The Arcanist

by Greg Curtis

  “Treachery was always Simon's most endearing quality.”

  Edouard stepped to one side, looking to get a better angle on Vesar, though of course Vesar just turned around, making sure to always keep Kyriel directly in front of him. That was all right though. The Cabal wizard hadn't realised what Edouard was actually doing. He was circling him. Forcing him to turn around. At present they had a stand off. Edouard could have turned around and shot the powder trail but Vesar would still have had enough time to slit Kyriel's throat and then run before he turned back. Edouard needed to be able to shoot the powder and never stop having a weapon pointed at Vesar's head. Getting an angle that allowed him to have one weapon trained on Vesar and the other on the trail of black powder at the same time would allow him to do that. Once he had them both in his sight, he would be the one in control again.

  Provided that was that Kyriel didn't do something stupid. And she was looking very angry. Anyone else would be frightened. But Kyriel was a warrior. For her the fear mattered not a wit as much as the humiliation of having been caught in such an embarrassing position. Edouard silently willed her to stay calm and not do anything stupid. But he had no idea whether she would realise what he was doing. Or whether she could do it even if she did.

  “He was a weasel in all things! I'm glad he's finally dead. And the rest of you with him shortly,” Vesar all but snarled at them.

  “Oh I doubt that.” Edouard decided it was his turn to sound as if he was the one in control. This was a game of minds as much as weapons. “And you'll die regardless.”

  “These … mechanical demons … will hurt, but they won't stop our army. We have enough sparks to undo them and you don't have enough soldiers. And when our people catch you they will string you up.”

  “You think this is it?” Vesar spat at him, though his spittle went everywhere save where he intended. It was hard to spit straight with a ruined mouth. “I have a portal waiting as well. Once your army enters the city I'll open it and bring through another army. Goblins from the west. Twenty thousand of them. There will be nothing left of your friends.”

  “Goblins are weak!” Edouard smiled cruelly at his enemy and took another sideways step. “A single well trained soldier with a sword could kill half a dozen of them. My brother has fifteen thousand such soldiers. Or can't your people count?”

  It wasn't completely true. A well trained soldier could kill half a dozen of the biting, scratching little fiends, but his brother didn't have fifteen thousand of them. He had ten thousand men, and they weren't all soldiers and they weren't all that well trained. But Vesar had to believe him. Because he had to break the Cabal wizard's confidence.

  It seemed to work. Vesar didn't say anything for a little bit. He just stood there, and appeared to be weighing his words. Perhaps he was even starting to panic. Sensing that Vesar was about to founder Edouard pressed his advantage.

  “Besides, you can't do anything while I'm alive. And you can't kill me. Not with a knife. Taking Kyriel hostage may have been a way of protecting yourself, but it also trapped you. How do you plan on awakening these mechanical demons while I'm here? Or running to your portal to open it? I'll shoot you if you run or if you go to the mechanical demons, and I never miss. And I'll shoot you if you harm Kyriel.”

  “Then again perhaps we should just continue standing here and wait for my brother's army to come through that door.” Edouard smiled some more. “It won't be long. Especially when you have no demons and no goblins.”

  “Bastard!” Vesar spat some more.

  “Oh come now. Where's that oily, smooth little toad who always had a clever answer for everything?” Edouard taunted him some more and took another couple of steps to the side, forcing Vesar to move with him. “Or is this what you truly are? Nothing but a cut throat little monster and a liar?”

  “You call me a monster?! After what you've done?! You can't even imagine how hideous your race is to mine!”

  “I've done?” Edouard hadn't expected the accusation. Nor did he know what he was being accused of. But he didn't let it stop him from taking another step to his side.

  “Your miserable race. You started this war after all.”

  “I think you have it backward. You attacked us remember. The mammoths. How many innocent people did you kill? Thousands?”

  “We were just defending ourselves. Your mines came down from above and punctured the walls and roofs of our cities like spears. Your people brought diseases with them and vermin that multiply and destroyed our fields and ate our crops. Our water supplies are polluted with the tailings of your diggings. Many of them have been completely drained as the water was released from its underground rivers. And then every so often you simply attacked and murdered our people. How in any way are you innocent?!”

  “You sent the sprigs! They killed upwards of ten thousand people and all but destroyed Theria.”

  Edouard responded to his preposterous claim almost without thinking. Because what he was saying couldn't be true. His people could not have done that. And yet he had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that said otherwise.

  “Five years ago your people punctured the dome over Gellis Deep. A hundred thousand of my people were driven from their homes as the city of jewels became darkness. It cannot be repaired. The city is lost to us now. Forever. One of the greatest cities the world has ever known. Destroyed. Abandoned to the vermin.”

  “If that happened it was an accident.” Edouard had no way of knowing if he was speaking the truth. But he could think of no reason why Vesar would lie to him. Not now at least. Still, he had to defend his people. And he had to save Kyriel. So once again he managed another couple of steps to his side, turning Vesar around a little bit more.

  “And how many more accidents will your people have?!” Vesar screamed at him, more spittle dribbling down his chin. “You dig your accursed mines ever deeper every day. How many more of our great cities will you destroy? How many more of our people will you kill?”

  “You could have said something.” Edouard fought back as best he could. But he knew it was a weak argument if Vesar was telling him the truth.

  “We tried. By rock and iron we tried! We sent envoys to speak with your people. They were fired on before they even got to open their mouths. Most were killed. We sent soldiers under a flag of truce. They were murdered too. Then the ventilation shafts leading to our cities were blocked. And all so that your people could dig a little more gold. You surface dwellers are savages!”

  Edouard didn't answer him immediately. He couldn't. His family had nothing to do with mining. So the dwellers of the deep were only stories to him – if even that. But if Vesar was telling the truth, he might have cause for his anger if not for what he had done. But he was still holding Kyriel hostage and he had to free her.

  “If what you're saying is true then your argument was never with those you murdered. Lord Smallbridge owns the goldmines in the Archaise Mountains to the north of Theria. Count Stevenson owns the copper mines to the east. They don't draw their labourers from Theria alone but from anywhere they can find them. And both of them are dead as far as I know.”

  “Let Kyriel go. Surrender yourself to me and I will see that you get a fair trial and a chance to present your claim to King Edmond.”

  Edouard wasn't sure that he wanted to make the offer, only that he had to. It was required by both his position as one of the nobility and by righteousness. And maybe he thought, it might even save Kyriel's life.

  “Surrender?! Never!” Vesar yelled at him, spraying spittle in all directions as he did so.

  “My army will crush your savage race! And then we will seal up your mines forever. We did it thousands of years ago. We will do it again.”

  “The Cabal.” Despite everything Edouard was curious. It was always his greatest failing. But that didn't stop him taking another step sideways and turning Vesar a little more as he tried to face him. And the black priest still hadn't realised what he was doing.

  “Yo
ur word, not ours. To us they were the Legion of Glory. They came above ground to this hideous land and naked sky to stop the transgressions of your ancestors. Of the dwarves most of all as they dug almost to the very heart of the world in their search for gold. They were destroying everything in their greed, and the warlord of the time – the Dragon King as you called him – urged them on.”

  “But our people stopped them. They turned your ancestors' thoughts from greed to distrust and from distrust to war. They saved our world. One of my own distant ancestors saved our world. Arch Engineer Vesar.”

  Or Vesar the Corrupt as Edouard knew him from history. But he suspected Vesar wouldn't appreciate the reference. And it didn't really matter as he kept slowly circling him.

  “They destroyed our world to do it!”

  “No. Your ancestors destroyed your world. They were always warlike. Elves, dwarves, humans. Tribes of savages, held together only by the strength of each successive warlord. So they revolted. They killed themselves. They overthrew the Dragon King and then descended into anarchy and war for a thousand years. And in the end only the bastard children of those races survived.”

  “But it seems you have the same flaws. Greed. Selfishness. Ambition.” Vesar laughed bitterly. “You've learned nothing in three thousand years. And because of it you can be destroyed in the same way.”

  There was truth in that Edouard thought. His brother was the perfect example. But it no longer mattered as he finally found himself in position. Vesar was in front of him with his back to the golems. Ironically enough he might even shelter Kyriel a little from the blast with his body if the worst came to the worst. And just off to his side Edouard could see the trail of black powder on the floor just waiting to be lit.

  It was time. He drew his second pistol and aimed it at the powder while his first still covered Vesar.

  “All right, here's what's going to happen.” Edouard took control of the situation as he knew he had to. “In a moment I'm going to fire and ignite the black powder trail. There'll be perhaps a handful of seconds after that before the powder reaches the keg and everything including your entire army of these things goes bang.”

  “You wouldn't – !”

  “I will.” Edouard cut him off bluntly. “Now if we're still here we all die. You will die certainly. Our only chance is to run for the door. All of us. If you cut Kyriel's throat I will shoot you and you will die. If you delay and keep holding her we will all blow up together. Again, you die. If you try to drag her to safety you'll be too slow, and you'll die.

  But if on the other hand you let her go and run for the door when I ignite the powder, you will live. That is the only way you will survive. And your army of these things dies either way.”

  “I'll give you five seconds to decide whether you want to live or not. Five.”

  It was a gamble. A pure game of determination and daring that Simon would have excelled at. A game that Edouard would never have played. But it was the only chance he had to save Kyriel. So not only did Vesar have to believe he would do it. He actually had to do it.

  “Four.”

  “No!” Vesar yelled at him, his eyes wide with worry. But Kyriel looked surprisingly calm.

  “Three,” Edouard continued, determined to go through with the madness.

  “Stop it!”

  “Two.” It was difficult to sound strong and confident, but Edouard somehow thought he managed it.

  “Please!”

  “One.”

  Edouard reached the end of his count and then taking all his courage in his hands did exactly as he'd said he would. He fired and the pistol spat a streak of fire at the powder, setting it on fire.

  After that things almost froze.

  The powder was burning. Vesar's eyes were fixed firmly on it even as he continued to hold Kyriel tight. And the choice was entirely his. He could have cut her throat and died. Or he could have run and lived. The one thing he couldn't do was stop the fire as it raced along the powder trail. He couldn't save his army of demons. Meanwhile the one thing Edouard couldn't do was run. Not until Vesar had made his choice. So somehow he kept his weapon pointed straight at Vesar's head and waited as the powder trail burnt.

  They all lived or they all died. That was their choice.

  For what seemed like ages Edouard thought they were all going to die. The fire was half way to the keg. They had scant seconds at best. And Vesar was still hesitating.

  Then suddenly he screamed. He pushed Kyriel toward Edouard and made a run for the door. Which left Edouard with just enough time to catch her as she staggered towards him and give chase. To run, half carrying her, as he had never run before.

  They made the door and the front yard; just. But after that the world exploded. There was fire. Flames were everywhere and they turned the entire world yellow and burnt him even through his clothes. There was sound that wasn't really sound. He couldn't hear it with his ears but felt it with his entire body. And then there was a blow. He couldn't describe it any other way. But it felt as if a giant fist had smashed into his back, picked him up and sent him flying over the front yard and out into the middle of the cobbled street. It sent Kyriel flying too as she was still in his arms.

  After that things became confused. He landed hard, crashing down in the cobbles and then rolling helplessly along them. He lost sight of Kyriel. Pain ripped through him as his bare skin was scraped off.

  For a while he just lay there in the road after that, wondering what had happened. He hurt – badly. In fact it felt like he was on fire. His ears were roaring non-stop. There was blood everywhere, but particularly in his mouth. But even then a part of him knew that he had to get up. That he had to run. And that he had to find Kyriel. Before the soldiers found her.

  He tried to get up. He tried to make it to his feet. But his arms and legs weren't working quite right and what he ended up doing was rolling on to his side. When he did though, it was to see veiled soldiers running for him. They were still a long way off but they were running and they were armed. When they reached him he knew they would kill him.

  Edouard started hunting for his guns, wondering what had happened to them, only to discover them still in his hands. Then he took aim at the soldiers and started firing.

  He hit some of them, somehow. Or at least he watched as some of them fell down and the rest went diving hurriedly to the sides of the street, and for a moment he felt good. Until he realised he’d emptied his weapons. Until he started seeing sparks on the cobbles nearby. It was a while before he understood that they were musket balls smashing into the street. But when that finally penetrated his tired brain he knew he had to run.

  Edouard tried to get up again and this time he succeeded. Fear was lending him strength if not coordination. Once he got up he spotted Kyriel. She was ahead of him in the front yard of the warehouse they'd been in before, yelling something at him. But he couldn't hear what she was saying. He couldn't hear anything at all over the roaring in his ears. And strangely she had a pistol in her hand and was pointing it at Vesar. He was ahead of him too. How had they all got ahead of him?

  He shambled as best he could toward her, amazed by the way that the cobbles all around him seemed to be filled with flashes of light. The entire brigade had to be shooting at him. Only the range he guessed was causing them to miss. Though not all of them missed. Some of them hit him.

  Edouard felt a sting across his legs as a ball of hot lead grazed him, as well as several impacts into his plate. But none of the hits were critical and somehow he made it the rest of the way across the street to her.

  After he'd reached her though he couldn't stop. They had to move on. He couldn't hear what she was saying – he couldn't hear anything – but he could see the way that she was waving her arms around, urging him inside. So he did as he was told and stumbled into the warehouse.

  Kyriel slammed and barred the door behind him and then started pushing him towards the back of the warehouse. She pushed Vesar too and that made him feel good. Edouard
didn't like it when she pushed him around, but it was a little easier to take when he wasn't the only one. In fact he started giggling a little at the thought. For some reason it seemed funny. In fact the whole thing seemed funny.

  Little by little things began to make more sense to him after that. They found the secret passage at the rear of the warehouse and made their way down it to the sewers. And the shock of the cold water on his skin when they reached them managed to restore a little clarity to Edouard. Not a lot. But enough to know that they had to keep going. It was time to leave.

  No one followed them for some reason. He wasn't sure why. Surely the soldiers would have seen the secret passageway. But maybe, he decided a little while later, they had other things to do than give chase. Things like fight a war. That was lucky. Because he had no strength at all. Barely enough to keep one foot moving in front of the other. His weapons were empty and the powder in his horn was soaked. And he still couldn't hear anything over the roaring in his ears. It was slowly getting quieter, but only a little. At least the strange mania that had gripped him seemed to be holding back for a bit.