No sooner had he successfully deflected the missiles than Thaelios had to refocus on the other orcs. Their sword-wielding enemies had overrun Jaiden, who split their approach. One of the orcs fell from his saddle as he passed, a victim to Jaiden’s prowess, but the other bore down on the Shapers.
He pulled his horse to a stop as he came alongside Thaelios, who must have seemed and easy target, weaponless and unarmored. As the orc warrior’s sword sliced in a lethal arc toward his head, Thaelios shifted his shielding disc to interpose. The force of the blow, absorbed by the spell, was strong enough to knock the weapon from its wielder’s hand.
The orc’s surprised eyes suddenly shifted behind Thaelios, who had no idea what Dyphina might be up to. With a guttural shriek, the orc dropped the reins and lifted his hand to cover his face. A couple breaths later he pulled it away, and Thaelios could see his eyes were covered with a white film.
The moment’s distraction spelled the rider’s end. He gasped horribly and spit out blood as the glowing tip of Jaiden’s sword exited from his belly, having pierced both his crude armored hides and flesh.
Another volley of arrows nearly took Thaelios by surprise. He blocked one with his spell, though another stuck into his cape, just beneath his left arm. The orcs reached for new arrows, but Jaiden wasn’t going to leave them unchallenged. After removing his sword from the impaled orc, he grabbed its lifeless body and pulled it down from the saddle. The horse snorted an objection to the shifting weight, but allowed Jaiden to replace its former rider.
One of the archers noticed the development and began wheeling his horse around to flee. The other, however, was too focused on his shot. Thaelios was ready and easily blocked it, though shortly after the arrow flew, the orc noticed a mounted Jaiden bearing down on him.
With not much time to maneuver, the orc dropped his bow and tried to draw another weapon to defend itself. It never got the blade from its sheath. Jaiden caught up and, in one fierce slice, severed the creature’s arm above the elbow. Another blow quickly followed, ending the screaming howl of the injured.
Thaelios looked back down the beach for the final archer, but it had a significant head start. He dropped his spell and turned to make sure Dyphina was alright. Her body hummed with a residual radiance, her beauty so intense it nearly frightened him. “You blinded him, just like in the Arena,” Thaelios surmised.
Dyphina nodded. “This time I was still afraid,” her voice shook, “but it was intentional. I called upon it.” She exhaled deliberately. “And what about you? I’ve never seen that spell before.”
Thaelios cracked a satisfied grin. “Well, perhaps you’d have picked up some new spells if you weren’t paying so much attention to our young friend.”
Jaiden rode up leading a spare horse, then lifted his visor and dismounted. “They must have followed us. Someone isn’t too keen on our association.”
Thaelios agreed, though he didn’t know how their enemies could have found out where they were so quickly. He kneeled over the dead orc lying nearby. “There,” he said, pointing to an inscription etched into its dark hide armor. “It’s the same as on the Mystic in the animal pens. Saffron said that was the mark of the Name of the Beast.”
“It’s the same group responsible for the death of the Prince,” Jaiden said. He peered at the thickly growing trees to the south, perhaps to make sure no more orcs awaited them. “We’ll have to stay alert as we travel.”
“But at least now we have horses,” Dyphina added.
“Their swords may be a little heavy for you, but we’ll check the steeds. Perhaps they stowed smaller weapons you could arm yourselves with.”
“I’m decent with a bow,” Thaelios mentioned, looking back to where the archer had fallen. “What about the bodies?”
“We don’t have time to bury or even burn them,” Jaiden responded. “Perhaps the snow will conceal them if enough falls. We should start moving; we may be able to stay ahead of them.”
Dyphina was already lifting herself into an empty saddle. “Do you think there are more?”
“There are always more enemies.”
Thaelios claimed the bow the dead archer had discarded and redistributed some of the supplies from his pack to his animal’s to lighten his own load. A thin layer of white was already covering the bodies of the fallen by the time they were on their way.
By noon, the snow had stopped and they reached a small town at the northernmost point of the Ifelian Corridor. The road continued north toward Koriskon, but they were thankfully moving south, back into the forests of Thaelios’s homeland. They ate their midday meal in a field on the outskirts to avoid attention, but Dyphina convinced them to let her visit a tavern and gather what news she could. Thaelios agreed it was worth the risk, not knowing what had changed in the last few months, especially in Cauzel’s absence.
She returned two hours later with a loaf of fresh bread and a general sense of unease from the townspeople. Supposedly, raids upon merchants and even attacks against regular folk had increased, seemingly concentrated along the northern side of the Corridor. Fewer suppliers were willing to make the journey down to Pasaxtree, and that was creating a shortage of goods from the Northern Reaches. With that grim news further urging their sense of caution, the three companions made their way to the road and were soon under the bare winter boughs of the Ifelian forest.
Thaelios counted them lucky not to have passed another soul heading north along the road, though he recognized it was unusual for what Cauzel had described as a well-traveled thoroughfare. Had the humans really become so fearful of using their own road? The Eladrin would normally welcome such abandonment, but Thaelios doubted it was a good omen.
“So, what else have you learned from Cauzel’s spellbook?” Dyphina asked after they’d ridden for some time in silence.
The sun was hidden behind a layer of low clouds, and the dusting of snow had rendered the land in an austere pallet. Normally reluctant to share arcane knowledge, Thaelios thought the backdrop appropriate for secrets. “Our master had been working on a spell for elemental resistance, not unlike what the Temple of Eternal Flame used for protection against Saffron in the Arena. Only, his would simultaneously guard against fire, frost, lightning, and even acid.”
“That’s impressive.” Dyphina’s face was obscured by the hood of her cape, but he could hear the sincerity in her tone. “And you’ve learned how to cast it?” There was the doubt he expected.
“Not yet,” Thaelios answered. “Cauzel never finished his formula, but I could tell where he was headed from his notes. I’m attempting to complete the spell, but I need access to his full research. I hope to work on it once we reach the Perch.”
“Criesha has granted me a few powers that I would call miraculous,” Jaiden chimed in. “But I’m clearly just a vessel. How do regular people, like Willem for instance, learn to do magic?”
Thaelios shook his head. “Not everyone can. I know scholars from different cultures debate this, but eladrin tradition tells us the presence of the Avatars filled the world with what we might call, ‘magic potential.’ Some creatures have a trait, a bloodline if you will, that allows them to feel the presence of this potential. Anyone possessing that Spark is capable of Shaping, but that is not enough. You still have to learn to manipulate the energy into a useful arrangement. Practice helps.”
“So, it’s kind of like swordplay?” Jaiden replied. “I mean, anyone can pick up a blade, sure, but the combination of balance, strength, and dexterity … not to mention instinct – some people are just born with it. Even then, I practiced every day for years to get where I am today.”
“Sure, it’s sort of like that,” Dyphina offered.
Thaelios smiled. Jaiden probably couldn’t tell from her tone that the half-fey was teasing him. “The hour is getting late. Should we set up camp away from the road?” He would have liked to keep going, but he knew the humans needed sleep to be at their best, and it was prudent that Jaiden remain alert.
The
y camped west of the road, far enough off and behind a grove of evergreens to be shielded from view. Dyphina cast an enchantment over them to mask their scent while they slept. Thaelios kept watch for a while, reading in Trigilas’s book until it grew too dark. He’d been pleased with his casting of the shielding spell and was eager to continue learning. At last he tranced, leaving enough time to replenish and still start breaking down camp before the others awoke.
“We should follow the road until it’s time to camp tonight,” he said, once they got moving. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll cut southeast through the forest toward Blackfeather Perch.”
They rode at a leisurely pace, watering their horses at the tributaries that fed into the swamps of Ergilad to the east. The beasts nibbled at whatever shrubs they could find, though Dyphina bemoaned their lack of adequate food for their steeds. Thaelios promised they’d receive ample nourishment once they reached the stables at Cauzel’s tower.
The woods were quieter than Thaelios could ever remember, even in the heart of winter. With no traffic along the road and no sign of wildlife other than the occasional small mixed flocks searching for seeds, it didn’t feel exactly like coming home. Thaelios felt like this was just a quasi-real approximation of the forest he grew up in.
Finally, in the dead hours of the afternoon, he saw the first sign of other travelers. A wagon lay askew on the western edge of the road, half of it sloped down the embankment that led to a wide pool of reedy water. The Wyrmsmoke Mountains rose up shortly past the pond. No obvious sign of the horses that had been pulling the wagon could be seen, but his keen eladrin eyes did catch movement on the other side of the vehicle.
“Look, there!” He pointed to what seemed like bundles of cloth lying on the road in front of the wagon. From this distance he couldn’t be sure, but his guess was they were dead bodies. He stopped his horse and turned to the others to hear their assessment.
Instead of being cautious, Jaiden urged his horse into a trot, riding forward to investigate. Dyphina shrugged and followed suit. Thaelios exhaled his frustration and reached for his spell component pouch, searching for inspiration. He felt uncomfortable repeatedly entering situations without time to prepare. Cognizant of the how far the others were ahead of him, he sped forward as well, still holding the pouch in one hand lest he need it.
“Hello!” Jaiden yelled as he drew nearer, hoping to get the attention of whoever was behind the wagon. The response was a chorus of hisses, which caused even Jaiden to halt his approach.
Out from the concealment of the tilted, wooden side panels stepped a mixed quartet of creatures. Thaelios recognized two of them immediately from an earlier encounter – Thralls of the Nightwing. The other two were reptilian lizardfolk, like the ones that had helped that witch Annoxoria kidnap them from Cauzel’s training grounds. None of them brought up pleasant memories.
One of the lizardfolk held a heavy chest in both arms, and they all seemed to be taking account of the newcomers, especially the armored Jaiden. After another round of throaty gargles and hisses, the group broke into movement. One Thrall scrambled up the side of the wagon with the nimbleness of a squirrel, while the others all darted back behind the wagon, running for the water.
“What do we do?” asked Dyphina.
Thaelios was unsure. He didn’t like the idea of criminals getting away, especially since it appeared these creatures had murdered the wagon owners, but he was also hesitant to initiate a confrontation. Following their progress toward the pond, he saw that a couple additional lizardfolk were already swimming across to the far side with stolen goods.
Jaiden, however, didn’t hesitate for long. He dismounted and drew his sword, then charged down the road toward the sloped bank of the pool. He caught the last of the Thralls as it noisily splashed into the pond, hacking it across the back of the shoulder with his glowing blade before it could escape. It crashed face-first into the brackish water, but the others were already beyond reach. Jaiden looked at the fleeing creatures, then down at his own feet, already obscured in ankle-deep liquid and mud. “Cowards!” he called, but the lizardfolk paid his insult no mind.
Thaelios and Dyphina nudged their mounts forward as Jaiden trudged back from the edge of the pond to the road. He was looking down with a creased brow at the slain wagon drivers when they reached him.
“Are you alright?” Dyphina asked, her voice thick with compassion. “Did you know them?”
Jaiden shook his head. “Of course not.” He looked up at her. “But someone did. Some children’s fathers will never come home now.” He returned his view to the water as the last of the creatures rose from its icy grip. “What are those things?”
“We’ve run into them before,” Thaelios answered. “Annoxoria, the Shaper who put us into servitude, used lizardfolk in her raiding party. The others, though, used to be human. They’re Thralls of the Nightwing, so I don’t know why they’d be working for a sorceress.”
Dyphina shrugged. “Perhaps they’re not. More than ever, we need to regroup at Blackfeather Perch and get a better sense of what’s going on.”
“I agree,” Thaelios said. “I worry that when we get there, with Cauzel gone, we may end up with even more questions than answers.” Though after all this time, he would gladly give a month’s wages to see another familiar face, even if it belonged to Iliana.
Chapter 18
Reaping What You Sow
A nnoxoria wasn’t sure how to feel after returning to Nightwing Castle from Rinn-Rhulian. She and Thuvian were insulted by the Ellafous, though she was grateful someone was protecting the site. Though not her original goal, now that she’d discovered the Living Fire revealed another clue to whatever was hidden within the ruins, she was seized by a compulsion to investigate. Whatever the ruins specifically protected, it was Power.
On top of the emotions stirred up by their excursion, she was also painfully aware of Thuvian’s impatience for his spymaster to return. Her Lord was a man of action, and she knew that sooner or later he would act. She preferred that the choice be strategic.
For the time being, he kept busy making sure the castle was prepared for a direct attack from Sepathia, though Annoxoria was starting to suspect his sister’s retaliation was going to take a more subtle form. Wanting to stay occupied herself, she decided to do an impromptu inspection of the mines. Even if Izefet and the Aasimar had made off with all the collected Living Fire, more likely existed somewhere beneath the castle.
She had one of her ogre lashers escort her through the deepest section of their operation. If the Aasimar were already directing the laborers toward the Seeds of the Avatars when they abruptly left, it made sense that those were the areas to concentrate on exploring.
Annoxoria was irritated that production had slowed somewhat in recent weeks. Since Thuvian had ordered an end to their merchant raids along the Ifelian Corridor, she no longer had as many new workers to replace those who perished. At least she hadn’t had any troublemakers like those apprentices she’d kidnapped from the Blackfeather estate. She hadn’t heard any news regarding Hadrian No More’s ghast lieutenant recently, nor anything of the Shaper, Cauzel, for that matter.
Of course, ceasing their ambushes along the Corridor had been part of the plan. With the leadership in Pasaxtree and Korus hesitant to recognize Drachenmark and grant Thuvian a seat at the table, his promise to make the Ifelian Corridor safe again for merchants had given him a chance to earn their respect. Following through had been easy, but came at its own cost.
The Rauglor were eager as always to push around their subordinates, and redirecting slaves to explore the desired veins proved a simple task. By the time it was completed, Annoxoria was ready to leave the stifling heat of the mines.
She decided a cool bath was just what she needed, and had her servants draw one. Lowering herself into the water and lying back, her fingers played over the rough texture of her stomach wound. Annoxoria swore she would find a way to pay Sepathia back for the injury, though at the same time, she fantasiz
ed about what it would be like to have such a powerful weapon innately part of her being.
Was a magical solution to freeing her imprisoned soul simply beyond her capabilities of Shaping? Surely the Living Fire would provide the amplification she needed. Or perhaps, she would have been wise to cultivate cooperation with Cauzel Blackfeather instead of dismissing him as an adversary. What if he possessed the arcane expertise she required?
That thought caused her to hold her breath and duck her head underwater. She couldn’t start second-guessing her decisions now. Her instincts led her to where she was – consort-queen of the mighty Thuvian Skullreaver. That was an achievement she wouldn’t dismiss. But what if she could still benefit from Cauzel’s repository of knowledge?
She quickly broke the surface of the bath, taking a deep breath and sitting up straight. It was a longshot, but she still might have a way to access the library at Blackfeather Perch. Eager to attempt her idea, Annoxoria washed quickly, then abandoned her bath. She hastily toweled off and slipped into a soft, black tunic.
Annoxoria grabbed her jar of expensive scrying sand, gathered from the lair of a basilisk, along with a pitcher of the water her servants had used to fill her bath. She sat in front of the gilded basin stowed in the corner of her laboratory. Her hands shook slightly as she poured the water, anxious to see if her notion bore fruit.
Next, she scattered a spoonful of the rose-colored sand into the water, chanting a scrying spell as she concentrated on the novice who’d briefly served as intermediary between the Name of the Beast and herself, when Izefet was otherwise occupied. Would he be near enough to his scrying device to receive the summons? Would he even answer if he was? She didn’t have to wait long to find out.
The surface of her pool began to vibrate, creating ripples that suddenly revealed a new reflection in place of her own. When the trembling subsided and the water stilled, Annoxoria was staring down at the image of a young man’s face. He had light brown eyes, strawberry blond hair, and a stubble-covered jaw.
The Hall of Doors Page 28
