by Anna Eluvae
"You mentioned this when we were trapped," said Dravus. "You're going to … what, cook the guards up on the parapets?" If Dravus looked carefully, he could almost make out the small shapes up on the walls.
"No, we're going to explode their powder stores," said Lexari. He cracked his knuckles and watched as the lens began to take shape. "We've been within the walls of Castle Launtine often enough to know its layout." He crooked a finger forward. "I never supposed we'd have to do something like this, but the powder stores are just beyond that wall. We only need a lens built precisely enough to focus all the light I produce into a single point, which we'll angle straight through that window there."
"The lens focuses light on a point in space," said Nemm as she worked the glass. "We only need to make certain that the point is precisely positioned on a wall a mile away from us. Easy." She stood back to look at her work. "I think we're good to go. Dravus, if you could cover us in shadow, I would appreciate not going into combat with burnt skin."
"Wait," said Dravus. "We're doing this now?"
"It will take some time to find our range," said Nemm. "When we tell the story, it will work perfectly the first time, but in reality, it will take a half hour, maybe more. Shadows, if you please."
Dravus cloaked them all in shadow, save for Lexari. Lexari produced light from his hands, directing it towards the lens. Dravus hadn't seen anything like this before, but it was clear why it wasn't too useful; it was brighter than a hooded lantern, but the effect was mostly the same. Through the lens though, the light was angled toward a distant spot. Dravus saw no change in the castle, but he didn't have the spyglass that Nemm was using to examine their work.
"I wish we could have done this at nighttime," she said. "It would be easier to examine our work. Unfortunately, much easier to see from a distance when you're lighting up the night."
It took another twenty minutes of minor adjustments, until finally Nemm could see that the lens was focusing on the right spot. Dravus had thought that Lexari was producing a lot of light before, but now that the weapon was properly set up, the illustrati of light began pushing the full weight of his domain through him. It was all that Dravus could do to angle the shadows, but even then it was as though they were standing in strong daylight. Nemm kept her spyglass pointed at the castle.
"We're spotted," she said. "Looks like they're raising the alarm."
"Let them," said Lexari.
The base of the castle exploded outward as the gunpowder ignited, sending chunks of rock tumbling through the air. Dravus saw the walls of the castle lurch, sending men he could barely see tumbling down to the ground below. Dust, smoke, and fire rose in the distance, obscuring the castle. The sound came afterward, like a pistol shot writ large. The trees in the valley below swayed backwards. Dravus couldn't take his eyes from the scene.
"Come on," said Nemm. "We just spent the element of surprise."
Chapter 17
Wenaru often wondered what he would be without Lexari. His life had changed the day he'd found the world's greatest hero laying broken beneath an olive tree. The story was different every time Lexari told it, which had bothered Wenaru at first. In the Sovento States it was an orange tree, fully in bloom but not yet ripe with fruit. When the story was told in Maskoy, the tree became a fig tree, with fruits spoiling on the ground. Far to the south in Malwin, Lexari had claimed to be bleeding freely, staining the ground rust-red, but to the east in Palao the wounds were bloodless. It had taken Wenaru a long time to see what Lexari was doing; the stories were translations, not just conversions from one language to another, but from one culture to another. The fig tree was a symbol of peace in Maskoy. The people of Malwin would understand the blood-stained ground to be the epitome of martyrdom. Lexari was not lying; he was crafting an impression more real than truth.
In the stories, that single moment had marked Wenaru's transition from horrible monster to humble doctor. Wenaru had never felt it, not in the moment and not at any point afterward. Lexari was the only one who believed that Wenaru had a seed of goodness in him at all, let alone that this seed still had the ability to grow. Wenaru had saved Lexari's life and continued on through the strength of Lexari's belief. The books that contained Wenaru's life's work had been burned save for a few copies held by those who knew the value of them. His hospital had been razed to the ground and his name had been smeared through the mud. Lexari offered a narrow path that might yet be walked, so Wenaru walked it.
They sat together in the darkness, leaning up against the gray glass boulder that Nemm had made. Nemm and Dravus slept within, using spare clothing to cushion their heads. There was no fire to keep them warm. Lexari was uncharacteristically dark as well, with no armor to keep him protected and no spear of light in hand. Castle Launtine loomed in the distance. Tomorrow they would make their assault. It wouldn't do for someone to go investigating a fire in the woods; Lexari's light would be even more suspicious. Dawn was coming; it wouldn't be long until it would provide them with light and warmth.
"You worry about me," said Lexari. His voice was barely above a whisper, both so that the other two wouldn't wake and so no distant travelers would have a chance of hearing.
"It's bad enough when you're attacked," said Wenaru. "It's bad enough knowing that you're out there fighting, that you might sustain any number of wounds I cannot fix. The anticipation of it … I don't enjoy it."
"I had a close call with Zerstor," said Lexari. "I won't come so close to death's gateway again."
"You'll be fighting illustrati," said Wenaru. "Death can come quickly."
"You've seen the hits I can take," said Lexari. "You've seen my skill at avoiding the worst attacks in the first place."
"Yes," said Wenaru. "But you've never fought a man with two domains before."
Lexari glanced toward the glass shell with its gray, frosted glass, where Nemm and Dravus slept side by side. "Our information comes third hand," he said slowly. "Nemm isn't certain that we can trust it."
Wenaru's eyes widened. He had already been speaking at a whisper, but now he leaned forward. "What does that mean?"
"Many things," said Lexari. "If Dravus is telling the truth, he was given information by way of Hartwain. Our enemy is clever enough to have used her against us. It is well possible that they could use their leverage to coerce whatever story they wanted. More seriously, it is possible that Dravus has been compromised."
"How?" asked Wenaru. "We've been with him for weeks."
"That is less clear," said Lexari. He gazed at the sleeping form of Dravus. Wenaru felt an urge to reach out and touch him, just to confirm by the beating of his heart that he was asleep. "Nemm has her suspicions, which are so far difficult to distinguish from sheer paranoia. You heard the way that Dravus spoke back to me. How he's questioned our actions. Nemm watched him walk from Hartwain's house as though he were completely unconcerned with the possibility of ambush." Lexari shrugged. "He and Nemm have something of a complicated relationship; it may simply be that it has soured. That would not be a first for Nemm."
"We should hold off on the attack," said Wenaru. "Castle Launtine can wait until we know more. Until we can be sure of where loyalties are."
"No," said Lexari. "Yesterday's attacks were a grand play for power. Resources were spread thin to accomplish what they did. Castle Launtine should be poorly defended right now. We ran swiftly to get here; it is unlikely that reinforcements from Parance will arrive before we're ready for the assault. If they have even half the capabilities we suspect, they grow more powerful with every passing week." He stretched his arms. "Nemm and I should be able to take care of what's there. Dravus will help us; this will be a test of his courage, his will, his prowess, and his loyalty."
"I only wish I could do more to help," said Wenaru. He folded his hands in his lap and felt the flesh of his body. Everything was working properly of course. He checked his muscles every few minutes, making small adjustments with every movement. His body was the height of efficiency, but his d
omain could propel it further when he was paying attention.
"You could fight," said Lexari.
The sentence hung in the air, coiling around Wenaru like a snake.
"When Wealdwood forced his way aboard our ship in the middle of the night, coming to kill me, you disabled him," said Lexari. "You placed your hand upon his armored chest and twisted his insides just so. You did not hurt him, only stopped him from taking my life."
"You're asking me to break a vow I made," said Wenaru.
"I'm not asking," said Lexari. "I'm only stating a truth. You could fight alongside us. You would not have to kill, you could only disable as you did with Wealdwood. In doing so, you would increase our chances of survival significantly. A vow only binds a man if he wills it; the vows we make to ourselves are always the most tenuous, the most easily undone. If you decide that you will not fight beside me tomorrow, I will accept that you have honored a promise to yourself. I will think no less of you because you have put that commitment above and beyond my survival. But I know what I would prefer."
"I'm not a fighter," said Wenaru. "I don't have any of the formal training that you or Nemm have."
"You have as much as Dravus does," said Lexari. "You have a body that any man would be envious of, even other illustrati of flesh. You have enhancement across all the physical domains, bones made thick and strong by the Bone Warden and skin made both tough and pliant by Charnel. You are not a fighter, but that does not preclude you from fighting. The only question is whether you will be beside me when we rush the castle."
Wenaru was silent. The sun had risen, casting light on them. He could see the dark skin of Lexari's face, a countenance that was noble and kind even in the worst of times. His thoughts turned again to the man that he would be without Lexari. If Lexari died, there would be simple, practical consequences. The vast network of bards and storytellers would collapse, both from a lack of central focus and a lack of funds. Wenaru would be barred from a number of kingdoms that had only allowed him in because the Sunhawk had given a firm declaration of trust. There would be no one to defend Wenaru from someone trying to make their name. But the biggest impact would be that Wenaru would lose his only true friend. Lexari wasn't showing it, but the fact that he was asking showed that he was nervous about the outcome.
"Think on it," said Lexari. "I'm going to wake Nemm up so she can have a shift as guard. I would suggest you get some sleep, whatever it is you choose."
Once Nemm had stretched herself out and sat down just beside her makeshift tent, Wenaru laid down beside Lexari. Lexari was unconscious after only a moment had passed, one of the benefits of long experience in a number of wars. Wenaru was more slow to go to sleep. His head was too full of thoughts. If he waited until Lexari was in mortal danger, it might be too late. Even if he waited until just before the assault it might be too late. It was better to make the decision as early as possible.
Wenaru turned his focus inward, feeling the muscles beneath his skin. He began to think of how he would want to change, if he were going to fight. Some of it was theory, dreamed up long ago as an exercise in thought, tested only minimally to confirm that his thinking was sound. He began to alter his shape, just to imagine the fight better, going up against men with spears and swords, thick armor and illustrati powers. By the time he had finished his refinements, Wenaru's mind had been made up.
* * *
Nemm raced forward as the rubble fell, sprinting her way down the hillside and across the open valley to Castle Launtine. Her daggers were firmly locked into position on her thighs, giving her free hands to bat away the larger pieces of stone that fell from the air. The sound of the explosion was still echoing off the walls of the valley. If she pushed herself, Nemm could cover a mile in a single minute. The men and women who guarded Castle Launtine would still be trying to get their bearings by the time she got there. She spared a single quick glance behind her to make sure that Dravus was following. Whatever his other failings, he was sprinting along a few paces behind her, with Wenaru trailing after. There was a good chance that Dravus was going to die in the coming battle. A full minute of running across the valley towards the smoking castle was too much time to think on such things. Instead, Nemm put her focus forward.
An iron gate barred the way to the winding path that led up to the castle proper. Nemm approached it at speed, watching the guards running around as they tried to figure out what was going on. Anyone paying the slightest bit of attention would have seen the light Lexari had generated on the hill, which had a clear cause and effect with the explosion at the castle. These men wouldn't have drilled for something like this. Even if they had, there was little that they could do.
An ordinary man with no standing wasn't quite helpless against an illustrati. Nemm had sustained injuries in the past, some of them even as fresh as the day before. A two-handed sword or mace swung with full strength could potentially break a bone. A freshly sharpened sword could cut through skin, even if it wasn't likely to bite too deeply into flesh. There was at least some element of danger from the common man, especially if he was properly trained. The guards on the ground showed some bravery at least; they leveled their pikes at her instead of turning to run.
Nemm used the full force of her weight to slam into the first guard she came across, narrowly dodging the sharp edge of the pike. She cracked his ribcage with a shoulder check, which helped to slow her down. Her daggers were in her hands in an instant. She continued forward, advancing on the next man. The guards wore breastplates and helmets, but their faces and necks were both exposed. Altogether there were half a dozen men on the ground, with another half dozen standing at the top of the gate or somewhere within it. The men had pikes, lowered so the head was pointing straight at her; it was easy enough to shove those aside, using enough force to send the weapon spinning and put its wielder off-balance. The trick to a fight like this was to keep awareness, so that at the same time she was stabbing upward into the soft spot at the underside of the jaw, she could also make sure that she would know if anyone was approaching her from behind. Her armor was thick enough to deflect or absorb any attack a pike could manage, but it was good practice all the same.
Nemm had given three of them mortal wounds by the time Dravus arrived. He moved forward to attack one of the men with pikes, striking hard enough with his sword of shadow to put a dent in the steel armor. Nemm paid only a small amount of attention to his part of the battle; he would serve as a distraction more than anything else. He could help to flank the illustrati that they were sure to meet, but he wasn't their primary offensive weapon.
Nemm moved on to the next man, already impatient for Lexari to do his part.
* * *
Gallieae had set out toward Castle Launtine at first light.
The events of the previous day had rattled him, though he elected not to show it, even though he was alone on the road. He had been near the Ministry when the alarm had gone up; he'd rushed there as was his duty, taking the stairs three at a time and passing by younger men. There was a chance for glory here, but Gallieae only gave brief thought to that. The truth was, he had crafted enough of an enduring legend for himself that he would retain his standing for the rest of his life, even if he disappeared. He wasn't a young man anymore, trying to grab every scrap of renown that he could.
When he saw that it was Nemm in the hallway, he'd first thought that she had simply arrived before him. There was blood on her daggers though, accompanied by a manic look in her eyes. He'd thought he would get an explanation at least, but Nemm had never been one to monologue. He'd done what he could to drive her back, hoping that this wouldn't be a fight to the death. It had been the upstart who had gone after Nemm like he was being guided by the hand of fate. There were too many new illustrati in Parance these days, young, hungry men and women who had carved away their own piece of the public imagination. Perhaps it was only his age, but Gallieae felt there was something different in the character of them.
He had followed the illustr
ati of shadow out the window, trying his best to glide on the air or at least cushion his landing. He tended to think of other things while people were telling stories; he had no idea who the young man was, only that he was almost certainly going to be easier prey than Nemm was. Backed into a corner, Nemm would lash out with her knives, slicing cleanly through armor and flesh alike. The two had split their paths, which gave Gallieae an opportunity to chose between them. If he'd been a younger man, he would have chased Nemm, thinking only of the story he could tell, even if that was the wrong choice.
He'd lost the young man, though not for lack of effort. When Gallieae had made his way back to the Ministry of Legends, he'd gotten a number of shocks. The Minister of Legends lay dead, with his throat slit in his own office. Lexari had flown out a window. There were thirty dead at least, most of them Ministry soldiers, with no less than six illustrati among that number. The casualties were expected to rise as people succumbed to their wounds. Taken as a whole it was nearly unbelievable. For Nemm to take a turn towards villainy was almost expected. It often happened when an illustrati felt themselves beginning to fade. A hero falling from grace always got people talking, just as they would talk about a villain being redeemed. Nemm had enough unpleasantness lurking in her past that a fall could be anticipated. Lexari though, that was something else.
