by P. Tempest
“Is there any way to fix the magic?”
“Lots of ways if you want to die in flames. We can do a bit here and there, drain the corruption and try to get the flows moving right again. It’s been like this for a long time, it's not a quick fix.”
“I think I should go out and see if I can find some people to talk to.”
“I wouldn't advise that just yet sir.” formality came back all of a sudden.
“Give me your reasoning then.”
“We aren't secure here, for now I wouldn't advise going anywhere alone. You don't have the skills for this.”
“How do you know what skills I have or not?” Anger seemed to be sweeping over me. This man who barely knew me telling me what to do. I could smash him to pieces, open the earth beneath him.
“Lower the sword Tristan, this is the wrong fight,” Lysan said with a tightness to his voice that seemed out of place.
I'd not even noticed it coming up.
My breath came faster, blood racing through my veins. My arms wanted to swing my blade, to cut, anything.
“Tristan, listen to me.” Lysan's voice had shifted to something softer, gentler, almost soothing. “This isn't what you want, push the magic away. You don't need it here. There is nothing to fight, all is well.”
I felt the strength draining out of me, making me waver on my feet.
Lysan's words continued as if from a distance, too faint to make out. My vision flickered into the magical, soft shadows crawled through the room, coming for me.
I felt a hand on my shoulder just as I let go of the sword, the clatter it made as it landed, shook me.
I blinked, back into normal vision.
“That is why you don't have the skills, you are too sensitive. Not much we can do about that except be there with you.”
My answer didn't even make sense to me, the half formed words just nonsense in my ears.
Let’s take you back to your room give you a chance to recover, it’s not so different from backlash. The patterns can have nasty effects when you fight them off.
Patterns? I asked, the word didn't seem to fit.
Yes patterns. Like paths worn in the earth or a rivers course, you can't just change it. They take time and effort to wear themselves a new route. They are doing that in your head but you have your own routes, this one wasn't subtle.
We were heading up the stairs before I knew it.
“So what now?” My head was ringing like a bell, echoes of something lingered longer than they should.
“Now you go someplace quiet and you pull yourself together. Remember the cleansing exercises from when you were recovering?”
“That's what they are for?”
“Not just this but lots of magic/mind interactions. Go through a few of them. We will carry on downstairs and if we need you one of us will come to get you.”
“But the pit. It needs handling.”
“Not just yet, we don't know enough. You spoke to the commander, I'm sure he knows what he is about. You get your task done, we will do ours.”
He left me at the door to my room.
(---)
The sound of a bell ringing in the distance drew me back from my exercises, the confusion of earlier gone, leaving me feeling calm and relaxed. I lengthened the final stretch, my muscles flowed smoothly over each other. My breath came slowly, deep and measured. I opened my eyes to find one of the mages standing in the doorway looking at me.
“Sir, I didn't want to disturb you but the bell is ringing,” The older mage said, he fidgeted with his dark hair, nervous for some reason.
“I heard. Another troll?” The words came out unaffected, distant.
“The squad is assembled in the reception. We are waiting on your go ahead. Commander Telsan didn't want to move out without your say so.”
“Why not?”
“You are our commander, I guess. He doesn't share his reasoning with us, we trust him.”
“Of course you do. Let's go see the good commander then, shall we?”
The mage nodded and stepped back from the doorway.
I strode forwards, not slowly nor at any great speed. Everything seemed so distant. My normal passion and drive dampened. I shrugged at the notion, nothing to do about it right now.
The squad was assembled in the lobby as I'd been informed, their faces wary and alert. The commander, Telsan was walking between his men, eyeing them up, offering a solid hand on the shoulder or a grim nod to the men that may die this night.
That sense of danger looming filled the air, like the calm before the blackest storm sweeps in. A full blown tempest is too much for mages, only a wizard could touch it. That atmosphere pervaded the room. The sense that death was waiting for each man, was enough to chill the blood of anyone, hardened soldiers are no exception to fear.
“Commander Sodden, good of you to join us,” Telsan said as he caught my eye.
“I had things to do, you know how it is. Now what's the situation? I heard the bell.”
“The bell is a warning system the populace have come up with, Niven and Felas there managed to speak to someone earlier. There is always someone in the towers, normally more than one, watching the walls. There is a tower in each quadrant, at the cardinal points. They light a fire, the central tower rings the bell. I've had the men scrying but nothing is coming through. The magic is too distorted to let a clear picture through. So we have very little to go on.”
“Then why all the grim looks?”
“Can’t you feel it... sir? The charge in the air, there is something coming, something big.”
“I've been doing my exercises, so that I don't feel much of anything. Could it have anything to do with us arriving?”
““It could, we have been throwing power around all day. It might have been sensed or disturbed something. I just don't know.””
“Where is my sword?”
Lysan stepped over to me. His greying hair bore marks from his hands running through it. He nodded at his commander and winked at me. “I put it behind the desk, just in case. I had a feeling it was going to be a busy night.”
“Why didn't you say anything?”
“You weren't in the right frame of mind for it. The last thing you needed was to work yourself up.”
“Thanks, I guess, I would prefer if you didn't hide things from me. I might need to know.”
“You know now. We mages aren't the most biddable Tristan. We do what we want. This kind of squad is rare, we've been burnt before. The last time we functioned like they do, well you know when that was.”
I nodded as he led me to the desk. The nobles' kill teams. The dark days of the blood wars. High bloods fighting with mages doing the dirty work, a wonderful time in our national history. My sword was leaning against the desk just like he said it would be.
It had a sheath now, I looked to Lysan, a question on the tip of my tongue as I picked it up. I ran my hand of the intricate leather, each ridge and bump revealed to my touch.
“Yeah, its bad luck to carry a blade without a sheath. It’s the best I could do on short notice.”
The blade was too long to comfortably wear on my hip, but Lysan had thought of that. A collection of straps and buckles formed a harness to strap it over my shoulder, my coat might get in the way at the moment, but it would do for now. I could always alter my coat later after whatever was coming.
“Thank you Lysan.” I strapped on my sword checking it was loose in the scabbard and easy to draw, nothing caught.
“Least I could do after triggering you earlier. Didn't expect you to be quite so sensitive.”
I smiled at that. “Not to worry, best I knew before battle, I feel fine now though.”
“You look better. I've always hated the price we pay.”
“It’s fair I guess. Everything has a price, it could be worse.”
“That it could. You ready?”
“I would be better prepared if I knew what we were facing.”
“Wouldn't we all? The
magic is whipped up into a frenzy, it’s almost boiling with energy. I've never known it so bad anywhere.”
“Everyone tells me Nelar is special, anything to do with that?”
“Could be, who knows. Information is a bit thin on the ground about this place. It’s almost as if... no never mind.” A look of confusion crossed his face before he dismissed it.
“Get your battle face on. At my reckoning we don't have long before we will be going out the doors.”
“Anyone seen Brendon?”
“The god vessel? He was up on the roof, ready to pull down his Lord's fire. The man gives me the creeps.”
“Why?”
“Sharing your head with an immortal, not for me.” Lysan shook his head as if to emphasise
“I don't think he has all that much choice, he is just making the best of a difficult situation. He's been a good ally to me.”
We walked over to the waiting men. The quiet was oppressive, all that could be heard was the tolling of the bell. The men were silent. Their grim gazes locked on their leader, a few looked at me before dismissing the thought that I was their commander. I didn't have the years to command these men. I hadn't earned their trust. At most I was a hindrance to these veterans of the blood wars.
A sense of isolation filled me. I was apart from them. I'd always been apart, except with Sophia and Lyphia. Jase had sent these men to bring me home. 'Do your duty mage,' Sophia's angry words rang differently now. My duty might be here right now, but my true master was a little girl and a headstrong woman, both waiting for me. I owed it to them to get home. Maybe these men had families they needed to get home to as well.
I looked with fresh eyes at the mages - they had come for me. I wouldn't let them down. I wouldn't let anyone down. Not this time.
Telsan raised his arm, fist clenched.
The doors opened.
All around me, the men drew their weapons - swords and wands, mainly though one had a massive axe.
I drew my own sword, the smooth stone singing like a clarion. The hilt was cool in my hand.
Into the night we marched.
Chapter 39
Marching doesn't really convey the emotion of the moment, it says monotonous, repetitive. It doesn't cover the frantic scurry as we stepped into the street.
The new headquarters had a nice arch framing the door, I’d not really noticed it before, but I noticed it now.
It was the only thing that kept us sheltered from the swarms of monsters roaming the streets. I guess a group of mages cutting their way into the horde generates a lot of interest. They couldn't attack on all sides, their numbers were too great. Who knew being out numbered could be a good thing?
All this ran through my mind in the instant before the mage next to me pulled on his link. He raised his wand and pointed into the void hanging above us and then...
Things fell.
I have no idea what he did, but it distracted the beasts. Night wings and harpies fell still living from the sky as if the air couldn't bear them to touch it anymore.
“Light we need light, we're blind out here,” I shouted. Someone heard me.
The sky lit up for miles in every direction. Fire pouring into the clouds from directly above us.
We could see. I wished we couldn't.
Trolls strolled down the streets, their clubs dragging behind them, the cobbles tore from the path.
Goblins, the lesser cousin of the trolls, smaller but quicker, followed along, their high pitched laughs as they broke into the buildings and pulled people out filled the air.
Night wings twitched with the harpies on the ground, their fall hard but not fatal. Their bat like wings and strange tentacles on display for all to see.
Small earth elementals completed the forces.
Something wasn't right.
Telsan and the others at the front of the formation were locked in close combat. I’d been kept at the back, the press of bodies too much to force the issue right now.
I could now see but something was missing, what was it?
A legion of goblins, grey skinned and short but gangly, their oddly jointed hands holding makeshift weapons, sharpened sticks and shards of stone rushed forwards.
A seven man army is too small to resist that sort of pressure. Heavy magic isn't without its costs and one of them is time. Another is attention.
“Tristan, you have earth don't you?” Lysar asked as he pushed away a probing goblin. It snarled and clawed but its limbs were too short to gain purchase.
I nodded.
“Raise a platform under us all. Slope the sides so they have to fight their way up.”
I looked around, measuring the space. A hundred feet on each side, narrowing to ten at the door.
I opened my senses wide, braced for the rush. It still struck me like a blow to the head. Colours and sounds, the sick signatures of trolls and goblins. Night wings a strange harmony of light and dark. I pulled on my link, the twisted magic flooded my body. I poured it all into the earth under the cobbles, hunting for solid rock, there not too deep. I commanded it to rise up.
The air filled with the low rumbling sound of grinding stone.
“Good, a bit higher Tristan, that should do it. Give the guys a chance to rest and think.”
The front was slowly disengaging. The few fresh men swapping out with the commander and the two others.
If I was fighting for my life with these men, it would be great if I knew their names.
I released my magic, letting the excess drain back down my link. Then I stepped forward to take my turn on the front. The growls and whimpers from the edge of the mound caught my eye. I found myself trying to see down into the shadows.
“We have a short respite, we need to use it for the biggest advantage. The trolls will step right onto us. What have we got?”
“Sir, Grell and I can set some wards, but I don't know how they will do here. Given another day we could turn this place into a fortress, the magic is purifying. New flows are coming. Once that is done we can cleanse this city of the monsters.”
“We have to avoid casualty. We don't have the manpower to fight a protracted war. Plan it but we need short term gains.”
“We can step back into headquarters sir. Seal it up and wait it out.”
“But what about the civilians?” I asked.
“We will hold here as much as possible. If we give the beasties the juicy target they might leave the civilians alone.”
I missed the rest of the conversation.
A small group of goblins had made it up the mound. My sword swung, taking heads and limbs. The moans of pain and anger sent shivers up my spine but I didn't stop.
Like cutting down weeks at the farm, my arm moved on its own. Flickers of flame licked the blade. Blood, bone and other less pleasant things sprayed over me.
I lost track of time.
A hand touched my shoulder, I spun, my arm pulled back to strike.
Telsan stood there, his face shocked at something.
“They have stopped for a few moments. We have something planned. Get a drink and take a rest.”
Numbly I nodded before pulling away from the edge, I didn't look at what I had done.
Lysar brought a cup of water over to me as I leant against the arch.
“You did well up there. Not many freshly raised have a taste for battle. Not that this counts as one yet.”
I held out my left hand for the cup, my mouth suddenly felt dry.
“Here you go. Rinse first off.”
I did and spat bloody water on the earth which hungrily sucked it up. “What's being planned? I was distracted.”
“I'll bet you were, that sword is something special. Where did you learn to use it? We don't teach swordplay at the academy much anymore, much easier to give the babies wands and staffs.”
“Vesic taught me.”
“Lessons from a god? Ha, you are touched by something special Tristan. Anyways, the plan is a surprise.”
“You do
n't know it do you?”
“Nope, I had my own things to worry about, missed the planning session. Your boy, Brendon is fine, keeping the lights on. Didn't even look tired or anything.”
“Good. Anything we can do to take the pressure off him?”
“I've got some globes, not many. It’s hard to enchant stuff out here. Everything resists.”
“Don't I know it? How are we supposed to know what to do if we don't know the plan? Aren't I commander or something?”
“Yep, ask one of the boys. I'm not one of them really. I'm kept out of their little club.”
“Seems close knit.”
Lysar pointed back towards the front. Telsan and one of his men were heading our way. Blood splattered and worn looking.
“Lysar, water please, while I talk to our commander.”
Lysar walked back inside.
“Tristan, you did well.” Telsan raised his hand to his hair, but upon seeing the blood on it lowered it before making contact. “The platform is letting us hold them off. We need to work out what to do in the long term, but I think we will make it through the night.”
“Good to know.”
Telsan cracked a small smile at that. “The boys have got some tricks coming up, nothing spectacular. Don't be surprised.”
“If you tell me what to expect I won't be surprised.”
“I don't know. Grell and Densk are unpredictable. They say they have something, that's good enough for me. It could be almost anything. But I doubt it will be big, the magic is wrong, they won't risk drawing much.”
“Something has been bothering me about all this. Now that I've had a few moments to think a question occurred, where is the leader?”
“Leader? These are monsters Tristan, they don't need a leader.”
“It’s too organised. Look. Waves of goblins. Shock troops of trolls. Air support. Sappers. Where have the elementals got to?”
“I've got Jedas scrying the field. Now we know what's out there he can focus in. the elementals are on his list.”
“He won't find them. They are all beneath us. Something has caused this.”
“For the sake of argument say I agree with you. What could have caused this?”
