Crystal Cache (Crow Hill Book 2)

by Tom Larcombe

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  Chapter 15

  Rynn stared down off the roof at the raiders.

  We were that worried about this bunch of bungling incompetents? she thought.

  She could see several of the raiders that were shielded behind the trucks, but didn't want to give away her position just yet by firing.

  There's the wizard, he's doing something to blur his actual position though so I'm not going to fire at him yet either.

  Her eyes tracked the wizard as he slipped out of the truck and around back to where the raiders appeared to be arguing amongst themselves. The opposing wizard slid behind the truck and out of her sight, but she kept watch on that area, waiting for him to show himself again.

  I wonder if I can get a better sense of his exact location if I use my Sight instead of just normal vision, she wondered.

  She squinted her eyes closed for a second, willing them to see the magic in addition to the normal things they saw. When they opened again, she cursed.

  “Crap, what's he doing?”

  Small tendrils of magic were snaking out from beneath the mired truck the wizard was sheltered behind. They split into smaller and smaller strands, all creeping towards the trenches that sheltered the defenders, and Michael. One larger strand was making its way directly towards Michael.

  Michael, she thought at him, that wizard is doing something. Look on the ground in front of you with your Sight.

  What is that? he thought back at her.

  I don't know, but maybe you can stop it?

  There was a brief pause before he replied.

  I just tried, I can't get any sort of traction with it, it doesn't have weight so I can't wash it away or have it sink into the ground... Wait!

  As Rynn watched, the back end of the mired truck started to sink deeper into the ground. So did several of the raiders behind it. The tendrils of magic slowed for a moment, then resumed their progress. She'd seen a blur of something move away from the raiders and assumed that must be the wizard getting to safety before continuing his magical assault.

  The three raiders who'd gotten mired were now hip deep in whatever it was Michael had made the ground become. Their struggles only served to mire them more firmly, so she assumed it was something like quicksand. As she watched, the ground immediately around one of them solidified again. The raider started to scream in pain as the ground that surrounded his lower body began to crush in on him.

  What's Michael doing? That's not his style, she thought.

  Then she noticed where the magic that was creating the changes in the mud was coming from. It didn't lead back to Michael, it led towards the top of the cliff. A glance in that direction had her cursing up a storm.

  “Damn it! Where did those two come from?”

  The magic in question had originated with Andi, who was on the edge of the treeline at the top of the cliff. Eugene stood beside her scanning the area around them, the stolen artifact in hand and she saw several blue-white lights arcing around it as he fired at the trapped raiders. Andi was holding a crystal similar to the one Michael had on the porch and was apparently tapping the energy from it.

  “Crap, if I can tell where that's coming from, so can the other wizard.”

  Rynn started scanning for the other wizard again, she could see his blurring shield when he was moving, but when he stood still it was almost impossible to find him. She traced the creeping tendrils of magic, now only a couple of feet in front of the trenches, back towards their origin point.

  There, next to that boulder. It looks like heat waves, but I bet it's him.

  She aimed her rifle towards the center of the heat waves, then waited.

  I'll only get one shot before he takes cover again, so I need to make it count.

  The tendrils of magic reached the trenches and she finally discovered their purpose. Each tendril attached itself to a single defender, who then went stock still. The only movement they made after the tendril touched them was their breathing. She knew then what it was, a physical version of the spell she'd been trapped in when scouting.

  At a yell from someone amidst the raiders, several of them exposed themselves as targets. When no-one fired at them, they took aim and started shooting at the visible portions of the paralyzed defenders. She saw two men hit in the first volley.

  I have to do something there or they'll kill all of them. Michael looks like he's still fending off the tendril trying to attach itself to him, so he can help. But his tendril is about five times as large as the rest, why is that? she thought.

  Michael, dry out all the soil a couple feet in front of the trenches, right now! As absolutely dry as you can make it, Rynn thought at him.

  She got back a mental nod and watched as Michael did what she requested, at the cost of his tendril finally touching him.

  Shit, this better work.

  Rynn took the fire that was always present in her thoughts and fueled it with her magic. She sent it out to the front of the trenches where Michael had removed as much moisture as he could.

  A curtain of flames roared up, fueled by the dirt and stone she'd set aflame. The fire danced in oranges, reds, blues, and greens from the abnormality of its fuel, but it burned hot. The tendrils burned and scorched, then shriveled away from the heat of the flames.

  All but one of the tendrils were gone, burned by the flames. The one that had just contacted Michael remained though, diminished in size but still intact.

  Michael? Rynn thought at him.

  In her mind his reply came through as though spoken through gritted teeth.

  What?

  The kids, they're on the cliff. Andi's doing something to the mire you made, using it to crush the raiders.

  Rynn felt a faint sense of satisfaction from him and was momentarily horrified.

  Can't do anything, he thought at her. This thing is draining away my energy and using it to spread all over me.

  Rynn shuddered, remembering the wizard's attempt to crush her awareness when she'd been caught during scouting.

  Crap, help Andi or help Michael? If I help Michael first, then we can both help Andi if the wizard attacks her. Plus, she did this to herself, Michael's stuck because he helped me.

  Rynn stared at the tendril attached to Michael. After a moment she nodded, then concentrated. A small portion of her awareness split away and raced down next to the tendril. It reached out the mental equivalent of a hand and grasped the tendril. She worked on being able to feel it and when she could, her mental hand burst into flame.

  The tendril scorched and shriveled, but her body nearly rolled off the roof when Michael's mental scream of anguish overwhelmed her. A quick glance showed that the sections of tendril that had been trying to enmesh Michael were also burning. She winced and pulled her awareness back to her body.

  Michael! she shouted into his mind.

  His reply was incoherent.

  Fire! Flames! Burning!

  Water! Douse it with the mental equivalent of water! Water that would wet the tendril will put out the flames.

  A strange shimmer spread around Michael. After a moment, Rynn realized that he'd simply raised his shields since they were water based and designed to protect against mental attacks as well.

  A sense of easing slid into her mind from her connection with Michael. There was still pain, but no new pain was being piled on him any more.

  I hope he can take it from there. I need to help Andi.

  A quick scan showed her that two more of the raiders were trapped in the solidifying mire. The first one that had been trapped was screaming now and as she watched, the lower part of his body was rent asunder. His torso, from just above where he'd been buried, fell to the ground in a red mist.

  Rynn turned her face away. It wasn't that what she'd seen bothered her, she'd seen worse before. The problem she had was that Andi had done it. She hadn't thought Andi was capable of doing something like that and, if Rynn didn't act soon, Andi would be doing it to even more of the
raiders.

  She glanced up at Andi and revised her estimate. The young girl was stock still, not moving in the slightest. As she watched, Eugene put a hand on Andi's shoulder to shake her and immediately went rigid himself.

  The wizard, Rynn thought.

  She sighted down her rifle towards the last spot she'd seen him, then scanned for the little heat haze she'd noticed before. When she found it, she aimed for the very center, hoping that his blurring shield was centered on his body, then slowly squeezed the trigger.

  The shot was loud to her ears. Even with the other rifles that were firing again, her ears rang from her own shot. She looked at her aiming point and saw the opposing Wizard fade into view, a bullet wound in his leg leaking blood.

  Another glance up at the top of the cliff told her that Eugene was moving again, pulling Andi back into the cover of the trees. When she glanced back to finish off the wizard, he wasn't where she'd last seen him, although a trail of blood led around the boulder he'd been next to.

  The raiders and the defenders now seemed more evenly matched, the enemy wizard having counted on his magic to turn the tide of battle. Rynn was worried about Andi though, when she'd seen her immobile, she hadn't even seemed to be breathing. Eugene had her under cover now, but Rynn was still worried. The screaming from the raiders that were trapped was slowly dying out, but a glance told her that was because the process the first one went through was being repeated on the others.

  But is it because she is still controlling it or is it just a reaction she started that's finishing?

  She shook her head.

  I won't be any use to Michael or the defenders if I can't concentrate on them because I'm worrying. So, just a moment or two to check on Andi, then I'll get back to the fight.

  She split a portion of her awareness and sent it towards where she'd last seen the two kids. It raced to the top of the cliff and into the treeline. Eugene had pulled her back barely enough that they couldn't be seen from the battlefield. He was currently crying and had his hands on her chest, administering CPR. The stolen artifact lay on the ground beside him, forgotten.

  Damn it! Rynn thought. We need Cindy or Michael.

  She sent her fragment of awareness into Andi's body. Even if she couldn't heal, she could still find out what the problem was.

  From what she could see, Andi's entire body had shut down, nearly paralyzed by whatever the wizard had done. That include autonomic functions like breathing and heartbeat. Her heart was sitting in her chest, trembling, like she'd just had a cardiac arrest.

  What Eugene was doing was the only reason Andi had a chance to stay alive. The CPR was forcing her to take in air and pump blood through her body, but if her body didn't start functioning on its own soon, Rynn could tell that Andi wouldn't make it.

  With Eugene right there, she was sure that she could speak to his mind.

  Eugene, keep doing what you're doing. I'll have my body there to help as soon as I can.

  His reply came through strangely clear and forceful.

  Rynn? Where are you?

  Right here, part of me is anyhow. I need to return this fragment to my body, then I'll get here for real as soon as I can. Keep doing what you're doing or she'll die for sure.

  His reply was mental, verbal, and for all Rynn knew it also spanned communication levels she knew nothing about.

  “NO!!!”

  Rynn's awareness was buffeted by the power behind Eugene's cry. She quickly returned it to her body.

  Everyone on the battlefield had stopped still. Rynn saw the confusion in the faces she could see. Evidently Eugene's cry had done more than buffet her awareness, it had done something to the men on the battlefield as well. As she watched several of the men shook their heads and blinked, then returned to something resembling normal.

  Michael stood at the edge of the trench, his clothing shredded and mostly burned away. There was a mesh pattern of new, pinkish looking skin on his torso and legs. He was turned away from the fight, facing the top of the cliff.

  We'll need you there soon, Rynn sent to him. But the wizard is wounded and holed up. I think behind that big boulder on the edge of the mire you made. I'll go do what I can with Andi, you take care of the wizard.

  Andi? he replied, confusion evident in his mental voice.

  The wizard did something to her that stopped all her bodily functions. Eugene is keeping her body alive with CPR.

  A burst of raw rage tore along their mental connection, leaving Rynn wondering how Michael could experience emotions like that and still be the gentle man she knew. He closed the connection and, as she watched, raised his shield stronger than she'd ever seen it before and raced out across the battlefield towards the boulder she'd specified.

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  Rynn quickly slung her rifle and created another staircase from the air. This one was at a shallower angle and much longer. It stretched from the edge of the roof, climbing to the lowest point on the cliff nearby. She had to do it in sections since it was so long, but she'd experimented with that before and had no worry that it would collapse if not anchored.

  Even so, it took her several minutes to reach Eugene and Andi. All the while she was listening to rifle fire and roars that sounded almost too loud to be coming from human bodies.

  I can't believe I'm abandoning Michael, she thought, but if I don't then Andi dies. He can handle himself and if he focuses the anger I felt from him, I certainly wouldn't want to be in his way.

  When she reached Andi and Eugene, he was still performing CPR. Andi's body didn't appear to be responding on its own at all. Eugene noticed Rynn approaching and looked up, his face streaked with tear tracks. He was sobbing and she noticed that his control had slipped when he spoke.

  “Help her,” he said.

  Rynn felt a hint of the command of his natural voice in the plea and her resolve to help Andi redoubled.

  “I love her,” Eugene said, “but I can't help her.”

  His voice broke off in ragged sobs.

  “I know Eugene and you have helped her. If I can get her heart going again, it'll be because you were here, helping her.”

  Rynn dropped to her knees next to Andi, sweeping up the artifact that Eugene had taken and tucking it away in her clothing. She had one hope, a modification of a trick she'd used to use on people she disliked. Back in school, she and Michael had devised this one together. She'd generate a small amount of electricity in her hand, then touch someone. Like rubbing a cat, but the static discharge was significantly larger. This time she generated a much larger charge than she ever had as a prank.

  “Expose her chest for me Eugene,” Rynn said.

  Eugene looked up at her indignantly. She raised the hand that was glowing with visible arcs of electricity and he gulped. Then he quickly pulled Andi's t-shirt up and glanced at Rynn. She looked at him impatiently and he pushed Andi's bra up and out of the way.

  “Back up,” Rynn ordered.

  Eugene scrambled backwards.

  Rynn put her hands just above Andi's body. One hand on the upper slope of her right breast, the other just below her left breast. She muttered a small prayer to whomever might be listening, then pressed her hands to Andi's body simultaneously.

  Andi's body reacted like a fish out of water, flopping around and thrashing.

  Rynn removed her hands and waited, watching. She counted to ten and Andi remained still. Rynn gathered even more electricity in her hands and pressed them down again.

  Once again Andi's body thrashed on the ground. This time Rynn smelled a hint of burned flesh from where she'd pressed her hands to the girl. She counted again and still no reaction.

  Rynn gulped.

  Once more, she thought, with a little more charge. Please Andi, wake up. You're my responsibility, and Eugene loves you. We need you here, stay with us.

  When Rynn brought her hands down this time, they were glowing with a blue-white light that was easily visible even in direct sunlight. The smell of burned flesh grew stronger as soon
as she touched Andi's skin.

  Andi's body flopped and thrashed until Rynn removed her hands.

  Rynn began to count again.

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  Chapter 16

  Walter ran.

  He ran with a long loping stride that wasn't as fast as a sprint, but that he could keep up for hours at a time. As each foot struck the ground he took a sip of energy from the Earth to conserve his own. He could run for as long as he could keep his eyes open this way, and he might need to do just that.

  I can't believe I'm deserting, he thought, but it isn't the US army any more. The way they were talking at headquarters, it was like we were a private mercenary group on contract to that Council they mentioned.

  His run was taking him across the plains currently. He knew it would get harder when he started climbing in elevation, but that was still hundreds of miles ahead of him.

  He flashed back to what his little spell had shown him at headquarters. He was still amazed that they hadn't guarded against such things, but he was beginning to think that all the troops in the Wizard Corps were under some sort of spell that he'd somehow managed to break on himself.

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  He recognized the officers in his scrying spell by sight, but didn't know their names. It didn't really matter though, because what they were saying took his attention right off of trying to put names to faces.

  “So, the diviners told us that the Council's troubleshooter is going to fail?” one man said.

  The other man nodded.

  “Yes, they were so sure that their tame Wizard, the one that was managing the mine, wasn't going to be a problem. But he already killed one troubleshooter that tried to remove him. The diviner said he'd survive this attempt as well and that the Council's troubleshooter was nowhere to be seen after the fight. I assume that means that Michael, that's his name, is going to kill this one as well.”