“Gin! Thank goodness!” Teeand shouted as he removed yet another ghostly head. The room fell silent, as he had just dispatched the last of that wave of undead. He turned to face her, and stopped in his tracks when he saw her eyes. “Gin? Flower? What has…?” Anni appeared next to Gin, stepping out from behind the cloak of invisibility that her magical music was providing. Teeand’s eyes narrowed. “What have you done to our Gin?”
“Oh, stop it,” Anni said, her voice only wavering a bit as she struggled to keep her fear in check. “I’ve got her a bit sedated to keep her from running after Sath like she is prone to do and making things worse than they already are.” She bit her lip hoping that Teeand would accept her answer.
“Aye, she is known for that,” he said, pulling at his beard as he did when he felt conflicted. He leveled his gaze at Anni. “And as we sit here talking, he gets further away from us and closer to harm’s way while these minions are reborn undead. Shall we go?”
“Yes!” Hackort jumped to his feet.
“Hold on a minute,” Elysiam said, grabbing Hackort’s foot as she pulled herself up to a sitting position.
“Oh, no,” Hackort sighed as he sat back down.
“I won’t fight alongside her,” Elysiam said, pointing at Anni. “Wizard or no, I will not do it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Anni said. “I don’t care whose side you’re on once we are finished here, but without me there is no hope that you will defeat Salynth.”
“Awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Elysiam got to her feet slowly, leaning on Hack as she did. He looked up at her and smiled, and she winked back at him.
“I should have eaten you when I had the chance,” Anni said. She stormed toward Elysiam, ceasing her drumming. Gin blinked and then looked around. Just in time, she jumped in between the Qatu and her sister-druid.
“Enough!” Gin hissed. “We have a mission and we are going to finish it! We will bring Sath and Kahzi home and then I am done with the lot of this fighting!” She stomped her foot in frustration as all of them stared at her. “NOW then, Sath is down this hall. We do not know where Kahzi is or if Taeben is with his Mistress. Tee, how do we proceed?”
“Why does Tee always get to make the decisions?” Hackort whined, hushing immediately as Gin shot him a silencing look. “Sorry, Ginny.”
“We don’t have a plan, Flower,” Teeand said sadly. “All I know to do is keep going as we have been until we find Sath. We need to move on down the corridor though, before these shades gather their energy and return for round two.”
The rest of them nodded and picked up their weapons and bags. They did not make it more than a few feet before Sath came into view, further down the corridor, fighting in one of the doorways. Gin wanted to run to him but remembered Anni’s words and hung back, sending him healing magic instead.
Sath felt the wave of light and health wash over him, recognizing it immediately as Gin’s. He pushed forward, removing heads from transparent shoulders and not looking back. He knew that the others would join him soon, and a wave of buoyant joy filled his fighting arm. He swung faster, his blows more lethal, as he pressed through the crowd of shades surrounding him. Again, he felt the light touch of Gin’s healing magic but this time the shades noticed it too and changed their course.
“Fall back, Gin!” Teeand cried out as the horde descended on them. He and Hack jumped in front of the teeming undead mass, trying to draw their ire away from Gin as she moved to a new corner of the hallway. The diversion worked, and soon the ghostly figures converged on Hackort and Teeand, before dissipating one after another in gruesome fashion. Elysiam was even able to get in a few shots at the enemy, though she was still weak from her earlier hit.
“Sathlir, how nice of you to stick around,” Salynth said as she and Taeben appeared in the room Sath had been working to enter.
“Wouldn’t miss it, hag,” Sath spit back. “Where is my sister?”
“Manners! Gracious! That is no way for a Prince to speak, now is it?” she said, switching to Qatunari halfway through her sentence. Sath’s attention riveted to her as she spoke. “Yes, yes, your precious secret, don’t you worry, Your Highness, your secret is safe with me.”
“WHERE IS MY SISTER?” Sath bellowed as he ran at the dragonkind sorceress. She held up her hand and he bounced off an invisible wall that formed around her and Taeben.
“Now, Pet. Take him, take his mind,” Salynth barked at Taeben as she gave the chain around his neck a yank. “NOW.”
Taeben stumbled forward and lunged for Sath, pushing his will out as he searched for Sath’s mind. Sath turned to look at him, blinking.
“Nice try, wizard,” Sath snarled. “Defense against magic already deployed.” A bolt of icy lightning rocketed down from the ceiling and pinned Taeben to the floor, shivering in pain.
“Oh, naughty cat,” Salynth whispered, a sadistic smile oozing across her face. “He is still learning, my poor Pet. You are not as easy as your sister was, clearly.” At the mention of Kazhmere, Sath leaped into the air, heading for Salynth, claws outstretched. The sorceress answered with her own hands outstretched as ancient symbols flew from her fingertips and surrounded Sath. The Qatu roared and fell to his knees as pain assailed him from every angle. “Now, let’s see, how can you make it up to me, Your Highness?” Salynth purred. Sath’s eyes widened as his body moved without his consent, standing and moving in between Salynth and the doorway. “Call your friends, Cat, let’s have everyone in on our party shall we?” Sath shook his head.
“You can make me stand, hag, but you can’t control my mind,” he spat at her. “Call them yourself.”
“Fine,” Salynth said, leveling her gaze at him. She spoke ancient words and Sath watched in horror from the prison of his own immobile body as her skin split and bubbled and fur sprouted all over her body. It was as though he was looking in a mirror. “Down here!” she called out in his voice. Sath tried to yell but found that he had no voice. She turned back to him; and then shook herself and the illusion fell away as though she had stepped through a waterfall.
“On our way, Sath!” Sath heard Teeand’s call back from the hallway. Sath seethed inwardly, trying to force his body to move with no luck. He roared with frustration.
Out in the hallway, Teeand turned to face the others. “Hack and Gin, you two are with me. Anni and Elys, you find Kazhmere and free her.” Elysiam started to protest but a look from Teeand stopped her. “I need Gin on heals, Elys,” he said, placing a hand on her cheek. “You’re not 100% yet and I need that 100%, you know I do. You go with the cat here and make sure all is on the up and up, yeah?” Elysiam scowled as she nodded.
“I will do no such thing,” said Anni. “I will help my…Sathlir.”
“Over my dead body,” Gin said under her breath.
“Just go, Anni,” Teeand said, switching over to Qatunari, “or I’ll tell what you know about our Sathlir, got it? How happy do you think that would make him?”
“More Qatunari, Tee?” Elysiam said, glaring over her shoulder at the dwarf who just winked at her. Anni was staring at him as though she wanted to gut him, but she recovered herself and stalked off toward the rooms down past the room where Sath was, Elysiam hot on her heels.
“Now then, let’s go help our boy Sath,” Hackort said, grinning up at Teeand. “Or maybe you just want me to go in on my own?”
“Don’t make me get your leash, Hack,” Gin said, smiling bravely at the gnome. Her heart was sinking as she followed the two warriors toward the room. They turned the corner and entered the room slowly. At the far corner was Salynth, holding onto a heavy chain attached at one end to a thick metal collar around Taeben’s neck. Tearing her gaze away from that sight, Gin scanned the walls for other opponents but found none of the shades there. Only the horrific tableau that was in front of them: Sath in front of them in a defensive stance, his eyes as wide as saucers.
“You seem to be missing a druid,” Salynth said, chuckling. “How careless of you.” Tee
took a step toward her but she held up a hand. “Now, now, dwarf, steady, let’s not be hasty. I’d hate to have to sic my new pet on you.” She drifted forward a foot and put a hand on the side of Sath’s face. His disgust was evident on his face but Sath couldn’t make a move if he tried. Gin gasped loudly, gaining the sorceress’s attention. “Ah, it’s the wood elf again, come to save your Cat have you?”
Taeben’s eyes widened. “Ginny,” he whispered, garnering a sharp tug on his collar from his Mistress.
“Maybe she’s come for you, my Pet?” Salynth said. “Perhaps she wants to leave the cat for me?” Sath managed a strangled roar, catching her attention. “Oh, no, bad kitty,” she said, again stroking the side of his face.
“Take your hands off him!” Gin cried out.
“Rude, that was. I do not like rude. Kill her,” Salynth said, clasping her hands in front of her gleefully as Sath started walking toward Gin with slow, agonized steps. “Well? Get on with it!” Taeben let out a strangled cry but was silenced by an overzealous jerk on the chain held by the dragonkind sorceress.
“Gin…get…out of…here,” Sath said, each word a monumental effort. “I’m…serious…TEE, get Gin OUT OF HERE!”
“I won’t leave you here!” Gin cried out in response. Teeand tried to grab her as she bolted past him toward Sath who had raised his clawed weapon as he advanced on her. “You won’t hurt me, I trust…” Her voice cut off as Sath backhanded her, sending her flying across the room and into one of the bookshelves with a sickening crack. An avalanche of ancient tomes rained down on her as she lay in a heap. Sath’s voice thundered in anguish as Salynth, like a puppeteer, guided his body back to stand in front of her, guarding her from Hackort and Teeand.
“Well, that was fun! Who’s next, then?” the sorceress cackled. “Who’s next?”
Thirty-Three
“Do you know where she is being held?” Elysiam barked at Anni as they ran down the corridor. “Or are you leading me to my death?”
“I can smell my own kind,” Anni hissed back. “I’m surprised you don’t know already, I thought you elves were supposed to be masters at tracking your prey.”
“I’d happily show you the skills I’ve mastered, but it wouldn’t help us find Sath’s sister for me to singe that already charcoal-colored fur of yours,” Elysiam retorted. “Wait!” A mewling cry had caught her attention from one of the rooms. “I think she’s here!”
Anni spun around and charged through the door at which Elysiam was pointing. Inside the dimly lit room was a heap of rags under a tiny slit of a window. “She’s not here,” Anni said, turning back to face the door.
“Anni?”
Anni froze. “Kahzi?” she said, turning back around slowly. A teal pair of eyes stared out at her from the heap of fur and rags. “Dear spirits, Kahzi!” Anni exclaimed, running to Kazhmere’s side. “Kahzi?”
“You…brought…Sathlir here,” Kazhmere said, her eyes saucer-like.
“Are you hurt? We need to get you out of here, can you stand?” Anni put an arm around Kazhmere to help her up, but the Princess hissed and struck out at Anni. Kazhmere stood on her own and then flattened herself against the wall.
“You risked the entire future of Qatu’anari, you stupid, stupid fool!” Kazhmere shouted at Anni, who was cowering in front of her.
“What are you two saying?” Elysiam demanded. “Stop that growly rumbly talking! I’m trying to help you here, but I can’t if I don’t know what you are saying..”
“Kahzi, let us help you out of here and I will do whatever I can to make this right, you know I will!” Anni whined. Kazhmere stood stock-still against the wall, a feral look in her eyes. “Let us get you out of here.”
“I know that you THINK that you were doing the right thing, my friend,” Kazhmere said, spitting the words more than saying them. “In my darker moments I admit that I wanted nothing more than my brother to rescue me. Even so, I had to think of the grander picture, of our home and our people, and by bringing Sathlir here to die alongside me you have ruined us all. If she takes Qatu’anari it will all be over, you foolish, foolish female!” Kazhmere roared in frustration as Anni hissed and backed away from her.
“Okay, listen, before this turns into a right bag of wet cats, how are we going to get out of here? Does my transport magic even work in here?” Elysiam said. Both the Qatu females looked at her as though she was a genius. “What?”
“It does, tiny elf,” Kazhmere said in the common tongue, beaming a fangy grin at Elysiam who glared back at her. “You do your race credit! Taeben transported the Mistress all over the Tower.”
“The Mistress?” Anni regarded Kazhmere with suspicion. “She hasn’t…I mean, she didn’t…”
“No, of course not,” Kazhmere said. “Taeben is her pet, not me.” She looked away, her eyes meeting Elysiam’s for a moment. “Where is my brother?” she asked, slowly and carefully in the common tongue.
“He is with Salynth,” Anni said. “They sent us to rescue you.”
“WHAT?” Kazhmere staggered away from the wall. “That is suicide!” She tried to get to the door but stumbled and fell. Anni rushed to her side to help her off but Kazhmere shook her off. “Don’t touch me.”
Elysiam put an arm out to Kazhmere. “Even I understood that! You really are Sath’s sister, aren’t you? Just as stubborn. Now stand up before you get singed fur to match your brother’s as well!” Kazhmere fought back a smile, but failed. She took Elysiam’s offered hand and stood, as Elysiam channeled the energy of Orana herself through her hands and into Kazhmere, healing and strengthening her.
“I could have done that,” Anni muttered.
“You could have done a lot of things but thankfully we were here to stop you,” Elysiam snapped. “Now then, Kazhmere, my name is Elys, not Tiny Elf, if you don’t mind?” Kazhmere beamed a fangy grin at the druid. “Wow, thank the dear spirits I’ve been running with Sath all these months or that grin would have me beating a retreat!” she said, laughing along with Kazhmere. Anni glowered and moved to the corner, resuming her drumbeat.
“You can knock that RIGHT off, Annilanshi,” Kazhmere said. “None of us need a nap at the moment, thank you very much.” She smiled sadly at her old friend and Anni smiled back at her, although reluctantly. “Now then, what is the plan to help my brother and free that poor elf from Salynth?”
“Poor elf?” Elysiam scoffed. “He’s no poor elf; he’s a monster in training, Kazhmere.”
“Call me Kahzi, please,” Kazhmere said, her countenance clouding with concern. “Why do you say that, um, Eh..lees?” Elysiam looked at Kazhmere, clearly amazed.
“That’s good! It took Sath a long time even to speak to me, let alone call me by my full name and you’ve pronounced my nickname almost right on the first try,” Elysiam said. “I don’t think this one,” she said, indicating a scowling Anni, “has even tried. She thought I was food at first.”
“You will have to forgive us, Elys,” Kazhmere replied. “We are not taught much about the other races; the only ones native to our home, the island of Qatu’anari, are the Qatu. We are not accustomed to being companions…uh…friends with any other than our own.” She smiled at Elysiam, happy that she had found the correct word.
“Makes sense. But trust me on this one: Taeben is not worth saving. He has ruined many lives in his short time walking Orana and there are many that would see him remain here forever, myself included. As for your brother, he has turned out to be an ally after all. You see, there was the problem of Sath being the Bane of the Forest before he met Gin but she straightened him out,” Elysiam said. Anni’s ears pricked. “There are not many of my kind that trust your kind, thanks to your brother’s shenanigans.” Kazhmere looked puzzled for a moment until Anni translated the word shenanigans into Qatunari. Kazhmere’s face fell.
“What did he do, exactly? I have not seen nor heard from my brother since our father…well, since Sathlir left Qatu’anari so many seasons ago,” Kazhmere said, sadness creeping into
the corners of her eyes.
“Do you know the word Bane?” Elysiam asked, fury dancing around the edge of her words. Kazhmere again looked at Anni who shrugged her shoulders. “Bane means…someone you fear or hate above all others, I suppose.” Kazhmere nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. “With Sath it was definitely more fear than hate. He hid in our forest home, hunted us, and caused the deaths of many of my kind.” The color slowly drained from the druid’s face as she spoke. “I can remember being a young one and having a curfew…and hearing bedtime stories about how the Bane of the Forest would eat little druids and rangers if we were out of our beds at night. As far as I know, Sath didn’t eat any of the druids or rangers that were unlucky enough to cross his path, but he certainly did kill them for their money and food.” She looked away a moment to regain her composure. “I’m sure it was because he was living rough at the time and had to do something to survive.” A faraway look came over Elysiam, and her voice sounded wistful and sad. “I can certainly understand that.”
“But you say that this Gin straightened him out?” Kazhmere asked, trying to move away from the image of her brother as a bloodthirsty killer. “What is a Gin, if I may ask? How did she…straighten out…my brother?”
Wanderer Page 33
