“I heard that!” she called out.
“I thought I’d make a life for myself with a pleasant farm in Zangaiden,” Zaiporo said, “and that Enashoma would maybe join me there. I didn’t know I’d be riding dragons and fighting monsters … I knew I was getting into trouble, but … adventuring with Turesobei is …”
“I live a strange life,” Turesobei muttered through a yawn. “Ever since Lu Bei showed up.”
Awasa brought him a bowl of soup. Mostly it was hot water. He downed it fast, then curled up in the blanket. He fell asleep to talk of monsters, and dreamed he was a dragon soaring through the sky. Faces of people who had lived long ago, people he felt he should have recognized but didn’t, appeared and disappeared. He dreamed of a man who was not a man but a beast of metal, wood, and sorcery. The man’s heavy feet pounded on the rock as it charged toward him.
“I see you, master,” it said, in a voice mechanical and savage. “I am coming for you. We shall have our reckoning.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
A tiny hand shook Turesobei awake. The cave was dark, lit only by the last embers of the fire and a sliver of sunlight that pierced the entrance. Everyone was awake, huddled around a dying fire, except Aikonshi, who stood guard at the entrance.
“Master, the fire is burning out. Everyone is freezing.”
Not nearly enough rest. He stretched, yawned, and then creaked as he stood. “Ugh, my brain hurts. I think it’s turned from mud to brick. What time is it?”
“Just after noon,” Shoma said. “Are you okay?”
He nodded and shambled over to the fire. He drew a spell strip, spoke three command words, and threw the strip into the embers. Drawing the energy out for the spell felt like drawing a long thorn out of his flesh, except it wasn’t flesh, but that vibrant spark at the center of his being.
The small fire roared to life. Everyone held their hands toward it in relief.
“That should last for three days at this level.”
He sat down beside the fire. Probably best to warm up, though he didn’t feel that cold. Or maybe it was that his head ached so bad he couldn’t think about the cold. Head spinning, he leaned over and retched, but nothing came out.
“I think it’s time,” Lu Bei said to Awasa.
She drew out a small tin canteen and set it near the fire.
“What’s that?”
“Healing water,” she said.
“Where’d you get that? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Her lips strained upward, as she tried to hide a smile. “It’s a secret.”
Well, if Lu Bei thought it was good, he didn’t care. Anything that would make his head feel better. He would’ve cast a healing spell, but thought it best not to. He might get wounded later, and healing spells never worked twice in the span of a full day; often, they made things worse. There was only so much magic could fix and only so much healing the body could do, even if magically prodded.
Awasa drew the canteen back and poured the steaming water into a bowl. She sprinkled some herbs in.
“Lu Bei gave me the herbs. He didn’t have any more tea. I think it’s mostly orange blossom. He wouldn’t tell me.”
“My mixes are proprietary.”
Turesobei said to Shoma, Awasa, and Zaiporo, “If I die and you all survive, I suggest you go into business with Lu Bei in Port Changaku. You could make a fortune selling tea.”
Lu Bei bowed deeply and moved his hand as if he were removing a cap from his head. “Thank you, master. I am most honored.”
He sipped the water. It was warm, and definitely magical. He drank deeply. Warmth and energy spread through his body. His headache dulled. He didn’t feel as tired. It wasn’t nearly as strong as a healing spell, even a poor one. But he didn’t care — he felt better. He finished it off and licked his lips.
“That was —”
Everyone stared at him — with hands covering their mouths. Shaking as they giggled quietly.
“What in Torment’s going on?”
Zaiporo burst out laughing. Shoma turned around and tried to hide it. Awasa started laughing. She tried to tell him something, but it took her several minutes to get it out.
He demanded Lu Bei tell him what was funny. “What was in that water? What was that water?!”
Awasa finally composed herself enough to speak. “It was … it was my bathwater!”
He coughed. “What?! Why — why would you do that?!”
Everyone kept laughing. Even Aikonshi at the entrance was shaking, though she didn’t laugh out loud. Hakamoro grabbed his belly and rolled over, bellowing.
“I gathered the water in the canteen the last time I took a bath at Chonda Tower.”
He coughed in disgust. “That’s just … that’s just so wrong. And … everyone bathed in there. Gross!”
“The water purifies every few hours,” Lu Bei said.
“You told me it stayed pure!” Awasa said, horrified, her cheeks turning red.
Lu Bei waved his hand. “Details, details,” he said pompously.
Turesobei’s cheeks flushed. “Lu Bei! That wasn’t nice.”
“You feel better, don’t you, master?”
“Well, yes, a lot better.”
“Then what does it matter?”
“You should’ve told her to wait and then gather the water.”
“It has to be gathered with love, master, or it won’t keep outside the tub.”
Awasa turned away in embarrassment.
“She could’ve waited.”
“No, no. The water was filled with her essence, her spirit, her love. That’s what made it keep its power. Trust me.”
Turesobei started to say something, but then Enashoma spoke out. “Well, who’s hungry? I know I’m famished. Let’s get out the last of those rations, why don’t we? Sobei, don’t you need to do some spell preparations?”
“Um … yeah, yeah I do.”
Awasa turned to look at him, her cheeks still scarlet. She mouthed, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he whispered. He poked Lu Bei in the chest. “After this is done, if we survive, you’re going to pay for that, little fetch.”
Lu Bei made his sad face. “I was only helping.”
Turesobei pulled out his spell strips and checked them. He’d already used a fair amount. “I need to prepare for the battle. Lu Bei, what can the Deadly Twelve do? You’ve seen them in action before.”
“Barakaros the Warlock can make eight copies of himself with that amulet. These … clones … fight with considerable physical ability. I would say each of them is a match for Hakamoro or Aikonshi.”
Turesobei gulped. Gasps went all through the cave. Aikonshi flinched.
“They do have some limitations, however. Since they don’t have eyes, noses, mouths, or ears, their senses are short-range. They must sense through vibrations or some such. Given our terrain will keep us in close quarters, I don’t think that will help us much. The Warlock has the same physical skills as the copies, except that he is stronger and faster. No one here could beat him one-on-one. Hakamoro and Aikonshi together couldn’t take him.”
“We’ll see about that,” Aikonshi called back.
“He defeated Motekeru one-on-one.”
Aikonshi slumped, as if all the air went out of her at once. “Then … how … how did Lu do it?”
“He summoned a solar dragon and —”
“A solar dragon?!” Turesobei nearly shouted. “That’s the hardest ritual in his grimoire. His notes say it’s nearly impossible.”
“This was the only time he ever succeeded with it. He also used the spell of death against them.”
“The spell of death kills the caster as well his target,” said Turesobei. To kill multiple targets would require a lot of power, a Kaiaru using blood magic. “I thought you said they poisoned him! Wouldn’t he have died from that spell?”
“It kills a human wizard, master, but not a Kaiaru wizard.”
“It will harm them,” Aikonshi said. �
��Tremendously.”
“Master set up a counter ward to alleviate the pain. The solar dragon was ready when the fight began, since we lured them into the ambush. Master cast the spell of death while the dragon, Motekeru, and the others shielded him. Obviously, they broke through. The Warlock overpowered Motekeru and struck Master with the special poison they had concocted.”
“Well, what else?” Turesobei asked.
“The Warlock has mind-control powers, as you know. Zaharalla the Poisoner is … well, a master of poisons, by touch, by dagger, or by summoning a cloud of gas. Jaskashi the Wolf can become half-wolf and has acute senses and incredible strength. He’s nearly as strong as Motekeru. Asusharus the Spider can cast sticky webs from her hands. She’s similar to Aikonshi in her capabilities, only a little stronger and faster. While they almost certainly don’t have any more of the special poison, all of their blades are toxic. Don’t let any of them cut you, not even a scratch. It’s a fast-acting poison that will cause your muscles to slow and seize up.”
“But it’s not deadly?” Hakamoro said.
“Doesn’t need to be,” said Lu Bei. “If most men cannot match the speed of the Twelve as it is, then slowing a difficult target is all they need. The most important thing is to not let the Warlock into your mind. He will break your spirit.”
“How do you keep him out?” Awasa asked.
“You harden your will,” Turesobei said. “You remember your purpose. You focus on who you are. You think of the light. Or you will fall into darkness.”
Lu Bei clenched his fists. “And then into his thrall. The weak-minded and the downtrodden are susceptible to his compulsion. But he has little control over what his domination will do to you. While most become slaves, some turn into raving lunatics or mindless idiots. As master said, the Warlock doesn’t want to use his power on the Winter Child unless he has to.”
“Do they have a weakness?” Turesobei asked. “Light? Water? Anything?”
“Bright light weakens them, but only a little. Direct sunlight is best, of course. That’s why master summoned a solar dragon. Otherwise …”
“I don’t stand a chance, do I?” said Turesobei.
No one said anything in response — it was obvious.
“We’re all going to die,” Awasa replied, tears welling in her eyes.
“We don’t have a choice,” Shoma said. “They’re going to destroy our land, and we’re dead anyway. They’re going to come for us. We might as well meet them head on.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
Enashoma curled up beside Turesobei while he took a break.
“It wasn’t like this for Dad on his adventures, was it?”
Turesobei laughed. “Dad found lost treasures, fought bandits, explored sites never before seen by men. It was dangerous, but he had fun most of the time. My adventures are all terrible.”
“The dragon ride was fun.”
“I’ve sort of done that already.”
“I forget you almost become a dragon all the time. That’s weird, by the way.”
“Everything about my life is weird — except you.”
“Except your sister who runs off with her best friend, a zaboko boy, to avoid becoming a lady?”
“Well, you have the freedom to choose now.”
“I’ve only gotten to make two choices, leaving home and staying with you instead of running away screaming. That’s kind of lame.”
“It’s more choices than you were going to get back home.”
He dozed for a while, then returned to work, scribing an incredibly difficult combo spell onto a strip three times longer than normal. He was careful when opening the energy channel, and only had one flash of the storm dragon dream. This spell would drain him before the battle, but he believed it was the most important one, because if nothing else, it might save Shoma and the others. As it was, it required more than mere kenja to work this one.
Awasa sat beside him, awkwardly close.
“Your finger’s bleeding! Did you cut yourself?”
“Just cut it on a bit of sharp rock,” he lied, as he wiped it off on his pants. “Did you need something?”
“I wanted to say thank you for bringing me along and being honest with me and just … everything, I guess.”
“I’m sorry you got dragged into all this.”
“I’m not.”
“Are you sure? We’ll most likely all die tomorrow.”
She shrugged. “I feel like I’m on the verge of becoming … someone. A real person, you know?”
“I understand. Until I went off to Wakaro, I felt like I was just Turesobei the student. I didn’t feel like I could be anything else.”
Awasa leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed. She smiled and walked away. He put the finishing touches on his spells, then slept for a few more hours. He woke, put on his armor, donned Sumada, and grabbed his satchel and his spell pouch.
Nothing left to do. It just had to be done — now. This would take a lot of strength, but it was necessary and worth the risk.
“Aikonshi, could you come in here, please? Strategy session.”
Turesobei stood in front of everyone, his back to the mouth of the cave. He placed his satchel with the spell books and Lu Bei as a diary down at his feet.
“Thank you all for coming along. You mean so much to me. I don’t expect to make it out of this. But I’m going to give it my best to defeat them. If I fail, make the best of your lives that you can, for me, through the long winter to come. Maybe open that tea shop with the fetch.”
“What are you talking about?” Shoma said. “We’re coming with you.”
He took a step back and smiled warmly.
“No, you’re not.”
Aikonshi stepped forward. “What are you up to?”
He flicked the long spell strip out between his fingers and tossed it on the cave floor. A warm glow washed over them.
“You’ll be safe here. They won’t find you. I love you, Little Blossom.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
Turesobei cast the spell of blissful somnolence linked with the spell of preservation and the spell of apparent death. All were boosted with storm energy and dangerous blood magic. The spells would last for three months, even if he died, keeping them safe from the Deadly Twelve. Unless someone shook them, they would remain in a deep, peaceful, and safe slumber. They would be protected from starvation and the elements, but would give off no signs of life, so that the Twelve couldn’t find them.
Surprised looks pinned him as their eyelids drooped. Everyone collapsed into a full slumber.
The spell worked. The blood magic didn’t kill him, though it probably took a few years off his natural lifespan. Years he almost certainly would never be able to use anyway. He was exhausted again, but some of his family was safe now. That was something. And he’d just have to push on with adrenaline.
He stepped out of the cave and cast the spell of pattern seeming to mask the cave entrance so that it looked like the rest of the cliff.
He nodded in satisfaction.
Lu Bei flew out of the cave.
“Not so fast, master. You’re not leaving me behind.”
He’d thought that might happen. “It was worth a shot.”
Aikonshi walked out next. “Thought you’d handle everyone, did you? Nice try. I saw that coming from miles away.”
“How? I understand Lu Bei. I thought it might not work on him. But I saw you collapse. Did he wake you?”
“It’s not the first thing I’ve ever faked.” She pointed to his kavaru. “Your spells won’t work on either of us. Not without speaking our true names. And I don’t think you know those.”
“Obviously not.” He sighed, surprisingly relieved. “Oh well, I could certainly use your help.”
“Well, heck yes,” said Aikonshi. “You’re outmatched. As for the others, I didn’t wake them. I’d like for Hakamoro to live out what he has left. We protect those we love.” She sighed deeply. “And the three of us, we ar
e bound together by that amber kavaru. We will stick together for one last battle. We have our own vengeance to mete out, for Chonda Lu and his legacy.”
Aikonshi held out her hand. Lu Bei placed his hand on top of hers, without a smirk or remark.
Turesobei did the same. “We, his heirs, will honor Chonda Lu together and battle the Deadly Twelve to the last.”
His kavaru sparked to life, and an amber halo enveloped them. He tried to pull his hand away, but couldn’t.
Aikonshi was stuck, too. Her eyes flared.
“Don’t look at me,” he told her.
“Not good,” Lu Bei whined.
An enormous, ghostly hand that seemed to be made of oak appeared on top of Turesobei’s. It was angled as if someone stood between him and Aikonshi.
A deep, metallic voice rumbled, “I think you have forgotten someone.”
A giant figure to match the hand appeared out of thin air. The amber glow winked out, and a blast knocked them back. Turesobei skittered to the edge of the cliff, lost his balance, and fell. He grabbed the edge with a single hand and caught himself. He threw the other hand up and grabbed rock. A clicking laugh echoed on the mountain.
Chapter Fifty-Five
“Motekeru!” Aikonshi growled. “Leave us be!”
Lu Bei grabbed Turesobei by the collar and beat his wings hard. With his help, Turesobei climbed back onto the ledge. Aikonshi swept her hands out, and shadow tendrils bound Motekeru. He shrugged free of them as if they were nothing more than cobwebs. She drew her knives.
“I go where I wish, bloodsucker. Besides, you were the ones who summoned me back from the abyss.”
“I certainly did no such thing!” She rounded on Lu Bei. “This is your fault.”
Storm Phase Series: Books 1-3 Page 56
