The Raven Collection

by James Barclay

  ‘What do you want Septern for anyway?’

  ‘He knows the ritual of opening,’ said Sol, and he clutched his sons a little tighter and shared a glance with Diera.

  ‘Commm . . . ng,’ muttered Septern. ‘Fsssst sss-sston.’

  ‘What’s he saying?’ asked Ilkar.

  ‘Nothing that makes any sense,’ said Sirendor.

  ‘Coming. Fist. Stone,’ said Jonas. He blushed into the silence. ‘Well that’s what it sounded like to me.’

  Distantly, an explosion was heard. Densyr’s heart tolled painfully.

  ‘Oh no.’

  The flat horn tone sounded once more but this time appallingly close. Papers were picked up and shredded. The balcony doors smacked back so hard that one fell from its hinges. Miirt reacted the quickest, heading outside to look.

  ‘It is right above us. And there are Garonin in the ruined city. Many hundreds.’

  ‘Endgame, Densyr old chum,’ said Sol. ‘Your time has just run out.’

  ‘I will not let this city fall.’

  Sol stood, ignoring his pain, and marched over. Auum moved aside for him.

  ‘Fine, but let everyone who doesn’t share your vision take the chance to run if they want to.’

  ‘No! And I’m saying that for you, Sol. Because I care. Their demand that you die is one that no friend should ask of another.’

  ‘But they may ask it of their king, and their king agrees it is the only path.’

  ‘You will not take Septern.’

  ‘Watch us,’ said Auum.

  ‘Looks like you’d better be ready to fill the breach, doesn’t it?’ said Ilkar, already with a hand on Septern’s shoulder. ‘You know I can wake him.’

  Combat erupted all around the college. God’s Eyes, IceBlades, Winter’s Touch. Spells arced away to strike the Garonin machine where it hung directly above the tower complex. Coming through the blasted streets, a large force of Garonin drew heavy fire from the east walls. Septern’s face darkened. His hands twitched and a low growl escaped his mouth.

  Wards triggered out to the east.

  ‘Not appprooo . . . ch.’

  ‘You cannot move him,’ said Densyr. ‘We’ll all die if you do.’

  ‘You aren’t talking to a room that cares terribly much,’ said Sol, but he looked over at his family and the desperation within them was clear for all to see. Young Hirad had his face buried in his mother’s chest. Jonas’s eyes were everywhere. And Diera was glaring at her husband.

  ‘Sol. Don’t let this be the end. Just don’t. We deserve better.’

  Sol stared at Densyr. ‘My family are three of those you have sworn to save. Help them.’

  Lines dropped past the balcony window.

  ‘Here they come,’ said Miirt.

  She drew her twin short blades. Auum did likewise, giving Densyr a telling look as he turned away to join her. Ghaal moved to the opposite balcony doors, standing ready with the ClawBound pair. Thraun and his wolves gathered near the table. Sirendor moved to stand with Sol. Blades taken from college guards were in hand.

  ‘We can get away,’ said Jonas. ‘Sha-Kaan will take us.’

  ‘We cannot bring him into a battle like this,’ said Sol. ‘The Klene would get ripped apart. Someone tell me about Hirad.’

  ‘Alive,’ said Thraun. ‘Just about.’

  There was the thud of heavy boots on stone from somewhere above. Possibly on the roof, possibly an upper balcony. All eyes glanced up.

  ‘The door,’ said Sol. ‘Thraun, your job.’

  ‘I’ve got it.’

  ‘Ilkar, how are we doing?’

  ‘Not good,’ said Ilkar. ‘Densyr is right. Moving Septern will certainly bring mana feeding back into the Heart. Probably enough to destroy it. And even if it didn’t, he’s too far gone to move. He’ll die.’

  Sol closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, Densyr saw him stare at his family. Diera was rocking young Hirad. Jonas tried to comfort them both.

  Densyr began to weave a spell. ‘I’m sorry, Sol. But we’re all in this together now.’

  ‘We should run for the catacombs,’ said Ilkar.

  ‘No,’ said Densyr. ‘That’s where they’ll be going to attack the Heart.’

  ‘But well defended surely?’

  ‘Extremely.’

  ‘Then why—’

  ‘Come on, Ilkar, think. Full of souls, full of mana. Full of wards.’

  Outside, the lines jerked and jumped as more Garonin began the descent. There were the sounds of breaking timbers from above and footsteps on the stairs. White tears flooded down to impact the courtyard and walls. The tower complex rocked under the weight of spells and energy. A bright light flashed at ground level.

  Densyr held the shape of his chosen spell and faced the door. He felt a strange calm descend on him, like a fond memory soothing nightmares away. So different yet so very much the same. Standing with The Raven, facing ridiculous odds. Backs against the wall.

  And trapped with no place left to run.

  Nowhere in this dimension anyway.

  The call to arms rang out, bells ringing a discordant tone, a sound that was picked up across the west and north of the city. General Suarav looked to Brynar.

  ‘Let’s put this aside. We have a college to defend. Stand with me.’

  Brynar, from the entrance to Densyr’s tower, over which he had cast his Ilkar’s Defence, took but a moment to nod his head and dismiss the spell. College guard ran at him.

  ‘Hold!’ bellowed Suarav. ‘Touch not so much as a hair on his head. Secure the stairway. Guard every level. The Raven won’t harm the Lord of the Mount; they’ll protect him now. Trust me. Brynar, organise your mage teams. Just as we rehearsed. Someone find me Chandyr. I want lookouts stationed by the west gates. I want the citizen commanders waiting to distribute their teams to their designated tasks. I’ll be outside the tower complex. Move it.’

  On his way past, Suarav grabbed Brynar by the shoulder.

  ‘I won’t forget this, you little bastard. You had better prove yourself one fucking big hero today, do you understand me?’

  ‘I will die protecting those who protect the people of Balaia,’ said Brynar.

  Suarav grunted. ‘Good enough. Go.’

  The general rubbed a hand across his face, picked up his pride from where those damned elves had left it and ran out into chaos and fear. White tears spat into the ground. Two guards were ripped apart right in front of him. Burning corpses already littered the ground. He could see spells arcing out into the ruined eastern city as the enemy closed in on the college. Stone rippled and broke under the weight of enemy fire.

  Above, the bulbous machine pulsated. It was enormous, casting a malevolent shadow across the whole college. Dozens of lines hung from it and Garonin slid down them one after another, landing on towers, the dome of the complex and heading for the ground.

  ‘Where are my defensive mages? I need the walls bound up now. And bring those bastards down to earth. Brynar, get more concentration above.’

  Sliding down the lines, Garonin leaned out and triggered their weapons, showering the pure energy of the white tears over the college. Brynar, out in the open, had gathered a group of mages together. One knelt to shield the other five, who were all forming the shapes for their spells.

  IceBlades raced away from open palms, spreading as they rose. Frozen shards of mana ripped into Garonin bodies, sliced through lines and plunged into the fabric of the machine. Enemy soldiers fell to the earth, and where they landed, guards swooped to finish off any survivors.

  More Garonin were on the lines now. More lines were dropped from the machine, and up on the hanging carriage Suarav could see frenzied activity. Above, the clouds were beginning to build and darken. Brynar nodded at Suarav and set off with his mages to find another angle to cast.

  ‘Keep it up, youngster,’ Suarav said. ‘Redemption is at hand.’

  Chapter 31

  Garonin swung onto the balconies. White tea
rs flashed into the chamber, smashing portraits hung on the walls and setting fire to a tapestry rescued from the library during the demon invasion. Nothing would save it now.

  Densyr held an Ilkar’s Defence steady across the doorway. Garonin poured fire into it. Auum could see the sweat beading on the mage’s face. Next to him, Miirt ducked a swinging weapon and planted her elbow into an enemy gut. She jumped up and reversed her fist into his helmet, knocking him back. Auum straight-kicked into his face, sending him over the edge.

  ‘Sol, call out status,’ said Auum. ‘Direct us.’

  ‘Understood,’ said Sol.

  The tower rocked above. Loose masonry fell past the balconies. The thud of Garonin fire could be heard and felt as it pounded into the upper floors of the tower. A volley of spells flew up from the courtyard. More Garonin lines dropped. Three more soldiers landed on the balcony in front of Auum.

  ‘Get down inside!’ called Auum.

  White tears lashed into the chamber. Auum threw himself forward, cutting his blades across and out in front of him. He felt them bite deep into flesh through armour not designed to defend against blade attack. A Garonin howled in pain and fell across him. Auum rolled and kicked, shoving the wounded man aside, ramming a sword up under his chin.

  A weapon was on him. Miirt’s blade flashed across Auum’s vision. The weapon fell, a dismembered hand still clutching it. Auum arched his back and sprang to his feet, burying his blades in the midriff of the same soldier. Miirt round-housed the third, taking him clean off the balcony.

  ‘Holding inside,’ said Sol. ‘Doorway secure. Left balcony holding. No casualties.’

  Auum risked a glance behind. Prone on the table that dominated the centre of the chamber, Hirad was awfully vulnerable. To the left, Sol had turned Diera’s chair to the wall and she was hunched up in it, her arms covering young Hirad, who was abandoned to screaming terror. Jonas crouched next to them, sheltered by the mantel of the fire. His head was down and his hands were on his knees. Auum could see him murmuring, talking to Sha-Kaan.

  Sol stood by his family. One hand rested on the back of the chair. He was finding it difficult to stand and equally difficult to be out of direct combat. The doorway was secured. Garonin moved beyond the barrier, which stretched on an arc covering the door and the entire area of wall the Garonin could attack if they chose.

  Thraun stood sentinel, his wolves by him, waiting. Dystran was crouched by Septern, tuned into the mana spectrum. The master mage himself was absolutely still but for his mouth, which moved to form speech no one could hear in the tumult that echoed in the chamber.

  And finally, opposite Auum, Ghaal and the ClawBound held the second balcony entrance. Sirendor was stamping the last of the embers from the tapestry, which he had ripped from the wall.

  ‘Sol,’ said Auum. ‘Hirad.’

  The barbarian in a merchant’s broken body was stirring.

  ‘Sirendor, Thraun,’ said Sol. ‘Get Hirad safer. Under the table. Anywhere. Auum, on your right.’

  Auum swung back to the balcony. A Garonin soldier was swinging towards them on a line. Others followed on the same calculated arc. Arrows flew into the air from below, all missing the fast-moving targets.

  ‘Miirt, monkey snare. Take low,’ said Auum.

  ‘Down on my mark,’ said Sol. ‘Enemies coming in right hand.’

  Auum moved back half a pace, setting himself just behind the frame of the balcony doors. Miirt flattened herself on the floor, blades at her sides, arms ready in front of her.

  ‘Mark!’ shouted Sol.

  Everybody crouched or dropped prone bar Auum. White tears flooded in, smashing into stone, punching straight through the walls in several places, leaving ragged holes that fizzed and cracked, the mana binding them ripped apart. The Garonin followed behind his fire, landing inside the chamber. He balanced quickly and raised his weapon but had no chance to use it.

  Miirt reached out and grabbed both his ankles. Auum leapt onto his back, wrapping arms around his chest. He crashed to the ground. Just like bringing down a larger monkey in the rainforest. Sirendor, alive to the situation, grabbed the Garonin’s head, lifted it and thrust a blade deep into his throat.

  Auum nodded and rolled away. Three more Garonin came in, one after another, dropping and rolling. Auum jumped above one but was caught by the second. The third landed on his feet, brought his weapon to ready and fired in an arc right to left. A wolf blew apart, smearing gore across the chamber. The ClawBound pair reacted just too late. White tears ripped into panther and elf as they dived at the enemy, shielding Raven warrior and TaiGethen elf from the same fate.

  Auum bounced back to his feet and knocked the weapon from the Garonin’s hands. Miirt lashed her blades into the enemy’s back and he crumpled in a welter of blood. The air stank of burned flesh and fur. Thraun and the remaining wolves pounced on one of the remaining two Garonin, exacting grim revenge.

  Auum turned from the sight. The second Garonin had risen. His weapon thudded butt first into the back of Ghaal’s head while the Tai was fighting another on the balcony. Auum moved to strike, but Sol was ahead of him, thrashing his blade through the Garonin’s lower back.

  The Garonin spun round, weapon limp in his hands. His gaze fixed on Septern and he raised a hand to point.

  ‘You,’ he said, and tried to bring his weapon to bear.

  Dystran rose, stretched to place a hand up to the soldier’s eye slits and let mana flame gout from his palm.

  ‘You will not touch him.’

  The Garonin screamed, clutched briefly at Dystran’s hand and fell, his helmet ablaze with mana fire.

  ‘Sirendor. Fires. Get them out. Thraun. Thraun!’

  The shapechanger looked up at Sol, his eyes rimmed with tears.

  ‘So much pain,’ he said.

  ‘Hang on, Thraun. See to your wolves. See to the ClawBound. Auum, back to your watch. I’ll check Ghaal.’

  The intensity of Garonin fire on the tower increased as if a message had been relayed. The structure shook as raw energy spewed into it from all sides. Slate and stone blistered, broke and fell. Huge chunks of intricately carved work teetered and fell from the highest floors, tumbling down to the ground hundreds of feet below.

  On the ceiling above, the paint was darkening.

  ‘They’re coming through the roof,’ said Sol. ‘Densyr, we need your Defence up there if you can do it. Thraun, Sirendor. The doorway. You have to hold it.’

  ‘I hear you,’ said Densyr. ‘Tell me when.’

  ‘Now. Right now.’

  Densyr moved the Ilkar’s Defence spell upwards. Thraun and the two wolves rushed straight through the door. Xeteskian guards came from the left up the stairs. The Garonin fell back before the onslaught.

  Sol limped over to Ghaal. The TaiGethen was moving but groggy. Sol dared a look through the balcony doorway. For now the lines were empty but the Garonin in the floors above were free to take the tower apart piece by piece.

  ‘What the hell are they after?’ asked Sol, swaying back in as more stone tumbled from the roof. ‘The Heart is nowhere near here.’

  ‘But Septern is,’ said Dystran. ‘And we need to bind the walls to stop the tower falling. They want him because of where he is and what he’s doing.’

  A thunderous crash rattled the tower to its foundations. Light flooded in from above. Densyr gasped and dropped to his knees. The upper floors of the tower concertinaed, dumping hundreds of tons of stone, furnishings and timbers onto the Defence.

  ‘Tilt it!’ yelled Dystran.

  Densyr moved his right hand. The Defence moved up a fraction on that side. Enough to dislodge a mountain of ruined stone. Garonin swarmed around the outside, trampling on the Defence, dodging debris as it slipped and slid. They fired incessantly at the spell, each tear splashing white and blue as it impacted.

  ‘Whatever Septern’s doing, I suggest he does it quickly,’ said Sol.

  Up above, they could see the Garonin machine. It was massive, bulging under t
he pressure of mana stored within its bell. The clouds above it were swirling but slowly, as if something was interrupting the sucking in of fuel to the detonation area.

  In his chair Septern sighed, long and feeble.

  ‘Twocanbeone,’ he said.

  Binding spells were strengthening the walls and the damage was being limited for now. Brynar ran with Suarav and Chandyr, away from the tower complex. With them a dozen guards and six mages, all under a spell shield. Up in the machine weapons fired down. More powerful versions of those held in the hand, they tore great rents in buildings, ground and exposed walls. Anyone caught in their fire simply ceased to exist.

  But on the ground the tide was going against the enemy. Fifteen groups of shielded mages and soldiers moved in and out of combat areas as the Garonin landed. The focus of the assault was the base of the tower complex, as the enemy sought access to the catacombs and hence the Heart of Xetesk.

  High up above, Densyr’s tower was taking a dreadful pounding. Slabs of stone were falling to the ground, dealing as much damage to enemy as to ally. Suarav wondered what it was they wanted from up there.

  ‘Hold,’ said Suarav. ‘Use the angles. Garonin on the deck.’

  Mages crouched and prepared. Surrounding them, guards watched outwards. Time slowed. A section of wall a hundred yards to the left burst in. Chandyr cursed.

  ‘There next,’ said Suarav.

  ‘Ready,’ said Brynar.

  ‘Cast at will,’ said Suarav.

  Twenty Garonin were walking through the gap in the wall. Their weapons sprayed death in a wide arc around them.

  ‘Wait,’ said Suarav. ‘New target. Our left.’

  ‘Got them,’ said Brynar. ‘Cleansing Flame. Cast.’

  Multiple columns of super-heated mana flame roared down from the sky. Each one sought a single target. Armour flared white, twenty suits trying to ward off the power of Xetesk’s most powerful individual offensive spell. They had no chance. The deluge of fire reached inside their bodies and destroyed them in an instant. No screams, no flailing limbs. The Garonin were driven into the ground. One moment walking, the next burning and still.