by JD Franx
“I remember you,” Kael said, without opening his eyes or breaking his concentration. “Your husband passed out right beside us. I wouldn’t let Kyah help. I’m sorry about that... There were other lives on the line.”
“He is sensitive to your underworld magic. As necromancers, we draw most of our magical power from the Void and you draw your underworld magic through the Void. Your magic instinctively protected itself from my husband. Your friend couldn’t have helped him anyway. It wasn’t your fault. Neither of us would hold a grudge against you for it.”
“That would be a first, and you should. I can’t control the magic I have, that’s why it hurt him.”
“Nekrosa was trying to find you. Our magic and yours doesn’t mix, yes, but we didn’t know that before. It was our fault. We’re experienced magic users, and it was our responsibility to be careful. We come from the country of DormaSai. Have you heard of it?”
“I think a friend told me about it once. Southern Kingdom, right?” Kael asked as memories of Lycori came back to him.
“Yes. It is a country where all magic and its practitioners are welcomed. Even a DeathWizard. If you ever need asylum or even just a place to learn about your gifts, go to the castle in the capitol city of Drae’Kahn. The library there is incredible. Thousands of shelves in the library are lined with books and grimoires. Some are over ten thousand years old. There are written documents there about your kind as well, you know. I’ve seen them, read some of them,” she explained.
“They would just allow someone like me to walk around or study whatever I like? That’s absurd,” he scoffed. “I have been hunted since the very first moment I arrived here. Everyone fears me or wants me to do terrible shit for them. I don’t believe you. Even the ArchWizard is trying to kill me.”
“DormaSai is in the Southern Kingdom. Our country is devoted to the preservation, understanding, and practice of all magic. My King and Queen are necromancers, and because of that, no magic is prejudiced against there. I promise, you will be welcomed there just by telling them who and what you are. My husband and I work at the castle there. We may even be there should you get there some day. His name is Nekrosa Kohl...” she said hesitating. “Our last names are known here, Kael. Death warrants exist for our lives just because of our magic and our King’s. Please keep our secret as we have kept yours.”
With his eyes still closed, Kael noticed the pause when she spoke about them working at the castle. He assumed they were both royal mystics of some sort, or spies maybe. It explained the warrants for their deaths, but it mattered little to him.
“Your secret is safe with me, and thank you for your help. I don’t know if this will help you or not, but my friend, Kyah, has said the same thing about the Fae, and she is a very powerful healer. You might be right that they are in this world again. It’s no business of mine, but I do hope you find what you are looking for.”
Kael opened his eyes, and dizziness washed over him. “Right now, though, I need you to help me get my friend back because I can’t heal myself.”
“I thought you said that you could? Have you not done it before?”
“I have, but not using magic from my earth-bond cruus. I haven’t figured out how to make it work, and my connection to the underworld healed me with disastrous side effects last time. I’m not really sure how I did it, or if it was even me that did. I had just pulled a six-foot-long sword from my stomach at the time. But it doesn’t matter, I can’t get it to work right now anyway.”
“You’re not a very good wizard are you, Kael?” She smiled, and he knew she was not being rude.
“No, not a very lucky one either, as you can tell,” he said, touching his sore head.
“I’m sorry. I truly wish I could help you with that, but my magic doesn’t come from a bond with the earth. We use... more efficient magic to heal ourselves.”
“I got that, when you said something about leeching their life... It’s all right, maybe one day. Perhaps in DormaSai, you can explain to me about the Void and how your magic works, but for now I need to find Kyah.”
“I will hold you to that talk someday, Kael,” she said. Her voice held an eerie edge that made Kael shiver. “Now let’s go find your friend, all right? Come, I’ll help you walk, where do we go?”
Waves of nauseous agony rippled through Kael’s head as Sephi helped him to his feet. He fought through the pain as best he could, but still could not walk on his own. The vertigo and dizziness became too much and he fell to his knees. With strength that belied her frame, Sephi helped him back to his feet and steadied him as he recovered before leading him down the inn’s back stairs.
“We have to get to the city barracks,” Kael said softly. “I know the Master Wizard stationed here, his name is Seifer Locke.” He panted in agony, cursing. “Christ, my head hurts. You have to get us to the barracks with no one seeing me. The city’s slavers are after me and my friend, Kyah. We told everyone she was my wife, hoping to avoid problems, but it didn’t work. Those men we killed belong to Lircang Yorcali,” he explained, as Sephi checked the darkness for signs of trouble.
“It’s still full dark. Don’t worry. The shadows will come to our aid and protect us. It’ll keep us out of sight.”
He heard her whisper and frowned, not recognizing the language.
“Na gravasay, shadus mal.” A calm, eerie quiet settled around them. The shadows cast by the inn and surrounding buildings lengthened, swallowing them along with all the light.
Once clear of the inn’s back door, Kael did what he could to help.
“Hush,” he whispered, passing his hands over both their feet, silencing them with black smoke. “No one will hear us now. Just keep us out of sight.”
“With the magic I have seen you use tonight, it truly is a loss that you cannot heal. You should keep working at it. You have abilities that are unheard of, especially for your kind,” she complemented.
“Yeah, all but the important ones,” he grumbled.
“Give it time, it will come. Nekrosa and I have been studying magic since we were old enough to read, nearly twenty-seven years it has been now, and we are still considered children, even though Nekrosa is a prodigy in his discipline. Learning magic does take time, my friend,” she said, leading the way to the barracks. The elongated shadows of buildings and warehouses shifted and stretched, but constantly kept them covered and away from prying eyes.
“I know it takes time,” he said. “But it’s time that I never seem to have enough of.”
They came around the corner of the last building before the barracks and saw no one. A quick shuffle across the lit yard to the barrack’s front door and they arrived without drawing attention. Once inside, they found Seifer sleeping on the bed in his office. The door whipped open and cracked against the wall as Kael stumbled, tripping Sephi as the two of them crashed into the master wizard’s partially open door. With both hands filled with fire, Seifer bounced from his bed in less than a second.
“Kael? What in Inara’s name are you doing here?” he shouted. “Mistress Sephi, good to see you again.” As he got a better look, he asked, “What the Nine Hells happened to you?” Offering Kael a hand, Seifer helped Sephi guide him to the bed. Six guards stormed into the room with weapons drawn as Kael sat with his back against the wall. The wizard barked at his guards to stand down before anyone got hurt. As he took in the situation, it was clear Seifer didn’t know what to say. Kael coughed, wincing at the stab of pain from his previously broken ribs. They were still far from being healed.
Gasping for breath, Kael tried to explain. “You told me yesterday... That you knew what Lircang... was doing, remember? You said kidnapping and murder?”
Seifer knelt down beside the bed and looked Kael face to face. “I remember,” he said. “I warned you... Where’s your wife? Why is she not with you?” He placed his hand on Kael’s chest and muttered the words to an unfamiliar spell. A small amount of strength returned to Kael’s broken body and the pain subsided, even his head
cleared enough to think. “I cannot do more, Kael. I’m sorry, but I never trained in healing. Besides, you are far beyond what magic can heal. Tell me what happened and I promise your death won’t go unanswered.”
Kael drew in a rattling breath before he continued. “I promise you, Seifer. I’ll tell you everything, but for now... You have to trust me. Lircang’s goons were waiting in my room when I got back. They had a charm that prevented me from sensing them. Sephi heard the commotion and came to help. There are two bodies in my room.”
“Holy Mother Inara. I knew he might try something, but not while the pirates were still here,” Seifer said, shaking his head in utter disbelief.
In too much pain to nod, Kael smiled. “If you want to catch Lircang with all the proof you need, then get as many men together as you can and head straight to the slave cells in the Far Exotic’s basement. Dahlea, is just as guilty, maybe more so. I promise to explain later. Kyah is in one of those cells, and his men tried to kill me so he would get away with. That’s how he’s been doing it right under your nose. No husband or boyfriend to complain, and no proof of what he’s doing.”
Seifer nodded and stepped outside. Kael winced as he yelled for the guards to send out a call to meet at the Far Exotic, but gave orders to stay back, out of sight until he arrived. Sephi helped Kael back up and Seifer slid under his arm on the other side, with both their help it took less time to return to Lircang’s establishment.
The Master Wizard immediately sent his most trusted men to watch the back exits, so there was no chance of escape. The rest entered through the front. It should have been no surprise to see Lircang sitting in the upper section of the main floor surrounded by would be witnesses able to clear him of any wrong doing in Kael’s death.
Lircang’s bottom lip quivered like a young boy caught playing with himself when Kael walked into the Far Exotic still alive. He smiled at the sweat-covered fat man, applying a subtle, but ever increasing pressure to the situation.
It took only a handful of seconds before the city guard were positioned throughout the building. Lircang composed himself and met his new arrivals just before they reached the stairs to the basement slave cells.
“Master Locke. Captain Kern. Might I assist you with something tonight?” the slave master asked.
“You look a little nervous, Yorcali,” Kael pointed out, his words slurring the slightest bit from the crushing force building inside his head. “Disappointed to see me alive?” he wheezed, as fluid and blood trickled from his ears again.
“I can assure you, Master Kael, that I have no reason to want you dead, so why would I be disappointed that you are not?” Kael knew he was trying to sound sincere as he put his fingers together in front of his chest, but the slaver’s voice quivered just a touch. “Might I say, however, that you don’t look like you’re feeling so well? Is that why you and your alluring wife left early tonight?” The corner of his mouth twitched, forming the start of a sly smile, as if to tell Kael there was no way to prove anything he might accuse Lircang of.
“We’re wasting time, Seifer,” Kael snapped, inducing a coughing fit. More blood trickled from his left ear. Sephi used her sleeve to wipe it away as he continued. “She... He has to have her... In the slave cells downstairs,” he managed after the throbbing in his head subsided. Kael struggled to concentrate and focusing was becoming more difficult.
Polite, as always, and quickly regaining control of his confidence, Yorcali pasted a fake smile on his fat face. “Perhaps if you were willing to tell me who you were looking for, Captain Kern, I would be able to help you achieve your goal. Without wasting more of everyone’s time. Especially my own. I’d hate to have to send a bill to the city for the unnecessary occupation of my valuable time.”
“Master Yorcali,” Captain Kern replied, his voice stern. “This young man has accused you of trying to have him killed and of kidnapping his wife. Would you like to respond to these charges?”
Kael could see the relief flood Lircang’s very being as he thought, again, there would be no proof. It confirmed that Kael’s elaborate plan had been a success and Seifer was going to get his justice against Lircang Yorcali, after so many years.
“I have taken no one, Captain, and I have been here most of the night with family and friends who can all attest to...”
“Then we will continue our search, Master Yorcali, but we would appreciate it if you would accompany us,” Seifer said. Kael smiled at Seifer’s tone of voice, he clearly was not asking.
Lircang bowed his agreement. “Absolutely, Master Seifer, anything to help you search for the young man’s wife. The sooner you see that she is not here the quicker you will find her elsewhere,” he offered. Kael’s smile widened at how totally oblivious the slaver was to what was actually happening.
The group walked down the stairs and Kael did his best to make sure the search quickly worked its way to the cells in the back corner, the ones containing the human females. The beaming, arrogant smile, Yorcali kept flashing his way finally wore into Kael’s last nerve and he could no longer help himself from saying something.
“You know, Lircang, you really should make sure you know what kind of person you have running your businesses. That shit-eating grin of yours is about to disappear.”
Lircang’s confused look was priceless, but it was short lived. The bravado returned. “Whenever you are ready, young man,” he said, smiling wide. “It takes more than a powerful wizard to make things... appear where they have never been,” he laughed, waving his arms in front of Kael’s face. The fat man assumed his men had Kyah stashed somewhere far away from the brothel, his statement a veiled joke only the two understood, but Kael knew better.
“Funny thing, Lircang,” he said, smirking, as they approached the female cells. “A friend of mine, a real wizard he was, not long ago told me that the best kind of magic is illusion magic.” Lircang snorted in disbelief, but it didn’t stop Kael from continuing. “But... the most powerful illusion magic uses no real magic at all. To make something appear or vanish in front of your eyes is the secret to true illusion, magic or not. Shall I show you? It seems I may just have a knack for it.” Kael trembled from the effort of speaking, but his smile never wavered.
Lircang scoffed, and bowed to Kael. “By all means, Master Illusionist. Let’s see which of us is better. I’ve forgotten more about illusion and deceit than you will ever know, Kael.”
“I warned you Lircang...” Kael barked, and stood a little straighter, yelling as loud as his pounding skull would allow. “Kyah? Are you down here? Kyah? N’Ikyah!” He shouted even louder, staggering jolts of pain stormed his swollen head and blood sprayed from his nose. Lircang Yorcali snickered, thinking he had won, but his mirth was short lived.
“Kael? Kael, is that you?” Kyah screamed, terror riding every word. “Kael, help me please, in here,” she shrieked, and began banging on the door in a fit of hysterics.
Kael turned to the slave master and sneered. “Real illusion is designed to make you see what’s not there, Lircang. You should have left us alone, you would have been perfectly fine.”
Lircang was overwhelmed with confusion. “What... How... What the hell is going on? How did she get in there?” he said, beginning to panic. One of Captain Kern’s men pushed Lircang into the wall face first and secured his hands with leather straps. Other guards came down the stairs escorting Dahlea, already bound. Lircang looked at Kael and then to Dahlea. Kael chuckled as he watched Lircang make part of the connection as to what was going on.
“This is your fault you, stupid bitch. By the dark halls of Perdition, you screwed us both,” he swore, lunging at his madame.
The madame merely grunted. “I learned from the best, Lircang. Stolen slaves bring more profit than bought ones, did you not tell me?” she laughed, as her words buried them both.
Lircang exploded with violence. Kicking out at her, he lost his balance, and if not for Captain Kern’s guards, the slaver would have fallen on his backside. “I should have le
ft you rutting on your back, making me money, you ugly bitch. Instead you manage to ruin us both. How could you be so stupid, even knowing who my partner is?” Dahlea blanched white with fear at his words, her quivering lips even looked pale through the thick rouge. Kael was shocked when the woman lost control of her bladder, a puddle forming around her feet. He was glad to be done with them both at last.
After tearing the keys from Dahlia’s waist belt, Seifer opened Kyah’s cell and she stepped out looking for Kael, she ran to hug him but stopped short when she noticed he was being held up by others.
“What happened?” she asked. Concerned, she placed her hand on his chest, the other cupped his cheek. “Kael! You are dying,” she cried, tears starting to well in her eyes. “What happened to you?”
“Lircang tried to have me killed. There were men waiting in our room. They had some Dwarven charm thing. I never sensed them,” he explained. Coughing again, he grabbed at his head before he could finish the tale. Sephi introduced herself and finished filling her in, telling her about the attack, his broken skull, and her potion that had kept Kael alive this long.
Kyah placed her hand on Kael’s head. “Thank you for helping him, Mistress Sephi, but we must get him to our room so I can try...” Her hand dropped and a vacant stare swallowed her features. “So I can spend the time he has left with him.”
Sephi frowned. “You can’t heal him, can you?”
“My magic will not be strong enough to save his life. I cannot heal him fast enough to get ahead of the swelling inside his head. I am sorry love,” she said, touching Kael’s face.
He could see the depth of her pain and it took all Kael had to concentrate enough to answer. “We... were bound to... run out of luck eventually,” he said.
“But not this day, my friend,” Seifer said, gently placing his hand on Kael’s shoulder. “Come, let us take you to your room and I will help her heal you.”
Kyah smiled. “You have healing magic too? Together we can...”
