Severed Empire: Wizard's War

by Phillip Tomasso

  Chapter 22

  They stopped at the edge of an underground river.

  “This wasn’t here before,” Basin said. He set hands on his hips. He studied the fast flowing water.

  “What wasn’t?” Quill asked.

  “The river. It wasn’t here,” Basin said.

  “How do we cross it?” Coil asked.

  Basin stared at Coil. “Did you hear me just say, twice, that this river wasn’t here the last time I came through? So why are you asking me how to cross it? I don’t know how to get across.”

  “You don’t know how to get across?” Coil said. He turned around, and clapped his hands at his sides. “He doesn’t know how to get across.”

  Mykal squatted by the bank, and looked at the other side. “It’s too far to jump.”

  “You could do that thing, like you did with the moat. Freeze a path for us to cross,” Eadric said.

  “He can’t,” Anna said. “We’re too close. They’ll pick up on his use of magic.”

  Blodwyn tapped his staff on the rock. “She’s right. We seem to have come this far undetected. If we tip our hat now, the element of surprise is gone. I don’t think that’s something we should risk.”

  “Well,” Basin said, as if ready to give up, turn around, and head back the way they’d come.

  “There must be a place where we can cross,” Blodwyn said.

  Mykal looked along the river in either direction. “Footing is going to be a challenge. There’s not much of a path, and the ceiling is very low.”

  “Do we know how deep this is?” Coil removed items off his body, and stuck a booted foot into the water. “Current’s fast.”

  That had been obvious. Mykal refrained from calling him on it. “I don’t think you should try it.”

  “Hold the rope,” Coil said.

  “Hey, Coil, don’t do this,” Quill said. “Let’s see if we can find a better place for crossing.”

  “It’s cold,” Coil said, not listening at all. He stood with his back to the river. Both of his hands gripped the bank as best they could. The others pulled the rope taut. Coil was a large, large man. Pulling him from the river would be difficult if they had to rescue him. His legs were in the water. “It’s not that deep.”

  The water was up past his knees. With how swift it moved, it was deep enough. Underfoot, the rocks would be slippery. If he fell, he’d be swept away.

  Except for the rope, if it held.

  Coil lifted one hand off the bank. He raised it in the air. His face reddened. He looked strained maintaining solid footing. The river roared; the sound of it coursing through the caves with crashing speed reverberated off of everything.

  “The current is too strong, get out of there,” Blodwyn said. “We don’t want to have to fish for you later. I’ve gone fishing with Mykal many times. He’s not that good.”

  Coil laughed. “You might be right. Not about Mykal fishing, I’m sure the lad can cast and reel just fine. But the water, it’s too strong. It is pulling hard at my legs.”

  Mykal saw Eadric wince at Blodwyn’s comment. He wondered if his father felt regret at never having taken his son fishing.

  “Let’s get him out,” Eadric said, leaned forward, and stretched out his hand.

  Coil extended his arm, and their fingers touched, but that was it.

  Coil made an odd sound. It sounded like a surprised grunt. He threw himself backward. He fell into the water. His head went under, and his legs shot up and out. No one was ready. His impressive weight yanked on the rope.

  Basin was dragged into the river. His arms flailed over his head. He let out a shout as his body hit the water. It was cut short as his head plunged below the surface. The others sprang into action, grabbing on to the rope, and searching the ground for footing, trying to dig their boots into damp rock. It didn’t work.

  Just down a ways, Coil was battling the current, reaching for Basin.

  Their combined weight dragged the others toward the bank.

  Mykal made eye contact with his mother.

  Her eyes pleaded with him for help.

  He was torn. Magic was the only thing that could save them. He wasn’t going to let Coil die. The man had given up his home to follow them. He’d proven himself loyal to the cause, and a friend.

  Blodwyn unfastened the rope from around his waist and rushed down the bank. He dropped onto his stomach and offered the end of his staff as a lifeline.

  Eadric remained secured to the rope, but sat on the back of Blodwyn’s legs.

  Coil, with one arm around Basin’s neck, reached for the staff, but missed. The swipe of his arm must have made him lose his balance. He and Basin went under water, but came back up immediately. Gasping, he stretched his arm as far as he could toward the lifeline. His fingers touched the end of the staff, and almost walked across the wood until he could close a fist on the head.

  Blodwyn strained, and grunted as he attempted hauling them closer to the bank. He held onto the staff with both hands.

  “Stay where you are,” Eadric said. “Hold that rope tight!”

  Quill, Mykal, and Anna obeyed, pulling on the rope, and doing their best to walk backwards.

  Anna slipped. Her foot went out in front of her. She fell back, onto her rump. She never let go of the rope.

  Mykal almost released his grip on the rope, but she said, “I’m okay!”

  She stood up, and got a better grip on the rope with both hands, as if determined not to fall again. They heaved.

  Coil held one end of the staff, and said to Basin, “Work your way across.”

  Basin looked hesitant about letting go of Coil, keeping an arm tight around the man’s neck.

  “Go!” Coil said.

  Basin reached up and grabbed onto the staff.

  “Your other arm,” Coil said.

  Basin let go of Coil and held fast to the staff.

  “Work your way to the bank,” Eadric said, holding an arm out.

  Walking with hand over hand, Basin made it closer to the bank. Eadric snatched a hold of Basin’s arm. “I’ve got ya!”

  “Don’t let go,” Basin said.

  “I’m not. I won’t.” Eadric groaned as he hauled Basin in closer.

  Coil looked fatigued.

  Eadric let go of Basin’s arm, and quickly grabbed him by the back of the pants. Basin scrambled for a way out of the water, but it appeared like he was fighting Eadric’s help. The struggle continued far too long. Eadric let go of Basin, leaned back, and then punched him in the jaw.

  Before Basin could topple backward into the river, Eadric grabbed the man’s arm. He dug in the heels of his feet, and pulled Basin out of the water.

  Coil was working his way across the staff. His arms were fully extended. His head was in the water. It kept rushing over his face. He kept his head tilted back, in an almost futile attempt at keeping water out of his nose and mouth.

  Blodwyn tried pulling him closer.

  “He’s getting tired,” Quill said. “Eadric, get him!”

  Setting Basin aside, Eadric lunged forward. His arms missed as Coil lost his grip and sank into the river.

  The rope went tight again.

  “Hold it!” Quill said.

  Mykal looked around. They needed something stronger to tether, than the three of them.

  “He’s been under too long,” Anna said.

  Blodwyn poked at the water with his staff. “We’ve got to get him out of there!”

  “I’m going in,” Eadric said.

  “You can’t,” Anna said.

  Mykal let go of the rope with one hand and aimed his arm at the water.

  “Mykal,” Anna said.

  He ignored the plea, and concentrated. His eyes followed the length of rope into the river. It was being sawed by sharp rocks. In a moment, they wouldn’t be able to rescue him.

  Coil came up and out of the water. The water streamed off of his body and wet clothing as he soared over the river, and to safety on the bank. Mykal lowered him care
fully, and then severed his magic.

  It had been done in a fast burst of energy. Hopefully the Mountain King’s witch didn’t detect a thing. If he was lucky, Galatia would have, and she might rest a little easier knowing they were close to saving her.

  “He’s not breathing,” Eadric said.

  “Get out of the way.” Blodwyn dropped his staff beside Coil, and knelt near the man’s chest. “Stretch him out flat on his back.”

  Mykal grabbed Coil’s legs, twisted and turned his body, then pulled the legs out straight.

  Blodwyn lowered his ear next to Coil’s mouth. He rose up fast, as if startled. “I have to clear his airway. His lungs are filled with water.”

  Mykal watched Blodwyn tip back Coil’s head. He pinched closed Coil’s nose and pressed his mouth over Coil’s. He blew breaths into Coil’s mouth. “Did his chest rise? Did it go up and down?”

  “I don’t know,” Anna said. “I wasn’t looking; you didn’t say to watch for that!”

  “Do it again,” Mykal said. He wasn’t sure how Blodwyn would make Coil’s chest rise and fall. He watched, intently. He didn’t want to blink, fearful he might miss it.

  Blodwyn blew into Coil’s mouth twice. They were quick, but deep breaths.

  “It went up and down, each time,” Mykal said. It was like Blodwyn breathed for Coil. It was a peculiar thing, watching Coil’s lungs fill with air from Blodwyn’s mouth.

  Blodwyn rose up on his knees, laced his fingers together, hand over hand, and set them on Coil’s chest. With elbows locked, he pushed his weight onto Coil, without bending his elbows, and bounced up and down. The weight of Blodwyn on Coil’s chest looked dangerously painful. The ribs bowed and bent inward. Mykal worried Blodwyn’s antics might crush Coil.

  “You’re going to kill him!” Quill said, and rushed toward Blodwyn.

  Mykal tackled his uncle, and wrapped his arms around him, restraining him from getting up. “We need to let him handle this. I’ve known Wyn all my life. He knows what he’s doing.”

  “You’ve seen this barbaric ritual performed before?” Quill said.

  Mykal hadn’t, but wouldn’t admit to it. Not now, at least. “Let him handle this!”

  Blodwyn counted out loud. “Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two…” He never stopped pushing up and down on Coil’s chest.

  Then there came a sickening crunch. It was almost expected. A man’s body couldn’t withstand that harsh punishment without bones breaking. Mykal worried a severed rib would pierce Coil’s heart. This would all be for naught, then.

  Mykal restrained his uncle, holding him by the shoulders, and driving his weight against Quill’s.

  “He’s killing him,” Quill said, looking deflated, defeated. “He’s killing him, Mykal!”

  “He’s not.” Mykal shouted, but only so Quill would hear him. He wasn’t sure he believed his own words. He wasn’t sure he understood what Blodwyn was doing. It made sense when they shared breaths, but this—squashing Coil’s chest—made far less sense. “He’s not. Give him a chance.”

  Anna hugged herself, watching. She cried, and let tears roll down her cheeks. “Will he die?”

  “He’s already dead. He stopped breathing. Get off me,” Quill said, attempting to shrug out of Mykal’s grasp.

  Mykal almost asked if he was settled down, but instead wordlessly stood up, held out his hand, and helped Quill to his feet.

  Coil’s body bucked. His legs kicked out. Water bubbled up inside his mouth. Blodwyn stopped pumping on the man’s chest, and rolled Coil onto his side. He patted Coil on the back. “That’s it. That’s it.”

  Coil spit up some more river water, and curled into a loose ball, his knees were drawn toward his chest. He gagged a few times, one hand lightly slapping wet rock as he worked for control of his lungs. “My chest,” he said.

  “You have some broken ribs, friend. But you’re going to be all right.” Blodwyn grabbed up his staff, and leaned on it as he got to his feet. “He’s going to be okay.”

  “Where did you learn to do that?” Mykal said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “When the war is over, I’ll teach it to you,” Blodwyn said. He spoke softly.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  Blodwyn touched the top of Mykal’s head, and then moved away from the others and leaned against a wall as they crowded around Coil.

  Mykal knew he’d just witnessed some odd magic, perhaps even old magic. Blodwyn had brought a man back from the dead. He wasn’t sure if Coil realized everything that just happened. Maybe now wasn’t the time to tell him. Someday it would make for a good story. He hoped the time would come when they could relax and sit around a warm fire sharing tales from their days before and after the war.

  Eadric said, “We still need to find a way to cross that river. We haven’t any more time to kill. If the king’s witch picked up on my son’s magic, they could be sending knights down here now to finish us off.”

  “I have an idea. A crazy one,” Mykal said. “But it just might work.”

  Anna regarded her son thoughtfully, with a raised eyebrow.

  “Not with magic,” Mykal said.

  “We’re listening.” Basin was on his feet, bent forward with his hands on his knees. His hair and clothing were still dripping wet. His body shivered; a defense mechanism against the cold. He panted, still catching his breath.

  “If I can borrow your staff…” Mykal held out his arm toward Blodwyn.

  This time Blodwyn raised an eyebrow, and studied Mykal for several long moments before he shrugged and tossed over the staff.

  Mykal caught the staff with a thunk as his hand closed around the wood and iron. “Everyone, remove the rope from around your waist,” he said, as he made sure the rope around his waist was extra tight.

  “But why?” Quill said. Despite having asked the question, he worked loose the knot.

  “I’d rather show you.” Mykal was confident the idea would work, but not used to having parents around and wasn’t sure if they would approve. It was kind of silly thinking about that. He was raised by his grandfather and Blodwyn, and they both knew he was capable at accomplishing most anything he attempted. Eventually.

  Quill furrowed his brow, and narrowed his eyes as if he did not like the way that sounded. He helped Anna with the knot on her rope.

  Mykal gathered up all of the rope and coiled it over his arm until he reached the opposite end of it fastened around his waist. He wasn’t sure if needed, or wanted his father’s assistance. Worse, he wasn’t positive how he should address him. He had less issue with calling Anna Mother. “Eadric, if you will tie just this end around your waist.”

  Eadric shook his head. “I just untied it.”

  “You were in the middle. I just want me at one end, you at the other.”

  Eadric sighed, “Whatever you say, son.”

  Calling him Eadric must have been the wrong thing. Mykal didn’t have the time to worry about hurt feelings at the moment. “I say, I trust you.”

  Eadric smiled. “Trust me with what?”

  “Not to let me drown in that river,” Mykal said, and then before anyone could protest, or block his plan, he turned around, and ran at the bank. There wasn’t much room for getting a head start. In a few long strides he was there, going as fast as could be expected.

  I’ll never make it across, Mykal thought. It’s too far! What in the world was I thinking?

  Only Mykal didn’t jump from bank to bank, exactly. He held the staff near the top, and pointed the bottom out in front of him. It must look like he was charging the river with a spear, only, he ran at the water sideways. Mykal plunged the opposite end of the staff into the river, halfway across, as he was vaulted off of his feet and launched clear across to the other side.

  Eadric let out a howl, it sounded like a confused cheer; a mix between a terrified scream and an excited release. “What—what in the world was that?”

  Mykal brushed himself off, and yelled. “I’d seen some of the younger ki
ds do this by a creek near the castle.” He laughed, relieved. The river might not be deep, but it was moving fast. Rope or not, he could have messed up and wound up dead, easily. “Wasn’t sure I could do it.”

  “What was that?” Anna said.

  “Nothing,” Mykal said.

  “Well, you did it,” Eadric said.

  “I don’t see how we’re all going to be able to do that,” Anna said.

  Mykal unfastened the rope around his waist, and tied it around a rock pillar. “You’re not going to have to. My father will hold one end of the rope while the rest of you—you’re going to get wet, but if you hang on tight, you can pull yourself across. Then we can all pull my father across, after.”

  “What about Coil?” Quill said. “He’s got broken bones.”

  “He’s going to stay here,” Blodwyn said.

  “I am not.” Coil sat up. He winced, eyes closed tight, and teeth grinding.

  “You are,” Blodwyn said.

  “I’m here to fight, to stop the Mountain King, not to hide in the caves below his castle like some rodent,” Coil said.

  “You want to help, right? Coming with us, you become a liability. You are injured. You’ll slow us down. Is that your wish?”

  Coil snarled. “You know that’s not my wish.”

  “And I know you want to help,” Blodwyn said. “But you can’t help us inside the castle. Not in this condition. If you think about it, then you’ll know I’m right. Here. We will leave one of the torches with you.”

  “Keep it. I’m not afraid of the dark,” Coil said.

  “There are spiders and snakes down here,” Mykal said.

  Coil held out a hand. “Fine, I’ll take one. Whatever. Not because I’m scared, just because I don’t want all of you worrying about me.”

  Chapter 23

  An array of crisp white bolts of lightning connected the ceiling to the floor. The bolts danced, bending askew this way and that, and sizzled and hummed the entire time. King Hermon Cordillera felt his hairs charge. He shielded his eyes from the intensity of the light with a raised forearm. Smoke spewed from the rocks above and below. The smoke filled the dungeon, making the lightning that much more brilliant.