Elaine glanced at her aunt.
“Be careful,” she said.
Lakses nodded. He squared his stance and faced the king of Nassio. Lady Nasibron’s sacra form joined him. Together they lunged at the king.
He moved with alarming speed and grace, shifting into a sacra form of his own. The humanoid form looked almost human, but its body was formed not of flesh, but stone. A heavy arm hurled Lakses into the door, smashing the wards and breaking the dungeon passage open. Lakses fell to the floor.
Elaine ran toward him while Lady Nasibron held the king back. Her sacra form was strong but the king’s sacra form, whatever it was, proved as alarmingly dangerous as any Elaine ever witnessed.
He whipped a glittering chain from behind his back. Swinging the weapon, he entangled Lady Nasibron’s gaseous sacra form with links formed by sprites. The king of Nassio lunged toward Elaine and Lakses.
Elaine threw a hand to cast a spell. The king knocked her arm aside. She closed her eyes and spoke the incantation to another spell. The wards the king stood among collapsed upon themselves.
Sprites Elaine had deployed returned to her in a rush of power. The king’s sacra form glowed as light flashed across the surface of stony skin. Sprites slashed at him from the recalled wards as they returned at great speed to Elaine. They weren't as powerful as an iron bane used in such a way but they threw the king off balance.
He staggered to one side. His chain lashed out slashed across Elaine’s shoulder and back. She ducked, but pain flared in her as blood sprayed across the wall. Clutching at her wounded arm, she staggered to keep her feet between the king and the fallen Lakses.
“Out of my way,” said the King. He retracted the chain and lunged at her once more. His shoulder connected with her chest, driving the wind from her. Her feet left the floor.
She flew down the passage within the dungeon. The world spun around her. She hit the wall at the corner of the passage and slumped to the ground
“No!” said Lady Nasibron. “How dare you?”
Lakses struggled to stand as the king strode past him. Elaine's eyes flickered clicked half-closed. She blinked, feeling only pain through her body.
The king motioned for his remaining warriors to follow him into the dungeon. They marched past Elaine, treating her as if she was already dead.
A white mist coalesced into the shape of a bony figure in a white robe. He glanced at Elaine with a face made of void and starlight, then turned and followed the vakari deeper into the dungeons.
Melissa
She stumbled to a halt within the breached palace entrance, sweating and bleeding. Deckard Hadrian limped out of the feasting hall, blood dripping from cuts on his hands. Melissa approached Deckard.
“What happened?”
“The enemy is here,” Deckard said. He pointed down the hall from the dungeon with one bloody hand.
“I fought best I could but that maladrite, Havindas is headed that way. He wants the world well.”
Melissa scowled.
“All the fighting is for a pit in the ground?”
“There’s something important at the bottom,” Deckard said.
Melissa nodded. She still felt numb, recalling how she’d carried Niu’s broken body from the house. She turned to Deckard.
“We need to hurry.”
The two of them proceeded down the passage. They passed fallen vakari warriors as they approached the door to the dungeon.
There, they found Lady Nasibron disentangling herself from the last of string a group of sprites. On the floor within the broken door of the dungeon, lay a powerfully-built, stocky man. He sat up as they approached.
Lady Nasibron motioned to the man.
“Melissa,” she said, “meet Lakses.”
Deckard's eyebrows bent inward.
“Lakses,” he said, “what are you doing here?”
“The greater demon’s spawn named Azel,” said Lakses, “his scroll is in use. And I have a feeling he will be here, because Havindas is attacking.”
“You mean Saben,” said Melissa.
“Saben stole the scroll,” said Deckard. “Saben will become the demon.”
“Azel is a powerful demon,” said Lakses pushing himself his feet. He turned and walked to the end of the passage. He helped Elaine up.
She leaned on him as they approached the dungeon door.
“If they can find the well, they can achieve their mission,” said Lakses. “We need to hurry if we're going to stop them.”
“Lakses,” said Deckard, “you don't want to stop them. Do you?”
“I'll do whatever it takes,” he said. “I want to protect the city. However, my motives are far from pure as you discerned.”
Lady Nasibron snorted.
“Enough talk,” he said. “We must stop them before its too late.”
Melissa gritted her teeth.
“We should hurry.” She turned lady Nasibron. Tears began to well in her eyes. “Niu...” she trailed off.
Lady Nasibron’s face fell. Elaine began to cry.
“Yes,” said Melissa. “He was one of the fist of the King of Nassio.”
“I have a feeling they are more the fist of the maladrite, Havindas,” said Deckard. “They fought alongside him in other places around the world. Now they're here.”
“I killed one of them,” said Melissa.
“Which one?” asked Deckard.
“Deel,” said Melissa.
“He was quick,” Deckard said.
“Not quick enough,” said Melissa, wiping her eyes with her hand.
They made their way into the dungeon. Sprite fires burned in every empty cell. Those cells that had contained people, were now empty. The doors hung off their hinges.
“The vakari warriors have been freeing the prisoners. Or worse,” said Deckard.
Melissa wrinkled her nose. She gripped her spear tightly.
The three of them, Deckard, Lady Nasibron, and Melissa lead the way. Elaine and Lakses followed them. Elaine moved stiffly, no doubt in pain after being thrown across the hall, but still alive.
“Melissa,” said Elaine, “is Katie. Is she...”
“She died fighting,” said Melissa.
“There was nothing you could do,” said Lady Nasibron, “I'm confident of that.”
“I know,” said Melissa, softly.
They made their way down multiple flights of stairs. As they moved, the skittering of sounds below them became louder and more frequent. They reached the bottom level where the darkness was almost complete.
Melissa put forth her hand. Her spear lit up with sprites. She waved the weapon in front of them, trying to ward in between cells as they passed. They continued their descent. They reached the empty cell with the passage that led to the world well.
“Beyond here,” said Deckard, “I cannot guarantee any of us will come back.”
“You never could,” said Lady Nasibron. “Don't think any less of yourself for it.”
Elaine slumped, sitting down on the floor. Lakses knelt beside her.
“She's still hurt,” she said.
“I made it this far,” said Elaine, struggling to get to her feet.
Melissa went to her friend and crouched before her.
“It's all right,” she said. “You have to hold on.”
“I'm not going to die,” said Elaine.
“Not today,” said Lady Nasibron, “if you know what's good for you, student.”
Elaine grimaced, then nodded.
“Lady Nasibron,” she said, ”thank you.”
Deckard stitched a series of wards on the outside of the vacant cell.
“Is there any other way out of this dungeon?” asked Lady Nasibron.
“There was a passage years ago, in th distant past.” Deckard nodded to himself. “Yes, there was a sewage passage that was located deeper than the well.”
“That means,” said Lady Nasibron, “whatever is still close to the well could connect to it.”
“Qu
ite so,” said Deckard. “I would see that only a few of us can pursue. Melissa, can you come with me?”
Melissa touched her wounded shoulder gingerly.
“I'll do whatever I can,” she said.
“We’ll have to dive into the well,” said Deckard. “The passage to the sewage tunnel should not be far below the top.”
Melissa nodded.
“I understand.”
She followed Deckard with one more glance at Elaine. Elaine nodded to her with a reassuring, though sad expression. Lady Nasibron clapped a hand on Melissa's unwounded shoulder.
“Good luck.”
Melissa turned to Lady Nasibron.
“I wouldn't be here without you.”
“You've always been heroic,” said Lady Nasibron, “see where that gets you from here.”
Melissa frowned.
“I don't know,” she said. “I don't think I've been heroic enough.”
“You try your best,” said Lady Nasibron, “and you try again.”
Elaine smiled slightly.
“That’s something to remember.”
Lakses put an arm around Elaine and helped adjust her position against the wall. Lady Nasibron approached the two of them weaving a pair of sprites resonating with a healing song between her fingertips. She sent the sprites diving toward Elaine.
Melissa and Deckard approached the passageway to the world well. They entered the well chamber. The world well came into view before them, dark and foreboding. Among the scattered sprites and Banes around the chamber providing the light, there were a handful of vakari royal guards. The Royal guards, warriors with wings and spears and magic of their own to wield, blocked their path to the well. They cast small shadows in the gloom.
Melissa glanced at Deckard.
“Can we get past them?”
“Of course,” said Deckard. “But I think we better stop them.”
“Do we have time?” asked Melissa.
Deckard shrugged.
“We have no choice.”
He summoned up wind and threw himself toward the warriors. His Swift flight carried him over the stones and bowling into one warrior before the lizard man could ready his spear. The weapon splintered apart as it halfway moved to intercept Deckard. Melissa followed the immortal man stabbing out with her spear. The point pierced another warrior and he went down. She pulled the weapon back. It’s point glistened red in the light of the sprites.
The pit yawned before them.
The other vakari warriors retreated around the edge of the pit, encircling as they prepared to hurl spears and magic at Deckard and Melissa.
Deckard climbed off the fallen warrior he had thrown to the ground.
“Let's go.”
He reached for Melissa's hand. She gripped his wrist under the robe.
The two of them leapt into the well. They descended, fluttering like leaves on the breeze. Deckard guided them both into a tunnel twenty hand-spans from the top of the well. Melissa hadn't seen it before, but it looked dry enough. They landed inside the tunnel. The warriors who had been blocking the well descended on their wings to follow them. Melissa stabbed another with her spear before she and Deckard turned to race into the passage.
Deckard led the way, he cut a path through cobwebs and brush at first. They quickly reached the center of the tunnel and the way cleared by a recent previous passage.
“Whatever they wanted below,” said Deckard, “They already did it.”
“They retrieved something?” asked Melissa.
Deckard nodded.
“They're on their way out.”
“But where does this tunnel reach the surface?” said Melissa.
Deckard shrugged.
“I don't know,” he said. “I haven't been in Soucot in a long time and never down so deep.”
Melissa frowned.
“We should move as fast as we can,” she said.
“Of course,” said Deckard. “May I take your hand again?”
“Yes.”
He gripped her wrist with his hand this time, and then launched himself down the tunnel. They flew past webs, shadows, and flickering sprite-lights. They raced along the passage, barreling downward until they began to see light once more. Deckard landed, skating on the rough stones. Before them stood the pallid shape of Zalklith Once-Broken. On either side of him, a pair of Nassini royal guards flanked him with spear and spell.
“Three on two,” said the hunched vakari king, “I take it you are all that's left?”
“Don’t assume,” said Deckard. “And certainly don’t count your enemies dead before you slay them.”
Melissa grimaced.
The reptilian man before them was to blame for everything. He was to blame for Niu’s death, the assassination attempt, for everything that happened here.
“The scion is with Havindas,” said Zalklith, “There's no more need for masks. He assumed his sacra form, a pale humanoid with joints that seemed to float separately from each other. He took a step forward. His troops blocked the tunnel.
Deckard glanced at Melissa.
“It's time to fight,” he said. “Once more.”
Melissa braced her spear against the floor. She began to forge her iron bane into as much muscle as she could.
Deckard hurled himself at Zalklith Once-Broken. Melissa followed behind him, striking with her spear at the first royal guard. Battle was joined in the tunnel with cries and shrieks.
Folt
The governor’s vessel caught up with Folt’s fortress ship under the bridge near the ancient sewage gate. Folt boarded a small rowboat and crossed the shallows to meet Havindas and Zalklith when they emerged from the ancient gate. His hands shook as he reached for the sword at his hip. They were so close. So close. He tasted victory on his tongue, meaning his master no-doubt felt the same way.
The governor’s ship plowed into the escarpment, driving up a plume of water that drenched Folt, Rina, and the two pulling scull where they sat in the boat. The Kanori rowers shivered as water cascaded over them. They reached the escarpment and the ancient gateway carved into it a moment later. Folt leapt from the boat, slipping on smooth stones but keeping his feet. Rina slithered after him, halfway into her serpentine true form.
The enemy ship loomed over them, huge and tall, though scarred, leaking, and battered. Above him, Folt spotted Suya on the deck, next to a black-skinned demon with long, fierce-looking talons. One of the hand managed to take on a sacra form.
He stared up at them when Rina grabbed and tugged on his arm. He turned, and a vast wave of sprites missed him by only a hand’s distance. The blade of sprites cleaved into the escarpment, dashing stones apart.
Folt darted out of the path of a second blow with Rina at his side. The second blow smashed the dinghy into the water with a titanic crashing sound, sending the rowers swimming for their lives.
“Damn it,” said Folt. His eyes turned to the steep side of the escarpment, where a man with an oar stood. He looked to be one a Member of the governor’s Hand, one who had training mage.
The man, Kelt, a sailor in his middle years, descended toward them holding the massive oar between both hands.
“You've done too much,” he said. “This is the end, Folt.”
Folt hissed, hating the sound of his name in the man's mouth.
“Folt,” called Suya from the ship, “don't fight. Give up now and you might be spared”.
If there were three of them... Could Hilos be wearing that demon form?
Folt lunged at the man with the oar. Kelt swatted him with a wave sprites from below. Though they were flat and blunt, the impact still stung. Folt flew into the air on the force of the impact. Rina jumped after him, her wings extending. She caught him and they glided toward the deck of the governor’s tall ship.
Kelt jumped after them, his leap boosted by sprites singing from his legs. They all landed on the ship, before Suya and the demon that must be Hilos. The governor stood behind the two mages. Lokoth folded her arms.
The governor’s eyes met Folt’s gaze. Her sword servant drew a blade.
“You,” said Suya, tears in her eyes, “how dare you come back here?
“How dare I?” Folt shrugged. “I dare.”
He tore his sword from its sheath. The blade was not as large as the cleaver he used of the battle in the palace, but here, thanks to Voratome Drake’s pact with him, he felt certain he was stronger than anyone present. He must not face defeat today.
Despite his huge weapon, Celt held his oar easily. He circled, trying to get behind Folt and Rina. Rina took to the air once more. She passed overhead, no doubt looking for a way to attack the governor. Hilos’ demonic visage shifted away to reveal his true nature for a moment, confirming Folt’s suspicion the old man wore the sacra form. Hilos maneuvered himself between Rina and the governor. Governor Lokoth took her sword from Suya. She’ll be no match for a full-blooded Charinien and Fisher if Rina can strike, Folt though
Two against one, Folt could handle. He focused on Kelt.
“That's a nice trick you have there.” He eyed the oar the man used to focus his sprites.
Kelt snorted.
“I’ll be enough to blow you away, myself,” said the sailor.
“You certainly gave me a boost, said Folt.”
He took his sword’s grip in both hands and started to inhale deeply, building flames using Drake’s gift. He did not make black bane fire, not yet, but fire nonetheless. He exhaled, blowing flames over the deck. The orange fire jumped onto the rail on the edge of the deck and oars below them. The ship began to burn.
Folt smiled.
“Now we have a time limit.”
“Kelt,” said Suya, “I'll handle him. You put out the fire.”
The sailor nodded. He swept his oar over his head.
No, you don't, Folt thought, lunging at the man. Suya darted forward, interposing herself between Folt and Kelt. Folt’s sword deflected off her blade.
The sword servant, despite her obvious tension and feelings, continued to press him back, pushing with the blade. She forced him step-by-step toward the bow.
Folt and his sword skills were no match for her. However, his magic might be able to give him the edge.
He shot flames over Suya’s head and onto the mast. The ship blazed from stem to stern. Suya thrust out with her blade, cutting Folt across the arm. Her next cut gashed his head.
Demon Scroll Page 36
