before,” said Mythril. “It’s better if I work on it myself and keep my work as private as possible. We know that the abolitionists have at least a few enchanters among their ranks. A slave assistant would pose the risk of being bribed or abducted, letting the design fall into enemy hands.”
“I suppose that’s true,” said Emperor Horace. “Your thoughts, Diya?”
Diya shrugged. “I trust Mythril’s judgement on this. His mystica is his obsessiveness, after all.”
“And yours is a constant need for praise and attention,” said Mythril, with a smile.
Emperor Horace had stood up from his chair and was slowly pacing along the back of
the room.
“I have a mission for the two of you,” he said. “The abolitionists have been growing bolder over the past few months,” he said. “They’ve been establishing small outposts outside the Cursed Coast, some of which border the Capital Islands. My watchers have informed me of one that I’d like for you to handle.”
“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” asked Diya.
“Yes…” The Emperor sighed. “It’s possible that I made a mistake with my policy of lenience. We have no need for the ruined soil of the Cursed Coast. I assumed that if I left them to the Empire’s outskirts, their radical rhetoric would carry no power.”
“You intend to send only the two of us?” asked Mythril.
“My watchers tell me that it’s a contained operation,” said Emperor Horace. “A guard, a few spies, and a slave or two. More of a waystation for rebels intending to infiltrate our ranks than a proper outpost.”
“We can handle that,” said Diya. “Right, Myth?”
“Yes…” said Mythril, in a considering tone. “Why us, though? It wouldn’t be hard for you to send in a joint contingent of soldiers and mages to run this place over if it’s as small as you say.”
Emperor Horace leaned forward against the back of his chair. His hair was glossy and black, cut short and unobtrusive to keep it from distracting from the essence crystal studded crown he wore on his head. He wasn’t a particularly tall or handsome man, but there was a glimmer of confident guile in his eyes that made up for it.
“I’ve given you both preferential treatment,” said Emperor Horace. “It’s been the case for years now. You’re both my friends, and as much as it pains me to put you into danger, I must ensure that you have the respect of the other lords along with my own.”
Mythril and Diya both nodded.
“Let me be clear about this,” said Emperor Horace. “I do not enjoy violence. But the abolitionists cannot be allowed to gain a significant foothold outside of the Cursed Coast. I wish for the two of you to make a statement in this. None must be allowed to survive.”
Sword Sirens Page 23
