Calla was staring out across the valley, squinting against the golden-yellow light of the rising sun. “But the collapse has already begun,” she said. “The Dead Lands are proof. With respect Lady Elenia, there isn’t any point in trying to prevent the destruction anymore. He’s bringing it to you.”
“But if I were to raise my hand against him, everything would only become worse.”
“You don’t know that.” Calla turned her head to look at her directly. “None of us do. But if I’m right that might be the only way to end all of this—what you think you can’t do, you must do.”
“Perhaps,” Elenia admitted. “And yet perhaps not.” The girl could be right about this, but she still didn’t want to think on the idea of facing the creature that had her brother.
She wouldn’t be able to handle being in that encounter, staring into her brother’s eyes even though he would mean to kill her.
“Is that smoke?” Calla asked suddenly, breaking Elenia’s train of thought. She followed the girl’s gaze down towards the base of the mountain. Dark clouds of smoke were rising up from the city below them. Someone down there had started some kind of bonfire…
She stopped herself. “Oh no…”
“Hiran!” the girl cried. She lunged back down the mountain path.
Elenia reached out and grabbed her by the arms to stop her. “Stop and think,” she said as Calla rounded on her. “Stop! You will never make it down the mountain in time like that.”
“I can’t leave him to die there!”
“I did not say you should. I am saying that there are other ways to reach him—faster ways.”
It took Calla a while to process what Elenia said. Her eyes widened when she realized what Elenia was suggesting.
“Yes,” Elenia said. “I may not be able to take direct action in this, but I can still act through another to bring about a certain outcome in any event.” She held out her left hand to her. “Take my hand, Calla—I know how to save him. It has to be by my power through you.”
Calla paused for only a moment, then quickly marched forward and took Elenia’s hand.
The merge was instant. Elenia could feel Calla’s mind right up against her own as she gently folded herself around the core of the girl’s spirit. Calla was suddenly panicking, trying to pull away again into her separate self. Elenia latched onto her harder with her power; it was a strange experience for a mortal to begin with, and given how the girl had been possessed by a demon in a similar way all too recently she couldn’t blame her for wanting to break away. She would have to draw Calla’s consciousness back a bit from her own body until she could calm down—this wouldn’t work if she was too frightened to share control. Their energies had to line up perfectly in order for their two minds to control one body, and her reaction was making the merge difficult.
Elenia could begin to hear Calla’s terrified thoughts. No! No, this isn’t what I wanted! Let me out!
All in good time, young one, Elenia replied. It must be done this way.
Maybe she should have been at least a little clearer about what she meant by “acting through another”…
XXX
Mika
Mika stepped over the boundary line separating the two territories. Someone would have to be blind to miss such a hard line: the Master’s domain abruptly ended where it met that of their enemy. The hem of her cloak stirred up the dead dirt behind her as she stepped once more onto lush, green grass; not one speck of the dust drifted past the line. It didn’t bother her—her focus was on completing her mission.
It was early morning, this living world still asleep as the night slowly gave way to the rising sun. A gentle breeze blew across her face and stirred her dark hair. She surveyed the landscape around her. It was open grassland for as far as she could see, dotted here and there with the occasional bush or clump of brightly-colored flowers. There wouldn’t be a trail for her to follow here; she was several weeks behind, and any evidence of her quarry’s coming here would have disappeared long before she arrived.
But that didn’t matter to her. Mika had studied dark magic when no one was looking. The witch may have escaped from her last captor and so continue to elude them all, but her time had run out. Regardless of where she was Mika would still be able to sense the power that emanated from her soul, even from a great distance.
She would not remain hidden for long.
Mika closed her eyes, reaching out with her other senses as she searched for even the smallest thread of the girl’s energy. She vaguely noted how the natural life around her started to die slowly as she reached further and further out and kept going. But the further out she stretched herself, the harder it became to keep the magic going; it had only been a few minutes and yet she was struggling to concentrate, to keep the strength of the spell from breaking.
“Damn,” she hissed quietly, “where are you?” She knew she had stretched her search out quite far from where she now stood, but just how far away could that girl possibly be?
Just when Mika thought she couldn’t maintain the spell anymore she found that thread. She had been around the girl long enough to recognize the exact rhythm and glow of her energy. There it was, a faint whisp that had almost completely disappeared as it wound its way across the plain. This end of the trail was fading as it led off to some point in the distance…
Mika dropped the spell and started cursing loudly—she wasn’t even close. Of course she had found a shorter path from the Ganeuen province that led across a narrow area of the Dead Lands and came out here, but apparently she was now on the wrong side of this territory. The girl had come out at some other point along the border, at least a hundred miles away. Another setback to their plans…There wasn’t much time left to eliminate the girl and keep that part of the prophecy from coming true.
Thunder started to roll behind her, sending a prickle of fear down her spine. Lord Bralon was growing upset. The oath she had made to him began to echo through her mind—the blood oath, the most binding of all. She had failed Him once already and got off light; if she failed Him again, her soul would be ripped from her body and torn apart—the most agonizing way to die, the torturing of the soul just outside the realms of whatever afterlife might exist.
It was the kind of oath that worked better than any death threat.
“Do not fear, my lord,” she said aloud, addressing the thunder behind her. “It has created only a minor delay. I will find her, and she will die so that you may reign unchallenged.”
He was apparently pleased with this answer, the rolling thunder subsiding immediately. Mika let out a long, shaky breath. Now things were going to be challenging for her; she would have to tread more carefully now if she wanted to hold to her oath and still keep her life.
“What chance does that little brat have?” she asked aloud, just to encourage herself. She immediately felt her confidence grow. None, that’s how much of a chance the girl had. The Malc, the ancient ancestors of the humans who followed her master and perhaps those elsewhere, would be no help to the girl; they would tear themselves apart long before she could even begin to prepare for the battle foretold in the prophecy.
She gathered her cloak around her to ward off the morning chill and set off through the grass.
XXXI
Elenia
Together Elenia and Calla flew down the mountainside. The girl still wasn’t too fond of sharing her body with another supernatural being, the close proximity bothering her like…an itch, one that she desperately wanted to scratch but couldn’t; otherwise she had calmed down enough for them to be able to work together as one being. As they raced Elenia could hear the girl’s thoughts; after the initial shock of the merge, she had gone back to thinking about him, a lot. Elenia could see the memories she revisited—how they had first met, how he had looked after her for most of their travels, the sorrow in his eyes as he finally told her of the dark past he hated thinking about. While the memories kept playing out, the girl’s resolve grew ever stronger.
If she didn’t know any better, Elenia would say Calla was falling in love with him.
I am not! Calla snapped suddenly.
Of course not, Elenia replied with a hint of sarcasm. So why do I sense a slight tremor in your soul, a little extra spark of energy that is making your heart rate rise the more you think of him?
Calla fell silent, but Elenia felt a ripple of heat course through the girl’s body; she was embarrassed about it. Elenia felt a little satisfaction from having her suspicions confirmed, but maybe the girl was right: such close contact with another being meant that each could hear the thoughts of the other, even what was meant to be private; it had been so long since she had last done this she had forgotten. Maybe she should give some of her attention to helping each of them to guard their own thoughts.
That would be nice. Elenia almost swore she heard Calla smirking.
Hopefully you will not do that for the entire time, she said directly to her.
Trees went by them in a blur as they sped past, the low-hanging branches in their path stinging them on impact. The morning light grew stronger around them as they flew down the mountainside, casting a light-golden hue over everything. They seemed to be going so slowly; Calla wasn’t the only one thinking this. Elenia could almost feel the sands of time falling against their favor.
Hellfire, there was a high chance they wouldn’t make it in time. Elenia kept this thought to herself; Calla was dealing with enough of an emotional imbalance right now—she didn’t need to hear anything that could make it worse.
The trees thinned as they came to the feet of the mountain, opening onto a wide grassy field. They could see the walls of Elenan even before they cleared the woods, a massive wall of gray made darker from being in shadow. Elenia moved Calla’s head so they looked more skywards. Smoke was rising up from somewhere behind the wall, thick and dark.
Hiran! Calla’s mind cried out. We’re too late!
We are not—not if I have any say about it!
They ran even harder, energy starting to build around them in a dense sphere as their momentum continued to grow. The wall stood right in front of them, suddenly standing enormous in their path. Calla wanted to stop, fearing injury upon impact with the stone, but Elenia pushed them on. She knew there was nothing to fear from hitting the wall: the mass of energy that was building around them would take all the force of the impact and leave them unharmed. So as they charged into the massive stone barrier it was blasted apart before them from the force, broken blocks flying into whatever space was on the other side. Clouds of dust rose to fill the air around them in a thick layer, making it difficult to see what stood before them.
When it finally settled, they found themselves face-to-face with five of the Council Guard, who stared at them with complete disbelief on their faces. An instant later they shook themselves awake and drew their swords, moving to stand between them and the narrow road that led to the main city plaza.
We don’t have time for this! Elenia growled irritably.
Can we do anything? Despair was trickling into Calla’s mind.
Without a problem. Elenia focused with just her own mind, and in a moment sent out a shockwave so powerful it scattered the five men all across the street. The way now clear, they could continue on. They flew along the pavement, so fast that it was only a minute before they stood on the bright white bricks of the plaza.
Elenia felt the ripple of anguish in Calla’s soul as they beheld the scene while she fought to keep her own emotions in check.
In the middle of the plaza was a massive pillar of granite. A rough platform had been constructed around it; standing on it was Hiran, bound to the stone with a series of heavy chains. As strong as he was he couldn’t break free, struggling hopelessly as the flames that had been lit around him burned ever closer. The Councilmen were gathered directly in front of him to watch, while members of the Guard stood in a ring around the fire to keep the crowd back. All eyes turned as Elenia and Calla approached, and then the citizens knelt before them while looking on in awe.
The Councilmen stirred, and their leader, Mrok, strode forward so all could see him. “See!” he shouted so everyone could hear, gesturing towards Calla and Elenia’s shared form. “Behold, the Great One! She has come to bless us for destroying the demon which has brought us so much misery for so long!” He turned to the crowd. “You all doubted us: you called us fools, said we were wrong. See the proof of our right before you!”
His words made Calla more agitated than ever. I can’t stand here listening to any more of this, she said. We have to do something!
I am aware. Elenia was disgusted more than anything with this foolish mortal. Do not give in to despair, Calla—we are not too late.
They sprang forward to stand right next to the burning pile of wood; it took a moment for anyone to realize what had happened. Elenia and Calla couldn’t get any closer to Hiran—the flames along the edge flicked out towards them almost as if in warning, the wall of heat so intense it held them back.
If Elenia had been on her own she would have been able to charge through such a barrier with ease. But she had merged with Calla, and the girl’s body would easily burn if they tried that kind of stunt.
Calla, Elenia said, suddenly having an idea, focus your mind—try to draw the air around your hand, making as dense of a ball as you can.
But how? the girl replied. I’ve never done anything like that before. How do I—
Imagine pulling on a piece of lightweight fabric, drawing it towards you. Then imagine it flowing tighter and tighter around your hand. I will take care of the rest. Elenia sensed a flicker of uncertainty in Calla’s soul, but she didn’t back away from this new challenge: quieting the doubts that still bounced around her mind, she did as she was asked. Already Elenia could feel the energy gathering around Calla’s right hand, growing stronger with every second; it grew perhaps a little too quickly, the sphere weighing down the arm while the effort to gather the energy was draining Calla.
Just a…little…more…Calla was thinking not quite to herself.
Calla stop! You are taking too much out of yourself!
I…almost…have it! Her body was now shaking from the strain.
Stop Calla! You have gathered more than enough!
Elenia could feel the energy swirling around the hand: it was strong, heavy—and far more than they would actually need. Calla finally stopped, and she seemed to drop; the effort had taken its toll, draining her of energy. Elenia used her own power to hold on to her, to keep her spirit from trying to drift away. She should have known better than to have the girl perform that kind of spell when she hadn’t been properly taught how to use her gift; Elenia would have to take over now.
She raised “her” arm up sharply, releasing the ball of energy and sending it directly at the platform. So much air energy had been gathered that the burning wood was scattered in every direction, sparks and flaming pieces left to rain down on the crowd. The force of the blast took out the stone column as well—it cracked at its base and slowly fell back away from them, smashing into numerous small pieces as soon as it hit the ground. Hiran was sent tumbling for a few feet until he finally stopped with his back against the pavement, staring in a daze at the sky.
Calla’s mind abruptly became deathly quiet, the ripples of energy in her spirit growing still. She was out cold, but she was still alive. Elenia would have to take full control now if the mortals on the Council were to be shown how wrong they were; she wanted to give them a piece of her mind anyway.
She wasn’t actually breaking any of the sacred laws she followed, but she would come dangerously close to it.
The Councilmen were slowly getting back on their feet after having pieces of bonfire dropping onto them. Mrok was the first to recover completely from the shock; as he turned he saw the mess across the plaza. His eyes lingered over the dazed Hiran, and he seemed to swell with sudden rage. He whirled around to face her directly.
“Great One, what have yo
u done?!” he bellowed. “That monster will bring about our destruction if he is allowed to live! For the safety of us all, he must be the one who is destroyed! You cannot—“
“Silence, old fool,” Elenia snapped. She had to use Calla’s voice for everyone to hear her, but a little of her own was layered in with it. It still carried the desired effect: a hush descended over the crowd and everyone froze, all attention directed at her. Mrok looked as though someone had thrown dung at him but he held his tongue, as did his fellows gathered behind him.
Elenia took three paces towards them; they seemed to shrink more and more with each step she took. “Who are you to question the decisions I make? You, who do not even have the guts to look your people in the eye and admit that death is fast approaching and will try to take them. You chose to ignore what was really happening around you all those years ago, and again now, thinking you knew how you could best deal with it—YOU FAILED EVERYONE!”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hiran stand back up. Mrok spotted him as well. “Guards!” he shouted. “Seize him!”
About a dozen of the Council Guard advanced towards Hiran. Seeing their approach with weapons raised, he turned and stood ready to meet them.
“STAND!”
The Guardsmen stopped just a few feet away from him, and the weapons dropped from their hands to clatter on the paving stones. Elenia had everyone’s attention once more.
The Last Druid Page 18
