“No, I’ll help!” the man said quickly, straightening despite the numerous welts across his arm. They looked better after the treatment, but still weren’t gone. “As you said, it’s a chance to get out, and you’re all magi.”
“We’ll carry out our part,” Dana agreed, looking calm again, though she raised her bow, looking at the stairs.
“Good. In that case, let’s get this over with,” Ruethwyn said, taking a deep breath and standing again. She paused, then offered her wand to Sella. “Here, Sella. Take the bracelet too, if you would? It gives an easy attack spell for you to use.”
“But what about you? You said these make things easier for you,” Sella said, standing hesitantly.
“Take them, I won’t need them,” Ruethwyn said, shaking her head. “Atavism’s second use is… interesting.”
“If you say so,” Sella replied, taking the wand, and slipping the bracelet off Ruethwyn’s wrist as well.
Smiling, Ruethwyn focused, closing her eye and carefully drawing on her mana, spreading it through her body and mind as she touched her heart, murmuring, “Zaria, I call to thee. The day is dire, and I have need of thy power. I offer to share my body and mind with thee, that the world may know your strength.”
For a moment, there was no response, save the gasp of Barthel, who was closest to her. The soft chill that ran down her spine was odd as well. When Zaria responded to her call, it was a soft, cold blanket that enveloped Ruethwyn. Her voice resounded in Ruethwyn’s mind as she answered. “I hear your call, Ruethwyn Sylaris, and take thy offer in the manner in which it is intended. May we make your enemies tremble before us.”
A spike of pain ran through Ruethwyn’s body, and the elemental’s mind entered her own. This time it was different, though, and Ruethwyn felt their thoughts and skills begin flowing like water, merging together into a single whole as her skin tingled and shifted ever so slightly… and her eyes opened to the popping sounds as the pins holding her right sleeve closed lost their grip.
This wasn’t the near-sight that Umbra had granted, but true vision, as Ruethwyn paused, adjusting to normal sight once more. The others were staring at her, she knew, and she looked down at herself and smiled. Her skin glittered like a layer of frost was atop it and a deep blue tinge below, and she had a right arm now, though it was made of semi-translucent ice. The glowing patterns of her atavism ran up her arms and across much of her body, but Ruethwyn flexed her hands before nodding in approval, her mind working smoothly, with a cold purpose to her thoughts.
“There we are. Now I’m ready to challenge these fire elementals,” Ruethwyn said, looking at the others and smiling gently. “I don’t have a great deal of time like this, so we’d best move now.”
“O-of course,” Dana said, losing her composure for the first time Ruethwyn could remember. “Delvin?”
“Right… here goes nothing,” Delvin said, swallowing hard as he touched his sister, murmuring a spell before the pair vanished.
“And now our turn,” Ruethwyn murmured, extending a hand and launching a dart of ice before she really knew what she was doing, just as another hellhound poked its head over the stairs. It fell in a heap and she smiled.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Rue,” Korima said, her voice conversational.
“If I don’t, Zaria does. Fortunately, we’re all but the same person at the moment,” Ruethwyn replied, grinning. “Just break the keystone quickly, if you would? I don’t know how powerful whoever is opening the rift is.”
“Sure,” Barthel said, and the others quickly followed her as she took the first steps into the basement.
Chapter 41
A group of hellhounds and another of the chain demons were at the bottom of the stairs, and Ruethwyn couldn’t help her smile at the sight of them. Especially since the demon’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of her, backing up marginally. She didn’t give them time, though, drawing on one of the new spells which Zaria had brought with her.
The incantation was simple, as were the gestures. The cool sensation through Ruethwyn’s body soothed the pain of drawing on her mana, and as she completed the incantation, Ruethwyn blew gently across her palms, sending a gale of shimmering blue energy across the hellhounds and the chain demon. There was a brief chorus of howls of pain before the pack of hellhounds collapsed, and the chain demon staggered backward, its scales cracking and oozing.
“No, what is one like you doing here?” it hissed. “This is—”
The creature was silenced as a bolt of lightning lanced across the room and hit it in the chest, finishing it off, and Barthel lowered his hands, looking at Ruethwyn in admiration. “That was impressive. Why didn’t you say you could do that before?”
“Because I can’t. That’s a spell that Zaria knows, not me,” Ruethwyn replied, glancing around the hall in concern.
“I see… well, it’s still really useful,” Barthel said and glanced at the cook. “Where’s the keystone?”
“It’s in the far corner of the building in one of the side rooms,” the cook replied, pointing to their right. “I think it has some magical protections, too.”
“If someone altered it, they almost certainly would’ve had to break those. However, you’re likely to run into other creatures guarding it. I can’t imagine going to all this work and not guarding the weak point of the wards,” Ruethwyn said, glancing at Barthel, then looking at Korima. “Be careful.”
“You too,” Korima said, and trotted after Barthel, pushing the cook to keep up.
As they left, Tadrick looked around, frowning. “It feels strange down here.”
“Excessively high mana levels,” Ruethwyn said simply, shaking her head. “I think the rift is close to completion. Are the two of you ready?”
“Are you kidding? We don’t have Alaran this time, and Korima isn’t with us, either. I’m terrified,” Sella said, giggling nervously. “We don’t have a real choice, though, and I’m not leaving the two of you alone.”
“She said it for me,” Tadrick said, hefting his sword and frowning. “I just wish I had armor…”
“With as expensive as the enchantments to summon your sword must’ve been, I’m surprised you didn’t buy a similar set of armor,” Ruethwyn murmured, leading the way down the hallway at a sedate pace. She didn’t need to search, since she could practically feel the fire mana of the rift against her skin.
“I saw a play where the hero summoned a sword when I was fifteen, and by the time I was sixteen, my father was so sick of my begging that he bought me one to shut me up. I only found out later that it only can be summoned when you’re within about a hundred yards, and that it’s not that useful,” Tadrick said, sounding embarrassed. “I think this is the first time it came in handy.”
“And thank goodness for that,” Sella murmured, frowning as she said, “I think I hear—”
The crack of lightning and howls of hellhounds interrupted her, and Ruethwyn shook her head as Tadrick suggested. “Barthel?”
“No, I was going to say I hear chanting,” Sella retorted.
“That’s because the portal’s through that door. Get ready, I’m going in,” Ruethwyn replied, nodding at a doorway.
“Ready when you are,” Tadrick said, rolling his shoulders a couple of times. “Let’s do this.”
Ruethwyn didn’t reply, spindling mana in a hand as she shoved open the door and a wave of heat hit her. Even through the shielding influence of Zaria’s nature, Ruethwyn nearly flinched back at the intense heat that filled the room before her, but she stepped inside, her words snapping out an incantation as she did so.
Standing on the far side of the room from her was a female figure, and the sight of her made Ruethwyn’s heart sink slightly. The beautiful woman had deep red skin and wore a tight corset and leather pants along with heels, while patterns of fire ran down her arms. A pair of black horns that branched out to form a near-halo protruded from her blood-red hair, and her eyes glowed as orbs of deep orange flames, while a pair of sp
ectral wings of fire hovered behind the fire demon. The roiling magic that poured off the figure worried her, but that was the least of Ruethwyn’s worries, as were the two hellhounds that flanked her.
Yalline was kneeling in the middle of the room, terror and resignation on her face. A metal collar circled her neck and was fastened to either wall, while another pair of chains ran from her wrists to the walls as well. A glowing circle surrounded Yalline, and shimmering streamers of mana leeched out of the young woman as they headed to the rift.
The rift was a glowing tear in reality that was growing clearer as every second passed. Beyond it was a rippling hellscape of fire and stone, with raining meteors and distant demonic figures flying in the background.
A spear of ice flew from Ruethwyn’s hand at the demon as she finished her incantation. The attack was fast, but the demon was faster, and she grinned as she folded both wings in front of her to block the attack. The hounds lunged forward, but the first was intercepted by Tadrick, who dispatched it in only a handful of seconds, its flames sizzling as a sheath of water ran down the blade, likely from his magic. The second went flying as Sella hit it with her wand.
“Oh my, visitors? Well, it explains why I haven’t gotten any reports yet. Minions are so unreliable… but that’s why I needed a proper second in command,” the woman said, her grin broadening as she ignored what had happened to the hounds. “You must be Ruethwyn… and Zaria, was it? That atavism is truly interesting, but not enough.”
“Tadrick, get Yalline out of the circle,” Ruethwyn commanded. The part of her that was Zaria knew the demon ahead was almost Zaria’s equal, but Ruethwyn was too weak to channel Zaria’s full power. At least, not without danger.
“Right!” Tadrick said, charging forward quickly, only to recoil as a blast of fire lanced out from the demon’s hand.
“No, I don’t think—agh!” The demoness cried out as a green bolt hit her shoulder, bruising her as Sella’s attack knocked her off balance. “You little brat!”
“Go, Tadrick!” Sella called out.
Ruethwyn started an incantation, but as she did so the portal rumbled, growing still clearer, and the demoness snapped out an incantation of her own, wreathing her body in flames as she did so, hissing. “I’m going to burn you all to within an inch of your lives, then make your torment last centuries. It’s far too late, you pathetic apprentices.”
A blast of fire erupted from the demon’s hands in the shape of immense claws of fire, causing Tadrick to curse, skidding to a halt next to Yalline… just as Ruethwyn finished her spell. A wall of ice appeared right in front of him at an angle, and Ruethwyn winced as the blast half-melted the wall before being redirected into the ceiling, cutting off most vision in a gout of steam. Beyond the wall, she saw the rift grow still stronger… then solidify. A figure was approaching, and Ruethwyn’s panic settled on the one thing she knew would work. If she could manage it.
“Sella, help Tadrick. The second the wards go down, get the teachers down here to seal the rift,” Ruethwyn hissed.
“Rue? What’re you—” Sella began, but Ruethwyn didn’t wait for her as she charged forward. Zaria thought she was being somewhat foolish, but at least she wasn’t arguing.
“Hah, the rift’s stable! You aren’t going to be able to stop me now!” the demon crowed, but as the steam cleared, she saw Ruethwyn vault over the remains of the wall and her eyes widened.
“We’ll see,” Ruethwyn said, releasing another spell with a word, and the floor before the rift was suddenly covered in ice. Ice which Zaria’s nature allowed her to use like the normal floor, while the demon was suddenly sliding, barely staying upright in her heels.
Ruethwyn hit the demon hard, toppling her as she was sent flying into the rift. Unfortunately, Ruethwyn’s sense of victory was short-lived, as a pair of immense, clawed hands caught the demoness and kept her from falling… and Ruethwyn’s face paled as she looked up into the eyes of a horned demon, this one with an immensely wide mouth, with a pair of protruding tusks, along with numerous spines along its back and three sets of arms with clawed hands on each of them. The powerfully built creature growled, and Ruethwyn’s heart sank.
“Excellent! Collax, kill her,” the demoness ordered, pointing at Ruethwyn.
The creature grunted its acknowledgement, setting her aside as it took a step forward, and Ruethwyn braced herself.
A boulder the size of a melon hit the creature in the chest, knocking it backward and causing Ruethwyn glance back in surprise.
“Take that, you mangy, rotten ugly pieces of trash! You and that demonic bitch, too!” Madeline exclaimed, her hair tangled and tattered, while her clothing looked like she’d been half-drenched in mud. All around her were swirling gusts of air and several large boulders, and with a gesture, she launched the rocks like a hailstorm through the portal, the blast of wind accompanying it almost enough to knock Ruethwyn over as well.
“Madeline! Where’d you come from?” Sella exclaimed, using the wand on the demons in the rift, both of them staggering backward under the assault.
“Korima freed me, then they started blasting the keystone,” Madeline growled. “Now what?”
“Now I close the portal, if only temporarily,” Ruethwyn said, firming her resolve for a moment.
“How?” Tadrick asked, looking up from Yalline.
“It can’t be broken easily,” Yalline said. “Hekara told me a lot—”
Ruethwyn stepped into the rift as the demons straightened, smiling at them as she told the creatures. “You might want to stand back.”
The interior of the rift was different than it looked from the outside. From the outside it looked like it was a single step between one world and the other, but inside it was farther. Air stretched strangely, and the ground and air from either side seemed to mingle like shards of a fractured mirror for a dozen steps. Ruethwyn knew that Yalline was right, the portal couldn’t be broken easily… but it could be redirected. Falling to her knees, Ruethwyn placed her palms against the ground and unleashed her magic without hesitation.
“Lady Amalla, Mistress of Frostflower Hall, I call thy name. Let this place lead to the home of the Northern Wind,” Ruethwyn’s words spilled out quickly as mana began to flood out of her, and she ignored the strain on her mana veins, how they began to crack under the magical pressure and the pain as she forced herself, raising her hands upward.
“What… no, what are you doing?” the demoness demanded, her eyes going wide, and she lashed out, a bolt of fire forming in a hand as she launched it at Ruethwyn, who braced herself.
Searing pain lanced through Ruethwyn as the bolt hit, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d expected. A sound of shattering filled the strange space between worlds, and Ruethwyn looked down to see the arm formed of ice shatter on the ground, then at the singed stump where her arm had once been. Zaria’s amusement caused Ruethwyn to smile.
“Not the best aim,” Ruethwyn told the fire demon, and shuddered as she felt the space she was in crack and shift… and suddenly the space above her ripped open.
Snow-capped peaks filled the landscape, and a howling blizzard ripped into the space between worlds instantly, a near-avalanche of snow and water hitting the portal in a wave, and Ruethwyn gasped in relief from the intense heat, the blizzard having no effect on her. The demons screamed as water, snow, and cold hit their world in a wave, retreating rapidly, while a number of hellhounds were buried in turn.
Holding the portal this way was hard, and without the nearby demons to focus on, all Ruethwyn had was the pain. Mana was pouring out of her quickly, she realized, and there was a faint cracking sensation from her mana core. This wouldn’t last for long, but she’d hold it for as long as she could. Mellesyn had been one thing, but she’d be damned if she lost something else.
“Ruethwyn, are you certain you want to do this?” Zaria’s mental voice was startling, as the elemental pulled away from Ruethwyn’s thoughts enough to speak to her. “Barthel and Korima must have finished dest
roying the keystone by now, and you can’t handle this. Your veins and core are shattering, and if you keep this up, you’ll die.”
“I know,” Ruethwyn whispered, blinking as tears welled up in one eye, trying to shake them away with her arm occupied. “But… but I can’t risk it, Zaria. I’ve lost Mother, Father, Sinera, Anara… I just can’t let it happen. Not again, even if they might be safe. If, by my actions, I can save Korima, Sella, Tadrick, and the others… gods, it would be worth even my own life.”
Ruethwyn could practically hear the elemental sigh, her voice soft, but with a note of affection despite that. “Young mortal fool… well, it is your choice. I will aid you in your foolish display of loyalty. Just don’t expect me to sacrifice myself, hmm?”
“Of course not,” Ruethwyn said, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips as well. Zaria allowed her thoughts to merge with Ruethwyn’s once more, and her aid helped to ease the pain wracking her body, if only a little.
Moment after moment passed, and the world was growing quieter, Ruethwyn thought. Quieter save for Zaria’s presence, at least, and eventually she closed her eyes. Another stab of pain lanced through her as her mana core cracked again. Still, it was buying time, and—
A grip of immense force took hold of Ruethwyn and ripped her out of the portal before she knew what was happening, and a thunderous voice spoke. “Cora, take care of her. Vrenne, Emrick, as we planned!”
The speaker was a tall elven man in brown robes, holding a metal staff set with a single large emerald at the top. He had simple brown hair, but his eyes were hard, and a blast of green light hit the rift hard as both Vrenne and Master Mara began chanting. On the other side of the portal, Ruethwyn saw the image of snow-capped peaks vanish and just for an instant she saw a glittering pinprick of light on the horizon. Then it was gone and there was only the hellscape and a charging wave of dozens of hellhounds. The green blast of light punched through the portal after moments, and the rocky ground on the other side ripped upward, turning into a roiling avalanche of stone that obscured all sight of the demons.
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 32
