And now she was praying for Phynis to survive, hoping against hope that she would live.
* * *
It took Sistina a few moments to notice the two guards and Phynis re-entering her domain. It took several moments longer to realize that something was extremely wrong. And it took even longer for her to extricate herself from the nascent golem, leaving the enchantments to fall to pieces behind her and which she’d have to start anew.
It took Sistina several more precious moments to analyze what was happening, her thoughts feeling like they were moving like winter-thickened sap. The two guards were moving quickly, but she could feel every drop of Phynis’ blood as it hit the cavern floor. Each drop was like thunder that rippled through her entire domain. Sistina could feel inside the woman’s body, where the crossbow bolt’s iron head had pierced Phynis’ heart and how spurts of her blood were forcing their way past the wooden plug of its shaft. She could feel every splinter of the shattered shaft that had exploded into the princess’s back and spread through her body, and Sistina could see every drop of blood.
And the feeling that flowed through her as she realized that Phynis was dying was...unknown to her. It was hot and powerful, and it took Sistina a moment to place it. To place the incandescent rage that suddenly flooded her senses.
The other members of Phynis’ guard started to flood into the tunnel from outside, several of them injured but none as badly as Phynis herself. In spite of her growing anger and rage, Sistina found her thoughts clear enough to wonder why all of the princess’s personal guard had been outside her domain. They normally worked in shifts, and her suspicions began to grow, even as Desa stepped into the tunnel, blocking several humans as they gave chase. The tunnel was too narrow for them to attack in great numbers, but they crowded in in spite of that, besieging the defending guards.
Sistina, on the other hand, found that the intruders made an excellent outlet for her anger.
* * *
Phillip paused to catch his breath as the others followed the elves into the cave entrance. He hadn’t been injured, but he’d also been at the back. He thought he’d managed to nick a couple of the elven soldiers, but their defense had been coordinated, furious, and supported by magic that had forced him to fall back several times.
But the women were on the defensive, and it was only a matter of time before they fell. Taking a deep breath, Phillip nodded at Rick and took a step forward, then stopped as the stone wall of the cavern closed in front of him. He gawked at the wall which had suddenly appeared, blocking off the entire tunnel and cutting him off from the twenty men who’d been ahead of them.
“What the hell? There must be a switch to open it!” Rick urged him, eyes wide in shock.
“Hurry and find it, the others need our support!” Sergeant Helm urged, stepping up behind them impatiently.
“Yes, sir!” Phillip answered instantly, sheathing his sword and starting to search the stones nearby for a switch of some type. As he did so, he had to wonder about the wall sliding shut. Something about it had seemed really strange. Was it his imagination that the rock had flowed like water?
* * *
Jayla hissed as a crossbow bolt punched through a gap in Desa’s ice shield, punching through her shoulder. The pain made her arm twitch and her sword fell from nerveless fingers. The two humans in front lunged forward, snarling at her and she braced herself for death. She wasn’t ready to die, but if she died defending her country instead of being enslaved, Jayla would have to be content.
But it was at that moment as she stared down a corridor filled with human soldiers, that the ceiling came down. It didn’t make noise or shift beforehand, it just suddenly slammed downward and Jayla gasped as she was thrown backward by a rush of air pressure. Hideous crunching sounds echoed in the hallway, sounds that cause her shudder viscerally.
Biting back a whimper of pain, Jayla pulled herself back to her feet, murmuring an apology to whomever she’d been thrown into, and froze as she saw the corridor in front of them. She almost didn’t recognize her own trembling voice as she whispered a soft oath. “Goddess above…”
The ceiling was now almost perfectly flush with the floor, with no sign of a collapse. Her sword was vibrating on the ground, and a single, outstretched hand from a Kelvanis soldier protruded from underneath the rock barrier, still holding the short blade of the man’s sword. And ever so slowly, a pool of blood was spreading from that tiny gap.
“What just happened?” Jayla asked, shaken as she’d never been before.
* * *
Evrial gasped, paling as she helped lay the princess down and saw the wound on her back again. She’d only gotten a glimpse of it before, and that was before the blood had soaked Phynis’ blouse and dripped down her back. Tiny spurts of blood were coming from the central wound, and where it was located...Evrial paled even more as she realized what that meant. Her belief that the princess could be helped wavered as she realized that she’d been struck in the heart. The other damage was bad enough, but this was so much worse than she’d feared!
“Oh, gods...what do we do, Evrial?” Alissa asked, her own face white as a sheet despite her skin tone. “Her heart...she was just fine ten minutes ago! What can we do?”
“We...we’ll just have to try to keep her stable. Farris can still help her.” Evrial assured the other woman even as her own doubts whispered to the contrary. “We just have to keep her alive that long.”
“But how-?” Alissa began, but both of them jumped as Sistina simply appeared, as if from nowhere. And the expression on her face sent chills of terror down Evrial’s spine.
“Bring Phynis.” Sistina said, naked rage apparent in her voice and her tone fit to cut through iron.
“Where to?” Evrial asked, not even considering disobeying the dryad as fear like nothing she’d ever felt before rushed through her veins. Sistina simply pointed at her tree, and began leading the way, her pace more rapid than she’d thought the dryad could move. And somehow Evrial managed to keep up.
* * *
“...they must have an earth mage who closed the tunnel, sir. There’s no sign of a secret passage or other way of opening cave wall, and we can’t hear anything through the stone.” Lieutenant Tarys reported, swallowing before she continued. “Twenty-one soldiers were inside when it shut as well.”
“I see. Well, unless they can get it open from the other side, we aren’t going to be able to do a damned thing to help.” Evansly growled, his rage somewhat cooled, but not enough to make Tarys entirely comfortable. The lord was pacing slowly, still simmering with anger as he gave orders. “I want two platoons stationed here at all times, and get some of the workers to come out here with picks. We’ll see if we can’t dig the rats out of their warren.”
“Yes, sir!” Tarys relaxed slightly at the orders, relieved that she wasn’t going to have her head taken off then and there.
“Now, what about the princess?” Evansly demanded, glaring at the lieutenant. “Who shot her?”
“That…” Tarys hesitated, then sighed and nodded. “Private Daniel Fisher. He reported that he was shooting at the ice mage, and that the bolt bounced twice before hitting her in the back. He looked pretty shaken by the whole thing, too.”
“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” Evansly asked, his eyes narrowed.
“Most likely, sir. He’s proven trustworthy in all previous tasks. And he’s been training with the adventurers in his free time, so I don’t think he’d risk getting clapped in irons.” Tarys replied honestly, swallowing again. She left it unsaid that he really wouldn’t want to be enslaved, either.
“Right. Then he probably didn’t kill her. Damned bolt shouldn’t have done too much damage if it was a ricochet. Put him on leave for the time being. Unpaid leave, Tarys. I’m going to have to contact the Adjudicator. This is a right mess.” Evansly growled again, shaking his head. “I’m going back to Granite Point. Detail a detachment to accompany me.”
“Yes sir!” Tarys replied in rel
ief, though he felt bad for the news she was going to have to break to Daniel. Still, it could always be worse. He could be looking at an execution.
* * *
“Where’s the princess?” Desa demanded, looking around the exit of the tunnel at the rest of the guards. Most of them had minor injuries that they were treating, and it took a moment before one Lisa spoke up.
“Farris said she was injured in the fight, and went to find her.” The uninjured woman reported, looking tired as she added. “She headed toward Sistina’s tree.”
“Shit. Take care of the injured! I’ll be back shortly.” Desa hissed, and ran off toward Sistina’s tree, swearing internally at the debacle. If Phynis was seriously injured, she’d never forgive herself. And all of this because she’d decided to follow her damnable orders!
Emerging from the trees, she saw Farris standing near the tree, staring toward where Desa could see Alissa and Evrial were standing under the branches. In between the two, both of whom had hands covered in drying blood, was Sistina. The dryad was sitting down with Phynis face-down in her lap, thin branches draped over both of them. Desa bounded up next to Farris and began to speak. “Farris! Why aren’t you helping...oh, goddess above!”
Desa felt the blood drain from her face as she got a proper look at what was happening. She’d been mistaken about the branches draping over Phynis. A large bloody wound in her princess’s back, along with a series of smaller injuries the princess’s skin. The thin tips of the branches were buried inside the wounds in a way that made Desa’s skin crawl. The broken stump of a crossbow bolt protruded from the central wound, and Desa felt a sickness in her stomach at where the bolt was located.
“I...I can’t do anything but get in the way, Captain. She’s doing everything she can.” Farris murmured, shock almost immobilizing their healer.
The tiny branches were moving, Desa realized, and one slipped out of a wound delicately, the thin branches gripping a shard of wood. The process was faster than she’d realized, as one piece after another was pulled from Phynis’ flesh and tossed aside. While she was doing this, Sistina raised her right hand, and a single leaf drew across her index finger. From the wound came not blood, but a huge, viscous drop of green liquid that shimmered like a tiny, emerald star. Desa could feel the mana roiling off that drop like a storm. It took her a moment to realize that as the drop came out, the vitality of Sistina’s body dimmed slightly.
It was at that moment that the branches in the primary wound pulled, and there was a gush of blood as the bolt came free. Desa flinched, but Sistina didn’t hesitate as the branches threw the wood and iron aside, instead pressing that drop of liquid directly into the wound, and from her lips came a fountain of words. And those words echoed in the cavern like a crescendo of music.
The thundering words were nothing that Desa could grasp. They were familiar, yet out of her grasp. They brought to mind assurances, endearments, and raging promises of vengeance. They were life and light, and yet...there was a darkness to them as well. And with each word formed runes of glowing emerald light in the air around Phynis’ wound. Two dozen runes formed before Sistina fell silent once more, the light of her tree dimming as well, and the echoes of her voice slowly dying. But with her silence, the runes slowly faded away. A moment later Sistina wiped her hand gently across Phynis’ back. Where her hand passed, the blood was wiped away and revealed nothing but perfect, unmarked skin.
“That’s...that’s incredible. Healing so quickly and perfectly…” Farris gasped in astonishment.
Desa nodded numbly in agreement, taking a step forward. But when she did, Sistina’s eyes snapped up to meet her own, and branches and roots blocked Desa’s path instantly. And the dryad did not look happy as she spoke, her voice flat and angry. “Explain.”
Chapter 43
As she seemed to drift through darkness, Phynis couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep. It was a strange sensation, as if she was in a near-dream, and yet she was somehow faintly cognizant of...everything. A tiny, stabbing pain from the back of her chest told her she was still alive, and yet she was somehow detached from it. It seemed like there was little that could sway her mind from the serenity of the near-dream, from the calm that enveloped her.
The calm rippled when she floated from the darkness and into an immense curtain of light. Perhaps a bubble would be a better term, she realized, and she opened her eyes as she gazed upon it. It was huge, and formed entirely of golden-green light that twisted and braided together in an immense, incredibly intricate structure that connected everything. She could see everything, as each branch of threads stretched inward, deeper into the bubble that was slowly pulsing with life all around her. Even a strand extended from herself, she realized, as she looked down and saw that the brand burned brightly in this space, glowing with azure light that extended outward in its own thread to link into the tapestry that subsumed it. Looking deeper into the immense power, she gasped as she saw the being at its center.
Glowing with deep golden light was an immense willow tree seemingly forged of the light itself, green, blue, and crimson energy flowing through its veins. Yet almost hidden within the tree was another figure. A figure composed of deep violet, almost invisible and yet...Phynis could see breathtaking features that vanished from her mind almost as fast as she could drink them in. Hints of wings wrapped around the woman’s body, and a tail coiling around her legs before both tail and legs dissolved into the tree’s roots. But the body was seemingly asleep, subsumed almost entirely by the immense tree wrapped around it. And from the tree, Phynis felt a powerful, familiar mind that controlled the entirety of the tapestry. It was Sistina, and she was looking elsewhere.
Looking ‘down’ to where Sistina’s attention was, Phynis saw threads being carefully woven into new shapes. Near where she saw creatures like her, ants linked to Sistina by glowing threads, she could see what appeared to be a powerful figure eight feet tall, an intricate lattice of power weaving through the stone of the figure as Sistina wove it, and Phynis admired the work for a moment. But a spike of pain surprised her, and she gasped, sending a ripple through the weave of the tapestry around her. That was a better term for it. It was a tapestry of life.
But the ripple drew Sistina’s attention, and Phynis gasped as she finally realized the full measure of her love’s consciousness. It was like an immense creature like a dragon turned to regard her, and its power was palpable, capable of crushing her like she wasn’t even there. In its absence the power woven through the figure down below slowly fell into a useless tangle, the beauty of its form lost. For a moment Sistina’s mind just regarded Phynis, and then the world rippled.
The figure within the tree’s eyes flickered open just a crack, and anger blazed through the weave of the tapestry. A single finger of that dark figure sent a wave of indigo energy through the threads, aiming past Phynis, and Phynis turned her attention to what was behind her.
Other consciousnesses were within the tapestry now, she realized. Two were carrying her, and she faintly realized that one was Evrial, linked to Sistina by a burning crimson brand, while the other was just so very faint, so barely there. And behind them were others. Three glowed with crimson brands of their own, while one that must be Desa glowed with a bright silver brand. Each of them were connected to Sistina, and their light, their consciousness was more vibrant for it. All of the others were dim by comparison, and she felt sad for them, for how dark their light was within the realm of Sistina’s immense power. But beyond them were about twenty that were even darker, even more limited than the elves that she recognized. Behind them, the wave of dark power slammed the door shut. And then...the indigo light brought the ceiling down on those twenty faint lights. For a single, glorious instant, those lights grew as brilliant as stars, their luminescence emitting energy that merged with Sistina’s tapestry...and then they were gone, as though they never had lived at all.
Sorrow rolled through Phynis as she saw the beautiful lights vanish, and she faintly wished that
she could see it again. But that temptation vanished as she felt the power of Sistina’s consciousness focusing on her once more, and Phynis turned her attention to the tree, as she was carried under its very boughs. Phynis’ excitement and terror quickened as she realized that she was dying. The violet figure’s eyes were fixed on Phynis, as though a decision was being made. And then slowly, ever so slowly, those mesmerizing violet eyes closed again, and the tapestry pulsed around her.
Pain came in spurts, but she could feel that it was a good pain. Her body was trying to fail, but she felt warm golden energy flowing into her body, supporting her and keeping death at bay. And she could see the tapestry drawing power from everywhere. It ripped the tangled power from the stone figure, leaving the giant to crumble to dust. Each ant, bear, bee, plant, wasp, and wolf grew weaker as they contributed a thread of their power. The entirety of the tapestry dimmed ever so slightly, as all that immense power condensed in a single point that rested in Sistina’s hand, a glowing sun of light and power. A final spike of pain shuddered through her consciousness, as her body began to fail her in spite of the supporting energy. Her spirit began to depart her body, but it was then that Sistina acted.
The pure, immense power from Sistina’s hand flared brightly as it entered Phynis’ body, and she felt her body surge with life, her blood quickening, her bones mending, her mental acuity growing greater as pure power like nothing she had ever felt flooded her body. That immense power purged her body of all flaws, remaking her mind to what it was meant to be. It slowly anchored Phynis back into her body, and that was when she felt Sistina’s mind and emotions. She felt the incredible depth of affection, not quite like the love like she felt toward Sistina, but love nonetheless, and both a gentle desire and sense of fierce protectiveness. And then a faint voice spoke into her mind as her consciousness in that space faded.
Ancient Ruins (Ancient Dreams Book 1) Page 32
