by Jamie Hawke
“We will beat this, you and I,” Rianne said, but then pulled Megha’s hand away, kissing it. “But… as to the issue of sacrifice…”
“Say it.”
“We must make them, and for us, our sacrifice is this.”
Megha pulled her hand out of Rianne’s. “Don’t say it.”
“If they sense your feelings for me, they’ll be able to break you. To trace you back to us, to cast spells I won’t be able to counter.”
“Rianne, no…”
Rianne turned to the shore, kneeling to retrieve her clothes. “It’s the only way. I have seen it, and all others end in disaster. But trust me, dear, you will find another. Far in the future.”
“And if I don’t want another?”
“You will.”
With that, the surroundings faded, light descended on us and then transported us into the woods. Megha moved quickly, darting between trees, Drow at her side. Others were there, too, and in the lead, I could make out several orcs. This was a different group than any I’d ever seen before, for sure.
She hesitated at one tree, glancing out to see a Drow I was pretty sure I recognized. Her mind went back and forth with the idea of lashing out right there, to strike dead the Drow, maybe go all-out against the orcs and be ready for a stronger force that approached from the rear.
But instead, she cursed and carried on, knowing she had a larger role to play in all this. Still, I could feel her heart yearning for Rianne.
The darkness of the woods gave way to light, and we emerged at the edge of a path, a great cliff on one side. The clash of battle sounded in the distance, stone giants falling and spells exploding.
This was the battle! The one I had been involved with, and there it was. Megha, as I was very much aware, had been undercover on the other side. She was charging forth now with this group of miscreants, and there at her side was a young Fatiha.
A sideways glance at me and Fatiha stopped in her tracks. Megha came to a stop, too, turning to see Fatiha pointing at her with a shaking finger.
“You… you get the fuck out of her.”
I blinked, confused, and looked around. Or was it Megha looking around? I couldn’t be certain.
“I’ve seen you in visions. I know the role you hope to play in all this, and I won’t fucking let you!” Fatiha strode up to me, that shaking finger in my face. Megha’s face… fuck, I didn’t know, but it was there!
So, I spoke. “You need to be stopped.”
Fatiha shook her head, reaching out and pulling me from Megha. Yes, she actually pulled me out of Megha, and over toward the edge of the cliff. A glance back showed Megha standing there, frozen, the rest of them, too.
For a moment I thought she would throw me from the cliff, but she stood there, holding me, pointing.
“Look!” she shouted.
I did. Over the edge and down below, where a vast battleground was revealed. Upon it, thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of dead orcs and the like. Monsters.
“No, not fucking monsters!” Fatiha shouted, pulling me so close that my nose nearly touched hers. “Lives. Creatures that mattered every bit as much as those fucking elves, every bit as much as you.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted.
“Armies… armies of men who can’t handle the idea that creatures like these would ever exist among them. The same men who will see to it that history books forget, that the people of your time will populate the world with fictional accounts, so that any idea that it ever once could have been real is discredited.”
“And Rianne? The others?”
“Are doing what they think is right. Fighting me and mine because we cross lines, because we aren’t afraid to hurt people to make the world a better place. But, don’t you see?” She indicated the myriad bodies. “They are no different than us!”
I gulped, confused. Why would Megha have brought me here? Did she know this would happen?
“Don’t worry about her.” Fatiha pulled me back, away from the cliff, and shoved me away so that I fell on my ass. “Worry about me—when we meet, remember this moment.”
Her next step was a blur, one that threw me right back into Megha’s body and we were running towards the battle lines, but then backward, away from it, moving in time. Megha with Fatiha, in a tent, orcs there, a female orc holding the male as he bled out, blood seeping into the ground.
“This cannot stand,” Fatiha said, and glanced at me.
Where are you? Megha’s thoughts came to me.
I reached out to her, trying to understand what was going on, and found myself in a village. There was a man bashing a woman’s head against a wooden pole, the woman collapsing to the ground, me running to her and shouting, “Mother!” before the man’s knee caught me in the face and sent me onto my back, staring up at a thatched roof with blurred vision.
Turning my head, I looked at the woman—a Drow—thinking, Mother, stay with me. Stay…
Everything shook and blurred more, blackness shooting across my vision in streaks, and then Megha was there, grabbing me and pulling me into her and I was back, flying over D.C., landing on a tree as the creature beneath her vanished.
You disappeared for a while, her thoughts said.
I’m back.
You saw.
It wasn’t a question, but a simple statement. We shared certain parts of our minds, and she was aware of what I had witnessed.
What she said doesn’t make her right, doesn’t justify all of this, I sent her way.
Not in the slightest.
At least we agreed on that, although I wasn’t sure why Megha thought it necessary to show me. Did she somehow think I would change anything about our trajectory? For the moment, I couldn’t linger on it, because we had a job to do.
Megha had the same thought, apparently, because she lowered herself from the tree, drew a deep breath, and started strolling up to the mansion in front of us.
142
Everything about walking into that coven felt like a trap, and yet we were sending Megha in all by herself. Well, by herself and with me, mentally at least. My ability to sense magic and danger showed me alarms going off, various wards being activated.
But nothing that said one way or the other how they were reacting to her arrival.
You’re breathing too loud, Megha communicated.
I’m not even breathing where you are, I responded.
She chuckled. Messing with you.
She was almost to the door before the first sign of life showed up, and even then, it was in the form of a translucent Drow. He wore long robes of silver over black, with black eyeliner that moved into a point in a way that reminded me of women in Ancient Egypt. His white hair fell over his shoulders but was pulled back behind his pointy ears.
“Megha, to what do we owe the honor?” he asked.
It’s not going to work, Megha sent, instantly on alert. But I’m going for it anyway.
Be… careful.
“I’m here to speak with Fatiha,” Megha said. “Is she in?”
The Drow offered a smile, and only when looking closely did I notice the hint of scorn. Megha was right. Still, she was going for it.
“Of course. She was expecting you.” The Drow moved aside, motioning Megha in.
She entered the place to find it vastly different from when we had last been there, right before I had been arrested. No charade here, even the first floor was pure witch’s coven, now. Complete with runes, walls covered in images of Fatiha and supposed battles she had been in, and more. Draperies, furniture with clawed edges, a large fireplace, and elaborate candelabras. It was like someone had taken what they thought a witch’s place should look like and done a makeover. Almost humorous, really.
Megha even let out a chuckle. Maybe it was her humor I felt at the situation, rather than mine. As she kept on, I was surprised by how little opposition she faced. So far, nothing. In fact, when she stepped into a stone room lined with red carpet to see three witches lounging on a couch
, none of them seemed to care much that she was there. All looked at her with dazed expressions, one even smiling slightly at her, then they continued with their conversation about how to master a certain spell that allowed one to transform to stone. They seemed to think the gargoyle situation was some sort of trick, done on purpose.
The idea that she could fit in didn’t appear so farfetched. In the next room, she found a man bent over a chest, looking for something within. He stood and turned to her, cocked his head, and licked his lips.
“Who are you?” Megha asked.
“Chris,” the man said. “And you are?”
She glanced his way, allowing me to scan the guy to try and figure out what he was. Confusingly, he showed up as being out of place there. Some magical powers, maybe, but… not belonging.
“What are you doing here?” Megha asked.
He frowned, then leaned in. “Visiting, from another coven.”
She nodded, then kept moving. I’ll try not to hurt that one, if possible. For some reason, I get the sense he has a bigger role to play, a role for good.
I was sensing something too, I replied.
Fun stuff. I had to wonder what it was we would be searching for, exactly, but as Megha walked and chanted a spell of discovery, the destination was clear. No visuals, but a pull onward and down.
“Almost there,” Megha said, and this time it was out loud in her excitement.
She descended a set of stairs that led to a large, stone door. Pushing on it did no good, but a spell allowed her to walk right through the stone. There, trickling gold light formed, and I saw that Megha was in the room where Fatiha had kept her captive, and from which I had rescued her when I was here before, the one with the runes and magical items. This had to be it.
A group of witches entered, all forming around Megha. They all wore smirks, clearly meaning to trap her in this place. This was their plan—but they didn’t know I was in a sense there as well.
Shit, Megha sent. I’ve seen this before—they’re going to try to take me back. Mentally. Smart play.
Except, I won’t let them.
Good. Let’s see if you’re right.
The attack came at once, and I put my all into Megha’s defense. My spells shot out, catching the witches off guard with flurries and ice walls, sleeping spells and increased defense for Megha, while she was suddenly zipping around the room with hands in the head of one of those translucent creatures, a moment later releasing it in an explosive blast before spinning and unleashing a spell that sent concussive shockwaves through the room.
All of the witches fell back at once, flying into the far walls and collapsing to various states of kneeling and lying, some unconscious. No match for us. A good XP boost, too.
“There!” I said, able to turn my attention back to the room and seeing, as clearly as if the sun had risen at night, the magic item we were seeking.
She ran for it, spells going off around her but her magic able to counter them and keep herself safe. On the last step, she called up three of her floating translucent creatures, sending them out around her to absorb the magical attacks while she slid, snatched the item, and was out of there thanks to my ability to move the walls out of her way.
For a moment, I saw the item—a small box. An image of a crescent moon on it, and what looked like stones. Just carvings to resemble them, so… presumably the box held a stone? The magical signature of something powerful came from the box, so I assumed so. And Megha had it!
Only, something was wrong. The box was empty.
She felt it as soon as I did—a surge of magic, all manner of magical creatures converging on her location. Even the house starting to pull in on her, to try and catch her in its stone and metal. Then she had summoned the largest titan I’d seen yet, riding it as it bashed stone aside and fought as fast as it came, working to get her out of there.
But, it wouldn’t be enough.
143
“She’s not going to make it,” I said as I exited the spell.
“What?” Mizoa was there, eyes focused intently on me.
“I have to get to Megha.” I was up, already creating an exit through the house.
“You want someone who’s closer to get there first?” Mizoa called out from behind.
I spun. “Who do I know that’s closer?”
“Glitonea.”
“No way.” I turned, then cursed. “She’ll go and fight the others, not Megha?”
“Once she has word from me. Yes.”
“Do it.”
“And if you trust me, I can get you there fast, too.” Mizoa held out a hand, motioning to Yenifer. “So, what’ll it be?”
“Trust or desperation… probably more of the latter.” I approached Yenifer, gave her a pleading look, and was glad to see her nod. She would do whatever it took.
“Hop on,” Mizoa said.
Both of us gave her a confused look, but a split-second later, Yenifer picked me up, put me on her back, and turned, waiting for the next command. With a simple wave of Mizoa’s hand, we were back in Megha’s perspective, only it was like we saw through her eyes from a distance, growing closer with each second. We were using the connection to her to magically travel to her. In the meantime, I was very much aware of Megha sensing another force, of Glitonea arriving, of runes throughout the house lighting up in defense.
As Megha stumbled into the yard, house walls giving way for her at my command, she looked up to see Glitonea high above, purple light floating about her, caressing her, runes glowing and more runes of light appearing in the sky around her, cancelling out those of the house. Walls crumbled as explosions sounded from far off.
Screeching sounded first, then a burst of fire and ice as witches shot out of the crumbling building, going for Glitonea. The two forces, them versus her, were a spinning burst like a firework show, while Megha had picked herself up and summoned a new monster, charging into the fight at the outskirts when she could.
“Megha!” I shouted, coming in hot on Yenifer’s back. Riding like that was truly a rush.
Laughter echoed across the grounds, followed by screams and then an explosion of light. Megha and one of her creatures went flying away from the blast, although mid-fall she summoned a bulbous creature that absorbed her mad descent and sent her rebounding off it to return to the fight. The creature vanished as she began a new summoning. A moment later, Megha was laughing, riding on the shoulders of one of her titans, hands in its brain. The thing charged through enemies, spinning and clobbering, while she glanced my way and grinned.
“Come to join in the fun?” she asked.
“You know it,” I replied, and prepared my elemental strikes while watching Yenifer leap in to go up against some of the witches in the back.
I turned, Liahona ready if needed, and put my hand to the ground in search of Fatiha. As if in response, the ground opened up and Glitonea was thrust out, spinning in the air as she grappled three glowing red beasts. They vanished as one of her runes flared, and the ground filled back up, blocking the way to Fatiha. The witches pulled back for a moment, chanting and clearly readying a new attack.
“Welcome back!” Glitonea said. “Oh, and you brought him!”
“He’s my boo,” Megha said with a wink, then charged through the room on her titan, making the place shake and bringing down walls around her.
“When we last saw each other, you didn’t like me much,” Glitonea said, runes lighting up and purple shooting out to strike down two enemies. “Like me now?”
“For the moment,” I replied, and ran in to join the fight.
The two were tearing down opponents left and right as I braced myself with staff raised. A wave of shadow creatures came my way and I had lightning and fire shooting through the ranks, while Yenifer pounced to take on another group.
My XP shot up, and when I turned next to strike I took Fatiha with a bolt in the chest, and got a level up. The screen flashed to show me my stats, but I didn’t have time to look at it because Fatih
a had redirected her attack at me.
Apparently, striking her had given away my position, although that was fine by me. I’d rather her come at me than any of my friends or lovers. And come she did, cackling and shooting out flames and all manner of other magic from her bag of skills and also from those she had absorbed. I could feel, even sort of see, the power of each strike, only kept alive because of my new mental runes and connection to Mizoa back at the mansion.
Finally, Fatiha paused in her assault. Where I thought she might be frustrated, she just smiled.
“Thank you,” Fatiha said, and then vanished.
“What was that?” I said, turning, looking around for her.
No answer, as Yenifer landed next to me, crouched and ready. God, I sometimes forgot how huge she was, but her crouching next to me made me feel that much safer and confident. I motioned for her to follow me, and we went looking for more adversaries to do battle with.
“There should be more than this,” I said, charging through the coven, looking for more to do battle with, searching for Fatiha. “Where are they all?”
Fatiha’s haunting laugh came in response.
“You’ve stolen something from me. Surprised me in your ability to pull that off, but let’s be honest, it’s more about your team than you, isn’t it?”
“Wrong,” I countered. “My team is me.”
She scoffed. “That’s where we differ. And soon, you won’t have much of a team left.”
Judging by the glee in her voice, she meant something by that.
Riland, I sent a message back to him. Everything okay at the house?
Under siege, was his response.
“Megha!” I called out, waving over to Yenifer, realizing Fatiha had tracked the magic as we had suspected she might be able to. She had let us come here to take this chance, knowing we would leave the house that much more vulnerable. Why she found it so important, though, we would have to find out later. “The house is being attacked!”
