Fireweaver

by Ryan W. Mueller

  "This won't be easy," Kara said, "but I've faced longer odds in my life."

  They set out from the inn. The party was large, and Rella wondered how they'd keep from drawing suspicion as they walked through the city streets. Halarik did not seem to be concerned, though, as he led them into an alley near the edge of the city, close to the fortress. In this alley, there was a large metal grate, and the smell of human waste came through it.

  Rella gagged. Was she really going to do this?

  Halarik and Talin opened the gate, and the party filed in one-by-one, descending a ladder. At the bottom, they stood upon damp stone. The rivers of waste were below them, sloping gradually downhill. Rella had no idea where the waste went, and didn't care.

  A few small Sunlamps lit the space, casting dark shadows against the walls. As soon as everyone was through the grate, Halarik closed it behind them. Soon they all stood in the sewers, trying not to vomit as the smell assaulted them.

  "Follow me," Halarik said, "and keep an eye out. There are monsters in these sewers. We'll face the worst monster of all before we can enter the fortress. It's a giant beast with nine heads, and it guards the entrance to the fortress. I think we can handle it, though."

  But Rella thought she caught a hint of doubt in his eyes.

  The party filed through the sewers, entering a nearby tunnel. For now, the sewers were quiet, but how long would that last? As they walked, Rella gradually became accustomed to the smell. It was still terrible, but she no longer felt like vomiting.

  When they entered an open chamber, the first monsters appeared in front of them. They were strange creatures, a little smaller than humans with gray skin and no eyes. As they danced around the chamber, they shrieked. There were six of them.

  "We can't use fire or lightning weaves here," Halarik said. "They'll ignite the fumes from the waste. We'll have to rely on other weaves, and our weapons."

  Though the creatures had no eyes, it seemed as if they could see. As one, they charged toward the party. Kara, Atarin, Karik, and Talin stepped to the front of the group, engaging the monsters with their swords. Three of the creatures fell to their blades. Halarik hung back, looking as if he felt uncomfortable with the sword he carried.

  But the other three charged toward the rest of the party. One of them leapt over Kae and Faina before launching itself directly toward Rella. For a moment, she froze, panic gripping her, but then she whipped her sword around just in time. The monster crashed into her outstretched blade, and the blade sank wetly through its soft flesh. The creature shrieked, then fell still.

  The other two were dead as well, and no one had anything more than a few scratches.

  "Not too bad," Talin said.

  "That is not the worst we'll face in here," Halarik said. He led them across a bridge, then through another series of tunnels. The sewer system seemed as if it would never end. Rella kept an eye out for monsters, but none threatened for the next few minutes.

  That couldn't last, though. When they reached a junction of four passages, monsters leapt at them from every side. These were more of the gray-skinned creatures. People shouted and screamed. The creatures shrieked. One of them leapt at Rella and began tearing at her with its sharp claws. She held it away with one hand and tried to stab it with her sword, but it was surprisingly strong for its size. She was pinned beneath it, struggling as it tried to tear at her. Already, she had a few stinging cuts.

  Atarin came to her aid. He slammed against the creature, knocking it to the side, and then he stabbed it through the chest. The creature shrieked for a few moments before falling still.

  "Are you all right?" Atarin asked, offering her a hand.

  She took it gratefully. For a moment, she could almost forgive him for what he'd done to her, but the feeling passed. "Yes, I'm fine."

  He nodded awkwardly. "Good."

  "I think he's trying to atone for what he did to you," Faina said softly, so that only Rella could hear. "But it's not easy to forgive people."

  "No, it isn't," Rella said.

  The fighting had died down. Everyone had escaped with only a few scratches and bruises. They continued through the tunnels, following Halarik's lead. Along the way, they encountered two more groups of the gray-skinned creatures, which they handled with ease. Rella was amazed to see that Kara was an accomplished swordswoman.

  At last, they came to a barred gate. There were no levers to open it.

  "What do we do now?" Faina asked, glancing around.

  "I know how to open this," Halarik said. He placed his hand against a stone on the wall to the right of the gate and sent a pulse of Fireweaving at it. After a few tense and silent moments, the gate rumbled open. He turned to the party. "Be prepared. The monster in here is very dangerous, but we should be far enough from the sewage that we can use Fireweaving."

  "Should be?" Atarin said. "I don't like those odds."

  Halarik shrugged. "Well, they're the best we have."

  He stepped through the gate, and the rest of the group followed. On the other side was a vast chamber, and deep in the shadows of that chamber, something enormous stirred. Rella's breath caught in her throat as they crossed the chamber.

  "The creature will not move from its location," Halarik said. "It will guard the fortress to its last breath. Vardin's mind control weave has made it that way. It will attack us with its heads. Be prepared to weave shields quickly. It can spit a very dangerous substance that can blind you if it gets in your eyes. It will also be intensely painful anywhere else."

  Rella shuddered. Was it too late to turn back?

  Despite her fears, she kept pace with the rest of the group as they descended a set of wide stone steps. Soon they stood where they could see the creature more clearly. It was as large as many buildings back home, and its nine heads squirmed like a bunch of snakes.

  In the light of the Sunlamps, she could make out its colors. It was a light purple, and scales covered its entire body.

  "How do we defeat it?" Faina asked.

  "We have to decapitate it," Halarik said. "Nine times. And we have to be quick about it. The heads will grow back if we take too long." He shared a long gaze with the party, unable to hide the fear in his eyes. "Once we take a few more steps, we'll be within range."

  They took those last few steps, and the monster woke with a mighty roar. All eighteen eyes came open, and stared at them with pure fury.

  "Shields!" Halarik shouted.

  They all wove Yellow and Blue at once, moments before a green substance flew from the creature's nine mouths. The substance slammed against the shields and dissipated.

  "It won't be able to do that again for a while," Halarik said. "Let's attack while we have a chance." He charged forward and unleashed a wave of fire that engulfed the beast. All nine of its heads recoiled from the flames, and it let out a hideous shriek.

  "I thought we had to decapitate it," Talin said.

  Halarik kept his weave going. "Yes, but we have to weaken it first."

  "Watch out!" Atarin shouted, pointing to their left. One of the heads was swinging toward them. Kae and Karik were standing closest, and they ducked beneath the head. Now it was heading directly toward Rella. Its mouth was open, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

  It was too low now. She couldn't duck beneath it, and she couldn't jump over it. She raised her sword and swung with all the force she could muster. But she managed only a glancing blow. The force of the impact sent her flying backward. She hit the ground hard, but kept her head from striking the dark stones.

  The monster's head came back toward her. She rolled out of the way just in time, then hopped back to her feet, holding her sword ready, blood pounding in her ears.

  It had focused its attention on her, opening its enormous mouth as it flew toward her again. She stood her ground, ignoring her doubts. The mouth moved as if to close around her, but she was ready for it. She twisted out of the way just in time, then swung at its neck. Once again, her blow bounced off of the monster's thick hi
de.

  The others were shouting all around her, engaged in battles of their own. The monster's heads were flying all over the chamber. Fire and lightning glowed. Somebody screamed in pain, but she couldn't tell who it was.

  The head came at her again. She couldn't continue with the same tactics. Eventually, the beast would tire her out. Instead, as the head flew toward her, she planted her feet firmly and waited for the blow to strike. The monster opened its mouth wide and prepared to close it around her. This time, she was going to let it happen.

  As soon as the mouth was within range, she launched herself forward. She plunged her sword upward, and it pierced the roof of the creature's mouth. Sharp pain tore across her arm as its rows of teeth made contact with her skin, but she ignored the pain.

  The monster pulled its head back as Rella clung to the sword, trying to drive it up into what she hoped was the monster's brain. But she couldn't hold on to the sword. The monster's blood had soaked the blade, and her grip slipped. The force of the head's movement sent her flying. Her stomach lurched, and she hit the ground hard.

  The head continued thrashing with her sword in the roof of its mouth. She lay on the ground, dazed but otherwise unharmed. Though she felt unsteady, she clambered to her feet.

  The head she'd stabbed had fallen still. A few moments later, it disintegrated.

  "Don't go for the necks!" she shouted. "Stab it through the roof of its mouth!" She had no idea if the others had heard her, so she scrambled across the damp stones, reaching the spot where the head had disintegrated. Her sword lay on the stones, covered in blood. She grabbed it, then looked up just in time to dodge a whip-like movement of the nearest head. She rolled out of the way, then shot to her feet, ready to try her tactic again.

  The battle raged all around, but she barely noticed anything else. She was focused on killing just this one head. Everyone else could worry about the others. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kara attempting to the same tactic, but the head darted out of the way at the last moment, and Kara had to roll to avoid the monster's next attack.

  A different head flew toward Rella, and this time she felt more confident. When it opened its mouth, she drove her blade upward. Again, it plunged through the roof of the creature's mouth. This time, her sword came free more quickly, and she hit the ground with a soft thud.

  The head thrashed for a few more seconds, and then it faded into dust.

  Blood was trickling from Rella's arms, but she ignored it. When she stood, though, she felt a bit woozy. Perhaps she'd lost more blood than she'd thought. Glancing down, she noted that blood covered the stones all around her. Suddenly she felt lightheaded.

  She collapsed, and everything became dark.

  Chapter 43: An Impossible Choice

  Kadin stared at the blue crystalline structure encasing Cardell, then back at his sister. Her eyes were wide, her skin pale. Vardin had fixed his gaze on her.

  "You have five seconds to agree," he said.

  Kadin was trembling. "I-I can't do it."

  "Very well." Vardin pointed a finger at Tyrine, and she hit the ground, writhing and screaming in pain. Kadin rushed forward to try to help her, but two Sun Guards restrained him. He fought against their hold, but they only gripped him tighter.

  Vardin relented for a moment. "That was just a taste of what I can do. Do you really want your sister to suffer so much? It's entirely on you. You can end this."

  "But Cardell is evil," Kadin said, fighting against tears. "And so are you."

  Vardin narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You know nothing of good and evil."

  "You weakened the sun!" Kadin shouted. "If that isn't evil, I don't know what is."

  Vardin took a few steps toward him, his footfalls soft but menacing. "Do you believe everything you're told? You don't know the truth of what happened. You don't know anything about our world."

  "I know enough. Anyone who tortures innocent people for his personal gain is evil. I don't care how you justify it."

  "I was hoping you'd make this easy," Vardin said. He cast Orange again, and Tyrine's screams were even louder. She writhed on the ground, her eyes wild, her face twitching in disturbing expressions. Kadin felt every scream as if it were tearing him apart.

  "Stop!" he shouted. "Please, stop!"

  "You're the only one who can make it stop," Vardin said. "Do as I ask."

  Tears streamed down Kadin's face. "I-I can't."

  Tyrine looked at him, pain in her eyes. "Don't give in, Kadin. It hurts, but it will only last so long, and I'm only one person."

  Kadin tried to reach out for her, but the Sun Guards restrained him. He glared at them. "Let go of me, you bastards. That's my sister! Don't you have families? Don't you care about the people you love? This is wrong, and you know it."

  The guards did not respond. Their faces remained expressionless.

  "You can't reason with them," Vardin said. "They're under my control."

  Kadin continued fighting, earning himself a backhand across the face. The steel gauntlet collided with his nose, and there was a loud crack as it broke. Sharp pain flared, and more tears ran down Kadin's face, along with a stream of blood from his nose.

  "Maybe you need to feel this pain yourself," Vardin said. "Then you'll understand."

  Kadin remembered the pain of an Orange casting from when Marell had used it on him. That had been mild. He braced himself for the pain, knowing it would be excruciating.

  It was worse than he ever thought it could be. He felt as if fire were consuming him, as if every part of his body had been dipped in scalding water. Something was tearing him apart from the inside, slowly. The screams that came from his throat were like no sounds he'd ever made.

  Then it stopped. He lay on the stone floor, cold and trembling.

  "That's what your sister is experiencing," Vardin said. "That's what you're doing to her."

  Kadin glared at him through a haze of tears. "You're the one causing it."

  "You simply won't see reason, will you?"

  "Stop!" Kadin shouted.

  "Do as I say."

  "I can't."

  "Then I won't stop." Vardin cast Orange again. The casting struck Tyrine in the chest, and she screamed like never before. Her body twitched so much she was banging her head on the ground. Kadin couldn't take it anymore.

  He knew he'd hate himself forever, but he had no choice.

  "I'll do it."

  * * * * *

  Karik dodged one of the monster's heads, then sent a weave of fire at it. The creature recoiled from the heat, but the fire was doing no real damage. He had to change his tactics.

  "Rella's hurt!" Atarin shouted from Karik's right. Karik glanced in that direction to see Rella on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. He felt as if something were tearing his heart in half. In this moment, he realized he really did care for Rella.

  But there was no time to check on her. Three of the monster's heads remained. Talin had managed to chop through three of them all by himself. Karik and Atarin had stopped another one together. How the other two were destroyed, Karik had no idea.

  The head swung back toward them. Karik threw himself to the side, avoiding it, and then he launched back to his feet, swinging his sword with all the power he could manage. The force of his swing drove the sword partially through the neck. Atarin came from the other side while Karik held the head in one place with his sword, and with a great swing, Atarin cleaved through the monster's neck. The head fell upon the dark stones, then faded into dust.

  With only two heads remaining, they had the advantage. Talin quickly severed another head. He was bleeding from a few injuries but looked steady enough. Karik and Atarin came together to take care of the last head. Halarik had weakened the skin with some of his fire. When Karik swung his sword at the creature, it cut right through the neck.

  With all nine heads severed, the monster faded away entirely, leaving only piles of ash. Karik doubled over, sweat pouring down his face.

  But then h
e remembered Rella and rushed to her side. He placed a finger against her neck. Her pulse was there, but it was weak. Blood stained the ground all around her, and Karik felt sick at the sight.

  Everyone else remained on their feet with only minor injuries.

  "We have to help her," Karik said, barely able to speak through his tears.

  Talin took her in his arms. He staggered a bit beneath her weight. He had to be exhausted after the grueling battle. "We need to get her to water."

  "Follow me," Halarik said. "We're almost to the water supply."

  It was slow going, but they made their way through the tunnel beyond where the monster had been standing guard. Halarik sent a pulse of Fireweaving at the wall, and a gate rumbled open ahead of them. The next room they stepped into was much brighter.

  Clean water sat in a giant basin at the bottom of the circular room.

  "I'll heal her," Halarik said. Talin lowered Rella into the water. Her blood filtered into the water, turning it red around her. Then Halarik entered the water himself and cradled Rella in his arms. He closed his eyes, adopting a look of deep concentration.

  After about a minute, her eyes fluttered open. "What—where am I?"

  "You're safe," Halarik said. "We defeated the monster. We're inside the fortress."

  Rella pushed herself to her feet and immediately collapsed. "Why am I so weak?"

  "You lost a lot of blood," Halarik said, "and my healing can only do so much. You should stay here and wait for us."

  She pushed herself to her feet again, gritting her teeth. This time, she didn't collapse. "If you think I'm waiting around here while everyone else plays hero, that’s not gonna happen."

  Halarik shook his head. "I'm only a god. Who am I to tell you what's best for you?"

  "I'll be fine," she said, her steps becoming steadier as she rejoined the rest of the party. "I can do this."

  Karik put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes, I'm sure." She wavered a bit. "All I know is I'm not staying here by myself."

  "It's going to be exhausting," Halarik said. "We have a lot of climbing to do before we can reach the Source. Then we'll have to find our way to the chamber where Cardell is prisoner. That's where we'll find Kadin and the others."