"That’s mine. Give it back," she hissed. "The caravan's mine too. You stole it. Give it to me!"
U'ka stared at the woman again. "You're not in any position to make such demands."
The red headed woman cursed under her breath.
"By the way, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you. Who gave you this amulet? It's very well crafted. Gave you defensive magic well beyond your abilities. You pulled too much power, though. It's going to take some time to recharge," said U'ka, putting the amulet in her pocket.
The woman laid her head back in defeat.
"We need to talk. If you promise not to run, I'll have Teek remove the vines."
"What if I don't want to talk to you?"
"I think it'll benefit us both. We have much to learn from each other," stated U'ka.
"I'll talk if you give me back my caravan."
U'ka shook her head. "I can't do that right now. When my mission is over, I will get it back to you. You have my promise."
"What mission?" the woman said. She looked over at Teek standing guard next to them.
"I don't know how much I can trust you, so I can only tell you it’s important for the future of Eleanthra," said U'ka
"But I'm supposed to trust you?"
"You don't have much choice right now. Teek, let her go."
The vines withered and fell away. The woman sat up and looked quickly around. U'ka knew the woman was debating whether to run or not, but made the wise decision to stay put.
"I'm U'ka," she said, holding out her hand.
"Nallah," she responded, refusing the handshake.
"I can feel you are a powerful Healer. You studied at the Citadel?"
"No, at the Healers Hall in Paern. I was an apprentice until . . ."
"This isn't your caravan then. They don't give
such well-equipped caravans to apprentices."
"It belonged to my Master Teacher. I was studying under him. Learning Touch Healing."
"That's a very rare power," said U'ka.
"Yes. I learned the craft from Master Healer Shenn. It's his caravan."
"He's one of the best Healers in Eleanthra. Where is he now?" said U'ka.
"I'm not sure. We got separated. Shenn hid the caravan when we couldn't outrun the Daemons. He gave me this amulet so I could hide and left to help some seaside village, but never came back. A Green Jyll found me and brought me here through the Green Ways. I've been hiding from marauders ever since."
"It's late. Let's get some food," said U'ka holding out her hand to help Nallah stand.
Teek led them to a small clearing where they would camp for the night. U’ka prepared their meal and pulled a bottle of Lahm’s wine from the Infinity Chest. She poured them both a cup and handed a plate to Nallah, who quickly wolfed down the food.
"Sorry," she said, embarrassed. "I haven't eaten real food in a very long time. Eating nuts and berries gets old after a while."
"Try the wine, it's excellent," said U'ka, raising the cup to her lips.
Nallah drained her cup and continued to scarf down her food.
"It's my turn for some questions," said Nallah with a mouth full of food. "You're a Blood Witch, aren't you? No one else could have blocked those spells so easily."
"Yes."
"How did you survive the fall of the Citadel? I thought all the Blood Witches were killed."
"I just got lucky."
"Guess we both got lucky," said Nallah holding out her cup for more wine.
U'ka refilled both their cups. "You've been out here for a long time. Have you seen any large game animals?"
Nallah thought for a moment. "Now you mention it, no. Isn't that odd?
"Yes, it is. We haven't seen any in our travels either. I've been trying to figure out what happened to them. The Green Folk don't know either."
"Well, I haven't pondered it much with just trying to stay alive and all," said Nallah, once again draining her cup. "This is an outstanding wine, by the way."
"How come you haven't left these woods. If you follow the coastline south, there's the fishing village of Forlorn."
"The forest has been preventing me from leaving. The Green Jyll who left me here said I’d be needed for a task and others would come soon. I assume that means you."
"I don't know anything about this," said U'ka with a puzzled look. She turned to look at Teek; a low rumble told her there was a task they needed to fulfill soon.
"This is why we've been heading north? Why didn't you tell me? Remember that conversation we had about NOT keeping these kinds of things from me?"
Teek shrugged and turned back to the darkness. U'ka was about to chew him out when she saw a faint light several leagues away.
"What’s that glow?"
"A volcano erupted during the war and hasn't stopped. Destroyed the city of Satchlym," answered Nallah.
"Great. Another ruined land to deal with."
U’ka knew Teek was subtly guiding their journey to the various ruined lands and wished he’d given her some warning about this. She looked back at him and saw roots from his feet dug into the soil. He was communicating through the Green Ways. Once again he was keeping her in the dark about his plans. How in the dark realms am I going to extinguish an active volcano?
"What's that?" said Nallah.
"Daemon magic corrupted the land in many areas of Eleanthra. I've been breaking the curses so the Green Folk can do their healing."
Nallah snorted. "Good luck with that. I don't think there's any way the land's coming back from the damage of a volcano."
"That's their responsibility, not mine. I just have to break the curse," said U'ka, picking up the last piece of dried fish and popping it in her mouth.
"I take it you studied at the Citadel?" said Nallah.
"Yes, and I hope to rebuild it someday. I'll be counting on you to teach a new generation of Healers so we can rebuild the guild."
"I'm not sure I'm up for that," said Nallah, holding out her cup for a refill.
U'ka poured the last of the wine, looking sadly at the now empty bottle. "You're probably the only Touch Healer left unless you've heard of any other magic users who survived the war."
"I've been stuck in this forest since the war ended, I haven't heard anything. I'm lucky to still be alive. I've been living in an underground cave. The Green Jyll who left me here gave me a hunting spear and bow and arrow. I broke my last arrow a week ago. Hunting has been a little hard without it," said Nallah, downing half her cup.
"I'm sorry things have been rough for you. It hasn't been easy for anyone since the war ended. In any case, I hope I can count on you when the time comes," U'ka said. "We have a big day tomorrow. I'm turning in. You should get some rest too. Teek will be guarding the camp. No one gets in or out."
"I think after all this wine, the only place I'm going is to pass out," said Nallah, her eyelids drooping heavily.
U'ka went to the caravan to pull a bedroll from the infinity chest and tossed it to Nallah. She wrapped the blankets around herself, rolled on her side and began lightly snoring.
11
Darkness Wakes
A ray of sunshine pierced the opening of the caravan, striking U'ka’s face, dragging her into wakefulness. She sat up and stretched, rubbing at the pain in her forehead, the aftereffects of the wine from last night. Reaching into one of the drawers, she pulled out a piece of Willoh Bark for her headache. Nallah was already up and happily making the morning meal.
"How can you be so chipper after all the wine last night?" said U'ka, shading her eyes and slowly stepping out of the caravan.
Nallah touched her finger to her temple. "Instant hangover cure."
"Must be nice," U’ka said, picking up a plate of food.
"I can cure you too," said Nallah reaching out her hand.
"No. The Willoh Bark is kicking in. Save your healing power for what's ahead," said U'ka, sitting by the fire to eat her food.
"Got any more of that yummy wine?" said Nallah holding
out her cup.
"This early in the morning? Let's wait until later. You should eat."
"Already ate. Kind of bored actually. When do we get started?"
As if on cue, the Green Ways opened behind them.
"They're here, so I guess now," said U'ka, shoving the rest of the food in her mouth.
A tall Iron Oak Green Jack approached the camp. He stood before Teek as they grabbed each other's forearms in greeting; leaning forward to touch their foreheads. U'ka suspected he was one of Teek's offspring as they were very similar in appearance. He motioned for U'ka to join them. A low rumble told her the Green Jack's name was Ash. She gave him a slight bow, then took Teek's outstretched hand. It was time to go.
They passed through the Green Ways, entering into a land filled with scorching heat. The volcano's dome loomed in the distance. The heat from the lava all around them was almost unbearable. Out of the steaming dome, a roaring tide of lava burst forth, filling the basin with an ocean of fiery waves.
The lava flowed around the remains of blackened buildings. On a tall, partially collapsed stone bridge lay the charred remains of people who desperately tried to get away from the lava, only to be burned alive by the intense heat. The molten rock flowed into a vast chasm that was an ugly wound on the land, a wound which would be healed today if everything went right.
Teek brought her to the north side of the volcano. Ivy took up the eastern point. Teek left her and appeared at the west end of the volcano dome. Nallah stepped out of the Green Ways with Ash at the southern tip.
They took up the cardinal points to maximize their power. Other Green folk formed a circle around the volcano, connecting the four points. U'ka knew then it would take all their combined magic to quiet the power of this fiery volcano. She raised her hand, drawing out the Spell Breaker symbol. Instead of red, it glowed green from energy the Green Folk poured into the symbol, blending with her magic.
U'ka gasped at the raw, pure power of the earth magic. She’d always assumed their magic was incompatible. This was a glorious melding of power, comparable to true Blood Magic she could no longer access. An energy ring formed around the volcano, pressing in all around her, drawing in more and more power. The symbol flared even brighter as she pushed every ounce of her magic into the Spell Breaker symbol. The ground shook, fissures opened up all around belching hot steam into the air.
U'ka felt the Green Folk’s power pressing in on her, filling her with their energy until she thought she might burst. It was a dizzying amount of power. The air pressure changed; she felt her ears pop. A loud groan filled the air. The symbol flared one final time as the spell driving the volcano shattered. Flinching away at the blinding flash, she fell back from the release of the overwhelming power, hands burning when they touched the hot rocks.
She scrambled back to her feet. The Green Folk refocused their energy to Nallah, who sent her Healing magic flowing deep into the volcano's dome. Rejoining the power circle, U’ka raised her hands, sending her magic out through the circle, feeling it blend with the earth magic of the Green Folk. She felt connected to all of Eleanthra. Gasping, her pupils widened from the power flowing all around her. She hadn't been connected to this much power in a long time. She reached out with her magic to Nallah, feeling the tremendous well of power she held. U’ka had drastically underestimated Nallah's magical potential.
The earth continued to rumble. Huge lava balls shot out of the volcano; its final death throes before the flow from the volcano sputtered and choked. A last bit of smoke and steam streamed into the air and then started to clear; the lava flow slowly came to a halt.
It felt like the earth breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, U'ka realized this was the heart of Eleanthra bleeding out. The earth continued to pull Nallah's healing magic into itself until the opening in the volcanic dome hardened and sealed for good. The Green Folk fed her more power so she wouldn't falter.
Through the connection with the Green Folk, U'ka felt the land regaining its power. All over Eleanthra the Daemon curses holding the ruined lands shattered and fell away. She gasped again when the Green Folk pushed away her magic. Her job finished, they didn't need her anymore. A calm feeling washed over the land; she bathed in its intense warmth. Nallah let out a loud whoop. All the power merging with her healing magic must have felt incredible. U'ka had gotten just a small taste and it was something she’d never forget. They’d done it, a blending of powers she’d not thought possible. Together they tamed a volcano.
All around them, the lava began to cool and harden to a steamy mass of dark black rock. Despite the heat still permeating the land, U'ka felt a coldness rising deep inside herself. It was something she hoped would remain dormant, but now it was waking and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Doubling over at the clawing feeling inside of her, she reached out towards Teek, calling his name. He appeared behind her, scooping her up before slipping back into the Green Ways, where they reappeared at their encampment.
U'ka lay in the fetal position; arms wrapped tightly around her knees as her whole body shook.
"Tell the Green Folk not to bring Nallah back here," she said, struggling to speak. Screaming, unable to hold the disguise spell, her eyes glowed a deep red as the Daemon spirit inside her came to full consciousness.
'Ahhhh . . . That healing spell did the trick. I've been struggling to wake for so long, not that those delicious nightmares weren't entertaining, darling, but don't you think it's time to throw some Blood Magic around? We could create some beautiful destruction together just like we did when we led the Daemon hordes.'
Teek growled, reaching down to grab U'ka around her neck with his iron grip. She futilely pulled at his hand, gasping for breath.
There was deep anger in Teek's face. She knew fear for the first time in a long while. He could easily snap her neck and end her. Pain and pressure built in her head. Breathing became harder and harder. She needed to regain control quickly. Bahlmet, her Daemon, was still weak. She hadn’t used any Blood Magic, which fed him the power he needed to possess her mind again, control her like he did during the war. This was still her body. He was an unwelcome guest who’d long overstayed.
"He'll kill us both if you don't stand down," she said out loud to Bahlmet.
U'ka pulled what little reserves were left to her, closed her eyes and pushed him back into the dark reserves of her psyche, slamming the door shut. He banged on the door, searching for any weakness in her mind's defenses. It wouldn't last long, but it was the reprieve she needed. She had to show she was still in control. Teek glared menacingly at her one last time before releasing his hand from her neck and helping her sit up.
A familiar weight settled into the sheath across her back. U’ka did not need to look back to know her semi-sentient Daemon great sword, Blood Drinker, returned now that her Daemon was awake. She brought up the disguise spell around her eyes to hide their blood-red Daemon coloring.
"Have Ash take Nallah to Lonely Hilltop. She can help the injured that remain there. He needs to be her guardian and make sure nothing happens to her. She's too important to lose, especially if I fail to close the Gateway."
Teek nodded and closed his eyes, sending the message to Ash and the rest of the Green Folk. A moment later, Ivy appeared from the Green Ways.
"So Battibahla, Hand of Blood and Destruction has truly returned," she sneered. "Know this, if Teek falters in his duty to kill you if you lose control, I will not fail in that endeavor. I will not allow you to destroy the land again."
Part Two: Revelations
1
The One Seed
In the beginning, there was darkness and warmth. It was content in this state having never known another way to be. At times, there were vibrations in the area around it. The shaking did not scare it. Instead, the vibrations gave it a sense of comfort. It felt watched over and cared for. It did not know how it knew this, but it did. There were times it sensed even more movement.
The area around it felt different at times.
It knew it was not always in the same space. It had no way to know how long it was in its current state as it did not know the concept of time. But there was a sense it’d been in this state for a long time. In its own way, it began to wonder if it would always be in this state. Would it change or was its existence in the darkness and warmth the entirety of its being? Was this all there was?
There came a time when there was a great sense of movement — more than it ever experienced before. Something was happening, but it did not know what. Warmness enveloped its being. It felt a sensation of falling before cool dampness abruptly surrounded it. The area around it was now different, still dark, but with a softness, it never felt before. Cold wetness filled the area around it. It did not like this new state of being and wanted the warmth back. How long would it be like this, it wondered? It felt all alone. What was happening?
For the first time in its existence it was unhappy with its state of being. It felt the need to change, to get away from the cool wetness surrounding it. Somehow, it needed to move. It struggled for a long while, then something within began to change. A new structure grew out of its side, pushing up through the damp darkness until it broke out into intense warmth, more than it ever experienced before. It opened up, reaching out to absorb as much of this warmth as possible, turning to where the heat was strongest. There was no more darkness. It liked this new state of being in the warmth of the light.
When the darkness came again, it became afraid the warmth was gone forever. It closed upon itself and despaired. After a time, the warmth came back and it rejoiced. It opened up, bending toward the heat, wanting to be closer to the heat. It grew and grew, becoming larger and more complex than before. Many cycles of light and dark came and went, it continued to evolve. The first new structures that developed, allowed it to make out more than just light and dark. It saw the source of the warmth high above, glowing fiercely. Other things floated lazily across a vast expanse. When these things gathered together wetness fell from above which helped to nourish and make it grow more.
The Blood Witch Chronicles Page 11
