Faegan’s recitation of the incantation found in Failee’s grimoire was initiating a Blood Pox on Khristos and his vipers. It was succeeding exactly as it would have done for the First Mistress, had she lived and found it necessary to destroy her terrible creations. The first part of the plan had been to find Khristos by following theInkai ’s instructions in the use of the subtle matter. Now that the second part of the attack plan had taken effect, every pair of eyes in the hovering war party watched with rapt fascination as Failee’s ancient, long-forgotten spell went about its grisly work. The spell was designed to raise the blood temperature of Khristos and his followers until they died. They would suffer horrible, torturous deaths, the punishments more than appropriate for the crimes that the Viper Lord and his gang of monsters had committed against humanity.
There was a welcome kind of rough justice about unleashing Failee’s Blood Pox against her own creations, Shailiha thought as she watched the waters of the Sippora writhe and churn. Not only would the Viper Lord and his followers be tormented, but there would be an added sense of retribution in the name of a departed Conclave member. For this was the very spell that Succiu, Second Mistress of the Coven, had used to trap and to torture Geldon, the hunchbacked dwarf that she first discovered in the Parthalonian Ghetto of the Shunned. Later she would employ him as her personal slave, forcing him to scour Parthalon for suitable victims on whom she would practice her bizarre predilections. The Blood Pox had left Geldon impotent and sterile-two afflictions that Succiu refused to cure. Geldon had been loyal and brave, and he had been instrumental in helping the Conclave to win some of its most important battles over the Vagaries. But an assassin in the service of the Vagaries had killed him, and to this day his fellow Conclave members missed him deeply.
Taking her eyes from the churning water, Shailiha looked to the nighttime sky and toward the seemingly limitless number of stars suspended from its ebony canopy. Since the day she had learned of Geldon’s death, she liked to believe that one of those stars represented his soul, that soul that had been so much greater than the stunted body that contained it. May you now rest peacefully, my friend, she thought.
Looking back down at the roiling, steaming water, Shailiha suddenly felt the need to attain another form of justice. This need was personal, and it quickly overpowered her. Her face a mask of grim determination, she turned to Faegan.
“Stop applying the spell,” she ordered.
Faegan was stunned by her words.
“But it’s working, Princess!” he protested. “You mustn’t order me to stop now! Given more time, their blood will literally boil, killing them all! Why in the name of the Afterlife would you order me tostop ?”
Incensed, Shailiha glared into Faegan’s eyes. “If you stop the spell, are Khristos and his followers likely to emerge?” she demanded.
Faegan looked at her quizzically. “I would suspect so,” he answered, still bewildered by theJin’Saiou ’s demand. “They will likely attribute their suffering to the boiling water, not knowing that it is in fact their own rising blood temperatures that are causing the water to heat.”
“And will Khristos still be able to call the craft?” she demanded.
“I do not know,” Faegan answered. “But because the Blood Pox raised his blood temperature to such a high level, his powers have probably been at least somewhat lessened. That might have been the goal of Failee’s spell all along. His Blood Vipers will probably be similarly affected.”
“Good,” Shailiha answered. “Now stop employing the spell! That is a direct order!”
Still confused, Faegan simply stared back at her. If he was to do this thing, he was determined to understand her reasons.
“Butwhy?” he again protested, this time fairly screeching at her.
Raising one hand, Shailiha pointed to her black eye patch. “Thisis why!” she shouted. “And I do this for Abbey as well! I want that abomination of the craft to know that it was I who killed him! Now are you going to obey my orders before it’s too late?”
“Very well,” Faegan answered. “But after the spell is gone, what are your plans?”
“The plan is simple,” Shailiha answered. “When they emerge, I will take the Minions down and kill them all. You may participate if you like. But this is going to happen with or without you approval.”
Her face grim, theJin’Saiou looked back down at the roiling water.
“I fully understand that dead is dead, no matter how it is arrived at,” she added quietly. “But how these abominations meet their end has meaning for me. The Blood Pox seems too easy. I want them butchered in the same way that they butchered so many of us. I forbid you to use your powers against the Viper Lord’s person unless he kills me.”
Finally consenting, Faegan ended the spell. Soon the water stopped churning and the rising steam vanished. Tense moments passed as the hovering war party waited and watched. As the first of the many reptilian heads broke the surface of the river, Shailiha turned toward Traax.
“Order your warriors and Night Witches to attack,” she said. “Take every head, but leave Khristos to me.”
“I live to serve!” Traax answered. He quickly shouted out a series of orders to the Minions and they started peeling off from their formations to dive toward the ground.
“Now get me down there,” Shailiha ordered Traax.
Traax quickly lifted theJin’Saiou into his arms and turned to fly from the litter. Before he launched into the air, he looked down to find an empty landing spot. What he saw caused his muscles to clench.
“Look there!” he shouted.
Shailiha quickly swiveled her head and looked down.
Khristos stood on the riverbank, his face and body covered with boils and his skin scalded red by the water. As his thousands of Blood Vipers slithered up the banks, Shailiha saw that they were similarly plagued. Khristos looked up and saw the litter, and his reptilian eyes locked onto Shailiha’s. Raising one boil-infested hand, he beckoned her down with a sneer.
Without hesitation, Traax snapped open his wings and took flight.
CHAPTER XLIX
AS TRISTAN STOOD BESIDE HOSHI IN THE BOW OF HERblack war barge, ten thousand heavily armed katsugai stood waiting in strict lines behind them, filling the vessel to the gunwales. Having been ordered to stay behind, Tristan’s Eutracian comrades and his beloved Black Ships were nowhere to be seen. But he couldn’t risk worrying about them now, he realized. History was about to be made, and once it began, there could be no going back for either side.
Hoshi had strategically dispersed the war barges that hadn’t already been sent to wait near the upper entrance of the valley. Some remained near the lower valley staging area with Tristan’s Black Ships, while the rest had been divided into two opposing flight groups. Closely hugging the outer slopes of the valley mountain ranges, they quickly flew north and stationed themselves one league apart from each other in two hovering lines lying along each side of the valley. Then the great lines of barges levitated at once up the mountainsides, coming to a stop just below the peaks and out of sight of the Rustannicans raiding the gold below.
Hoshi and Tristan’s barge also hovered very near the snowy summit. So far, it seemed that the Rustannicans had not detected the Shashidans’ presence. Off in the distance, theJin’Sai could make out a war barge dutifully floating at the same altitude on either side of his own. Knowing that they were there was reassuring.
The weather was brutally cold here, causing Tristan to wish that he had chosen to wear a shikifuku rather than his Eutracian vest and breeches. Hoshi had offered him traditional katsugai armor, but because he was unaccustomed to it, he respectfully declined. Snow had started to fall on the lurking barges, adding a surreal quality to the nerve-racking wait. Soon the mountain winds arose, causing Hoshi’s black war barge to sway with the familiar creak of a great ship under way.
The Shashidan battle plan sounded effective, but Tristan believed that it would be difficult to execute, considering the thousands
of barges that were to take part. When the assigned time arrived, the attack was to begin en masse. Because the barges lined the valley on both sides, it was hoped that the sudden onslaught would be overwhelming, causing the Rustannicans to react with confusion.
As the katsugai being released from the war barges stationed at the lower and upper entrances pushed their way into the valley and toward each other, those barges hovering on either side of the mountains would fly up and over the peaks, then soar down into the valley and also spill forth their fighters. Tristan still believed that the hugely scaled plan would be immensely difficult to coordinate, and he tactfully told Hoshi as much. But after Hoshi explained the devices that had been specially designed to help unify the attack, he quickly changed his mind.
A stout wooden pedestal stood in the bow of their barge. Atop it sat a unique hourglass, enchanted by theInkai. Its upper globe was filled with black sand that fell into a matching lower globe. Both globes glowed with the azure hue of the craft. Each of the thousands of barges was thus equipped, Hoshi explained. On leaving the staging area, she had enacted the spell that would cause the sand in every one of the thousands of upper globes to begin falling at once. At the same time, the enchantment placed into the many upper globes would ensure that all the grains of sand fell at precisely the same rate. When the sands fully emptied into the lower globes, all the barges would attack simultaneously.
Tristan looked at the hourglass to see that the grains of sand had nearly all fallen. The attack would start soon, he realized. Pulling him to one side, Hoshi raised her war mask. Her gaze was searching, concerned.
“It is doubtful that we will become separated, because theInkai have ordered you and me to stay on this barge at all costs,” she said. “It seems that the elders consider us valuable commodities,” she added with a little laugh.
She then removed a bright red scarf from beneath her armor and tied it around her upper arm. “Should we lose each other, this will help you to find me again,” she said.
Pausing for a moment, she again looked toward the enchanted hourglass. “The moment grows near,” she said. “It is time for you to learn your part in all this.”
As Hoshi outlined Tristan’s orders, he listened intently. When she finished, something unexpected happened. Hearing a rustling of armor, Tristan turned and looked toward the stern of the tataki fune.
All ten thousand katsugai mosota were on bended knees, heads bowed. There seemed to be a sea of them on this barge alone. He turned to again look at Hoshi.
“They do not bow to me, Jin’Sai, ” she said. “They bow to you. As I speak, the same act of reverence is happening on every Shashidan barge, but these katsugai here with you and me will stay with us as our personal bodyguards. It is your time now. Let us start this battle.”
Overwhelmed by the unexpected displays of devotion both seen and unseen, Tristan bowed in return. The thousands of katsugai mosota came quickly to their feet.
Hoshi lowered her mask, then turned to watch the last sand grains fall into the lower globe. She quickly shouted a series of orders to her barge’s pilot mystic.
At once the barge soared up the craggy mountainside, its ascent so steep that for a time Tristan saw nothing but snow-filled sky. On reaching the crest, the barge suddenly righted for the briefest of moments, then pivoted downward to begin the sharp descent into the valley.
The battle to reclaim the Tani Kinkiro had begun.
CHAPTER L
TO SHAILIHA’S SURPRISE, KHRISTOS TOOK NO IMMEDIATEaction against her and Traax as they descended into the fray. Minions were landing by the thousands to begin fighting the Blood Vipers, and the erupting chaos was growing by the second. Faegan and Adrian wasted no time in launching azure bolt after azure bolt down onto the viper hordes still emerging from the tributary. As Traax and Shailiha landed to face Khristos, the sounds of explosions, screaming, and death-dealing rose into the night air.
Knowing full well that Shailiha would not be denied her revenge, Traax decided that she must be protected from the vipers as she confronted the Viper Lord. Shouting out a quick series of orders, he commanded a group of warriors to form a thick protective ring around the place where Shailiha and Khristos stood facing each other. Reluctantly joining the ring, Traax grew increasingly worried as he watched the drama unfold.
Even now Khristos took no direct action against Shailiha, choosing instead to stand his ground and give the princess a leering smile. His smile broadened further when he noticed her eye patch. Widening her stance, Shailiha raised her sword.
“So,” Khristos said, “I see that you did not escape the fighting in Tammerland unscathed after all! You and your wizards likely do not know it, but there is no known cure for viper venom. By the way, I’m informed by my lead vipers that your herbmistress bitch named Abbey died like the squealing pig that she was. Partial adepts aren’t like you and me, are they? They’re really little more than pretenders to the craft.”
Finally choosing to move, Khristos raised his silver staff. “But worry not about your injured eye, Princess,” he said. “You are about to die, and your darkness will become eternal. The same will soon be true of your Minions and mystics. I come to this happy conclusion because I can readily see that my forces outnumber yours. Either we killed far more warriors then we first believed, or you left a sizable force behind to guard the palace. Even now my vipers slaughter your warriors.”
As Shailiha stood her ground, Khristos smiled again. “Ah, that’s it, isn’t it?” he asked. “Determined to never make the same mistake again, you made an even greater one by not bringing your entire force to search us out. Once you and the winged freaks you brought here are dead, taking the palace and ransacking the Redoubt should be easy.”
Pausing for a moment, Khristos casually spun his staff as he started circling Shailiha. Just as Tristan had taught her, she pivoted in place as he moved, saving her energy while Khristos expended his.
“Your method of finding us was very clever indeed,” Khristos said. “We nearly escaped forever into the Sea of Whispers. But heating the tributary in order to kill us was not so effective, I fear. Did you not realize that we could simply emerge in order to save ourselves? While it’s true that we are scalded, we are still quite able to defeat you. It seems that your vaunted Vigors mystics have finally miscalculated after all.”
Shailiha remained quiet as she glared into his eyes. No longer sleek and smooth, his olive skin was covered with red, angry boils. The vertical pupils embedded in his almond-shaped yellow irises still seemed vibrant, and they missed nothing. His black robe lay in even greater tatters and scarcely clung to his body. As she watched, his bright red tongue slithered in and out of his mouth, testing the night air.
“We did not heat the river water,” Shailiha said at last. “You and your vipers did that. I allowed you to emerge so that I might kill you personally.”
Khristos threw back his head and let go a wicked laugh. “ThePon Q’tar told me that you were not trained in the ways of the craft,” he answered. “Even so, I never dreamed you were so stupid! I am a powerful wizard, you fool! Do you believe that I can be tricked so easily?”
“It’s quite true,” Shailiha answered. “The spell that we used was of Failee’s making. She hid it in her grimoire for safekeeping, should she need to kill you and your horrible servants. It wasn’t the water surrounding you that first became heated.” Smiling slightly, she widened her stance a bit more, putting Khristos on notice.
“You are the victim of a Blood Pox,” she added quietly.
At the mention of Failee’s name, Khristos looked stupefied, as if he had been struck across the face.
“You’re lying!” he shouted. “The First Mistress would never have done me harm! We loved each other!”
“No, Khristos,” Shailiha answered. “Youmight have lovedher, but I doubt that she ever really loved you. From the time she went mad and left Wigg, she loved only the Vagaries.”
Her expression becoming darker as her memor
ies of the First Mistress surfaced, Shailiha glared hatefully at Failee’s reptilian creation.
“I should know,” she said menacingly. “For a time, I too was under that bitch’s aegis.”
“I still say you’re lying!” Khristos raged. “And you are about to pay for those lies with your life! I’ll enjoy watching my vipers eat your liver! It is a prize to which they have aspired for a long time!” Taking a step closer, he pointed the tip of his silver staff directly at Shailiha’s chest.
To everyone’s amazement, Shailiha lowered her sword and stepped toward the Viper Lord. Holding her arms wide, she brazenly offered herself up for the killing.
“Then do it, if you’re so sure!” she hissed. “Kill me now and prove the First Mistress’s love for you! Kill me, you twisted freak!”
Shailiha’s taunting finally put Khristos’ hatred into action. Summoning all his power, he called the craft.
Shailiha tensed as she watched the craft’s power slowly build in the tip of Khristos’ staff. With a wicked smile, he let it loose.
The azure beam that streaked toward Shailiha was narrowly focused, yet far slower than any she had seen before. Whirling to one side and trying to ignore her pain, she avoided it.
Screaming with frustration, Khristos began to grasp the terrible truth. Again pointing his staff at theJin’Saiou, he did his best to call the craft. This time the results were even less powerful, and the azure bolt that erupted from the staff’s point fizzled in midair and crashed to the ground between them, knocking clumps of dirt and grass into the air.
Shailiha took a deep breath, then raised her sword again. “It’s over for you, Khristos,” she said. Although they were lessening, from time to time she could still hear the sounds of her warriors struggling with the vicious vipers.
“Kneel before me and I promise to grant you a quick death,” she offered. “I suggest that you do it. It’s a far more compassionate way to die than being impaled on a stake and disemboweled.”
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