by Jon Bender
“I am glad you achieved what you came for, Lord Jaxom, and I will be happy to lead you back to the ‘real world,’” Buewin said staring at Darian. The ice mage had the good grace to look ashamed for a moment. “We can still cover a good amount of ground before the sun sets.”
Jaxom looked up to the sky. Buewin was right. They had another three hours before it would become too dark to travel under the thick canopy. They could all fly out right then to meet up with Corin and the alliance. They would have to sleep in their saddles, but all of them, except Vaniece, were used to that by now. Then Jaxom remembered that Tandis had followed them into the forest. The village leader was confident in his people’s ability to handle the shadow mage, but Jaxom would not be able to rest until he was sure that he had not left these people in danger.
“I look forward to the fine hospitality and food of your village for one more night,” Jaxom said. Buewin beamed at the compliment and joined Laiden in his saddle.
As Jaxom placed a boot in the stirrup, Brenin moved closer and lowered his voice. “Are you expecting trouble?”
“I don’t know,” Jaxom replied, keeping his tone soft as well. “The Narux seem like capable people, but I won’t sleep if there is even the possibility that Tandis will harm them.” Brenin nodded and moved off to his own durgen. With Vaniece riding behind Adriana, the group lifted into the air.
Chapter 21
The return journey to Buewin’s village seemed quicker than the journey out, though Jaxom was willing to admit it was likely his perspective of the world that had changed and not the world itself. The heat and humidity was not so bothersome, the bright greens and dark browns of the forest seemed more vibrant, and even the looming confrontation with the dark god now seemed less of an insurmountable task. It was with that sense of renewed hope that he had spent the first day pulling in the power of death, using his magic in small ways to test his rediscovered control. This morning, he had woken feeling more sure of himself and attempted more powerful magic, casting the hardened coil to spear passing trees, or summoning bones from beneath the forest floor to create two humanoid warriors at once. He remembered doing something similar once to the remains of a deer. That memory, coupled with his experience helping Warin create a replacement arm, had given him the basics tools to invent the cast. Animating the dead required much less power, but it was a fun exercise to apply his magic. When he tried to create a third, the brand began to warm, and he stopped. He was not ready to test those limits.
Buewin had not been pleased to find the bone fighters walking behind him. The village leader was so startled that he ran his spear through one’s chest before realizing they were not a threat. Vaniece and Laiden, on the other hand, were delighted with the new cast and demanded instruction on how it was done. The apprentice was familiar with Jaxom’s bone armor and quickly succeed at binding bones together, but he could not get his construct to move quite the way he wanted. Vaniece managed to assemble one as well, but Jaxom could see the strain in her face as she struggled to hold the cast. When she released the magic, the construct disintegrated into piles on the forest floor. She had looked from the mound of bones to Jaxom’s warriors, her face silently asking how he had the strength to do almost effortlessly what she could not. He wanted to tell her that gaining that power had nearly cost him his life, but he stayed silent, once again.
They were only hours away from the village, pushing their way through a particularly dense area of tall, broad-leaved plants when Buewin froze. Raising his hand, he signaled for the group to stop before kneeling down out of sight. Sitting high up on his durgen, Jaxom peered into the forest, searching for danger. His friends moved into defensive postures. When no threat made itself known, Jaxom slipped down from the durgen and moved closer to Buewin. Kneeling next to the man, his sight was blocked by the thick foliage.
“What is it?”
Buewin looked sharply at him and raised a finger to his lips, demanding silence. His intense brown eyes never left Jaxom’s as he pointed to his ear. Jaxom nodded and strained his hearing, searching for whatever had disturbed the village leader. After a moment, he caught the sound of something large moving through the forest. Several more seconds of listening revealed that it was not one creature, but many, and they were getting closer. Jaxom stood and moved back to the rest of the group with Buewin on his heels. The older man gripped his spear in both hands and constantly checked over his shoulder.
“What is it?” Darian hissed as Jaxom climbed back into the saddle and drew his sword.
“I don’t know. Be ready,” he whispered back.
His friends moved closer together, waiting. The sounds grew louder until Jaxom wondered if it was a heard of animals charging through the forest. Buewin stood to the front, his spear held low, knees slightly bent in preparation. Jaxom could see the tension in the man’s bare back and shoulders. The sound of plants being trampled and broken became louder, and Jaxom raised his free hand. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself to use his magic in a fight. This was the first real test of whether it would obey his will or turn against him. He opened himself to the energy of death surrounding him. The world came into sharp focus. He could see the wood grain of Buewin’s spear, a red and yellow beetle crawling along a leaf, the smell of damp rot wafting up from the ground. The scent of decay mixed with the fresh smell of living plants.
He raised his free hand forward to unleash the blight when one of the great cats Buewin had called rilika sprang into view. Its sleek body landed in a crouch before them. The feline seemed to recognize Buewin immediately and took a less threatening posture. Within seconds, a woman wearing the clothes of Buewin’s people burst through the foliage, clutching a young child in her arms. Soon, dozens more women carrying or leading children emerged. They stopped at the sight of the group.
Buewin lowered his spear and rushed forward to the first woman. “Chela, what has happened?” The woman burst into tears and began babbling about shadows. Buewin tried to calm her while asking more questions, but she was inconsolable.
“Chela, go sit down and calm yourself,” said another feminine voice. Jaxom looked to the source, finding Yinafil emerging from the group. She seemed as collected as ever.
Buwein moved closer to his wife, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked her over. “Are you hurt?”
“No, but many are.”
“What happened?” Buewin demanded.
“Logeth came back this morning alone. He called for the men in the village to take up their spears and for the women and children to run.” A single tear slipped down her cheek, but her voice held steady. “As we were readying to leave, men appeared from the shadows and great monsters made of darkness came from the trees. They killed everyone they could, including children,” she said.
Jaxom’s heart sank. This was his fault. Tandis had found their village and killed these people while looking for him. He should have turned back to face the prince, even if it had cost him his life. Instead, children had died.
Buewin stared at her. “What of Logeth and the rest of our hunters? What of the rilika?”
“Logeth was alive when last I saw him. He and the other hunters and cubs were attacking from the trees to let us escape,” she said.
When Buewin did not reply quickly, Jaxom moved his durgen forward. “How many were there?” he asked softly.
Yinafil looked up, as if surprised to see him. “Lord Jaxom, I am glad you survived. I didn’t take the time to count, but many. I saw their leader, the one with only one hand. He was screaming your name, calling for you.”
“This is your fault,” Buewin said without turning. His voice was hard and his shoulders began to shake.
“Yes,” Jaxom said. “I can’t undo what has been done, but I swear they will pay for it.”
When Yinafil looked at him with gratitude, he hated himself more. He wanted her to hate him, to shout and attack him. Instead, she laid a hand on her husband’s face. “Jaxom warned us. We share equal blame for our pride and a
rrogance.” Buewin nodded stiffly.
Jaxom heard her words but could not accept them. He knew the fault lay completely with him. He had been too afraid, but he was not afraid now. Looking around, he found the others watching him with shame in their eyes. They felt the guilt as well. “Tandis came here for me. I am going to meet him.” With that, he rode his durgen past Buewin and Yinafil, picking up speed.
He did not know the others were following until Adriana moved up beside him with Buewin riding behind her. The man’s face was hard, but Jaxom saw no anger there, only resolve. Adriana laid a hand on his thigh. “I need to know you’re going to be alright.”
He tried to summon a reassuring smile and failed. “That doesn’t matter. These people are suffering because of me. I have to stop it.”
“But what about—”
“I’m in control now,” Jaxom cut her off, regretting his abruptness. She gave him a small smile and looked forward. His words had been more for him than for her. Even with the seal branded into his palm, he feared that he would once again go too far.
Thirty minutes later, they came across the first body. A man lay face down in the brown leaves, his dark clothing marking him as a shade. Jaxom’s friends spread out to his left and right, the thick trunks with their high roots obscuring both Darian and Laiden from view. Buewin had hopped down with spear in hand to investigate the shade when arrows zipped by, one embedding in the shoulder of Jaxom’s durgen. The power of death filled him on reflex , and he cast the barrier to block a second and third shaft. The thin missiles ricocheted off.
“Don’t shoot!” Buewin yelled, raising his spear above his head and waving it back and forth.
“Father?” a strong voice came from the side. A young man stepped out from behind a tall root, his bow hanging by his side. He was the mirror image of Buewin except younger and a few inches taller.
“I am so glad to see you. Where are the rest of the hunters?” Buewin asked, moving closer to his son.
“The men are scattered. The shadow skippers and the ones in dark robes are everywhere.”
“Your mother and the others are safely behind us. You have done well. Now we must--” Buewin was cut off by Darian’s shout.
Suddenly, the forest was alive with sounds. Shouts and screams came from all directions. Jaxom searched for a target and found one as a shadow-made beast dropped from above. It landed a dozen feet in front of him, offering a clear view. The magical creation was not like any shadow creature he had encountered before, with eight multi-jointed legs connected to a bulbous body. Its head was angular with two sets of large pincers that snapped independently of each other. The creature had an obvious advantage in the forest landscape.
While he studied the beast, others took swift action. Several arrows sank deeply into the shadow but caused little damage. Holding his hand out to the side, he formed the coil and whipped his arm forward just as the creature leapt for Buewin and his son. The column of white smoke caught it mid-jump and struck with the force of an iron bar, swatting the creature into a cluster of roots and plants. When it tried to stand, three of the eight legs would not support it, but the creature hardly seemed to notice. It renewed its attack, its focus now solely on Jaxom. When it leapt again, the coils were there to meet it. The twin columns of white smoke sharpened to points and stabbed through the body, pinning it to a tree. Withdrawing the spears, he let the creature fall to the ground but still it tried to rise. Hardening the ends of his cast into clubs, he brought them down repeatedly, smashing the thing until it no longer moved, and its body began breaking apart.
Turning, Jaxom looked about. Many shadows shifted in the trees. Buewin’s people were there as well, moving with ease in the forest. Brenin was still atop his durgen, bow in hand, shooting one arrow after another between the trunks. Adriana had abandoned her bow for her mace and was swinging at a shade while her durgen reared and slashed at another. Jaxon raised his hand to help her when a large black tentacle swung down from a branch above. His durgen leapt to the side, and the tentacle missed him by inches. It slammed into the ground, sending up a shower of leaves and sticks. Drawing his sword, he slashed at the thick tentacle, cutting away the last ten feet before moving out of range. The tentacle reared back and swung at him again, only to lose another several feet at the edge of his sword. A second appeared, two tentacles whipping about trying to smash him from his saddle. Each attack left him no choice but to move further away from Adriana and Brenin. He could not continue to fight like this. Even as he cut away lengths of the tentacles at a time, they continued to grow, replacing what was lost. He had to find the find priest controlling them.
He felt more than saw something move to his side and sent forth the black spheres, catching a shade. Three globes of the black smoke struck the shade in the chest and sent it flying back. The distraction was enough to allow one of the tentacles through his defense, the heavy black limb landing a hard blow on his shoulder and knocking him from the back of the durgen. The second came in from above, and he rolled away while commanding his durgen to attack. Six clawed feet and sharp fangs latched onto the tentacle, tearing away large chunks as the durgen climbed its length. Jaxom was already up and casting before the second could react to the risen. His coil speared the base of the branch from which the tentacle hung. The magic shattered the wood with a loud crack as the branch broke away, landing on the ground and blocking his path back to Adriana and Brenin. He was already moving before the green leaves that had been knocked loose floated to the forest floor. The shade was trying to stand as Jaxom ran by, swinging his sword. The edge bit into the man’s neck in a spray of red that coated the trunk.
Jaxom kept moving, searching for the priest, when he came around the tree to find his sister and Laiden fighting on the ground near their unmoving durgen and a dead shade. His apprentice held the sword out to one side as his other hand unleashed a gout of flame from his enchanted ring. The flame roared through a patch of waist-high plants and hanging vines, igniting them before continuing toward a hulking shadow beast flanked by two other shades. One shade shifted at the last second, avoiding the magic that engulfed the shadow creature, and singed the second man, whose black cloak burst into flames. Vaniece caught the other with two spheres that hit his legs. The shade tumbled to the ground as a dozen more spheres struck his prone form, ensuring he would never rise again. The shadow creature burst through the flames. Half of its body had burned away, but it was already restoring itself. It charged Laiden, each long step landing with a thud. The second shade had shed the burning cloak and was shifting from tree to tree, circling to Laiden. Jaxom was readying a cast when two hunters appeared to intercept the shade. One blocked the strike of a curved sword with the haft of his spear as the other drove the tip of his weapon into the shade’s side. Laiden jumped back as a heavy fist crashed down where he had been standing. The apprentice slashed with his sword, cutting deeply into the shadow creature’s arm and nearly severing it. Vaniece pulled bones from the ground to unleash on the creature, the white daggers ripping chunks of its body away.
Seeing that the two had the situation in hand, he scanned the forest, searching for the one controlling the creature. His eyes snagged on a strange shape huddled in the shadow of a tree. Seeing Jaxom, the priest moved out into the open. Raising his hand, the robed man formed several black daggers and released them. Jaxom was in a roll before the daggers flashed overhead and came up casting the blight. The twirling columns of black and white smoke reached for the priest. A wall of shadow erupted before the man, and Jaxom was forced to direct the blight over the top. By the time his cast had crested the other side, the man had fled in the opposite direction. Taking up the chase, he ran forward with his arm outstretched. The coil flashed out several times to spear through the wall. The repeated strikes created a hole large enough for him to run through.
He was several dozen steps behind the priest, who was using the terrain to his advantage. Jaxom unleashed several orbs after him, only to see them slam into a tree or t
all root the man had just hurtled. The priest tore through a tall, dense area of undergrowth and disappeared from sight. Following him through and emerging out the other side, Jaxom was forced to dip and fling his sword up to deflect the curved edge aimed at his neck. The desperate move cost him as another shade shifted to his other side, its blade drawing a line of blood across his thigh. Stumbling back, he formed the coil and drove it through the second shade’s chest before it could shift away. Not bothering to withdraw the spear, he released the cast and gripped his sword in both hands. The first shade’s next attacks came in a flurry of slashes as Jaxom whipped his blade to the left and right, fending them off. Finally regaining his balance, he countered with an arcing, downward stroke aimed at the man’s knee. His sword whistled through the air, never making contact, as the shade shifted back two steps. He brought his sword up into a ready position to close the distance. He sensed more than saw the spider-creature dropping from above. With no time to move away from the multi-jointed legs, he dropped to a knee while thrusting his sword up. Even as the tip passed cleanly through the point where the body connected to the head, one of its pointed legs tore through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground. The pain caused his head to swoon and vision to blur, his arm losing its grip on his sword. The shadow creature was dead, but its leg had passed cleanly through him and buried itself into the dirt, its bulky weight pressing him against the ground. Half buried underneath, he watched as the body began to disintegrate, but not fast enough.
He was preparing to cast when he heard a soft chuckle. Tandis stepped out from the shadows wearing a wicked grin that pulled the scar on his cheek tight. He was still dressed in the green coat of Kelran, and Jaxom wondered how the man could stand wearing it in the unbearable heat of the forest. His right hand, which Jaxom had severed in their last encounter, had been replaced with one made of shadow. As they talked, he flexed it several times.
